Reading for April 24th

Read Ezekiel 37.1-14 The valley of dry bones.
Ezekiel's vision of dry bones symbolizes the restoration of the people of Israel.
Many assume that it is based upon his observation of a battlefield filled with
the bones of dead soldiers.
The vision plays upon priestly concepts of purity, in that a priest must have no contact
with the dead (Lev 21.1-12; Those who do have contact with a corpse are defiled for
a period of seven days, Num 19.10b-22).
Since such impurity is the epitome of defilement in priestly thought, this image of
new life is a very powerful metaphor for the restoration and purification of Israel.
In verses 1-10 God instructs him to prophesy.
Valley, or "plain" is the location of his initial visions (1.22-27).
Breath: literally "wind".
In verses 11-14 resurrection symbolizes the restoration of Israel to its own land
(see Isa 26.19; Dan 12.1-4).
Comments or Questions...