Scripture Reading: Ezek. 37:1-14, 26-28
Ⅰ
Three chapters in the book of Ezekiel occupy a special position in the Bible and can each be represented by a single word: chapter one—fire; chapter thirty-seven—breath; and chapter forty-seven—water.
Ⅱ
Ezekiel 37 reveals that we were not only dead but also very dry bones—vv. 1-2:
A
God's salvation is not only for those who are sinful but also for those who are dead—vv. 11-14; John 5:25.
B
The dry bones are scattered, independent, and separate.
Ⅲ
Ezekiel 37 reveals how God's Spirit comes into us in order to enliven us that we may become a corporate Body formed into an army and also built up as God's dwelling place—vv. 1-14, 26-28:
A
In Ezekiel 37 the wind is the breath, and the breath is the Spirit—vv. 9, 14; John 20:22; 3:8:
１
The Triune God's breath of life produced our human spirit as our intrinsic organ to contact, receive, and contain God; the human spirit is very close to God the Spirit—Gen. 2:7; Prov. 20:27; John 4:24; Rom. 8:16.
２
Christ as the embodiment of the processed Triune God breathed Himself as the Holy Pneuma (Spirit or breath) into the disciples to be their life and everything—John 20:22.
３
All Scripture is God-breathed; the Scripture is the breathing out of God—2 Tim. 3:16.
４
In order to be pneumatic people who live the pneumatic Christ, we need to exercise our spirit to be filled with the Spirit and constituted with the Word—1 Tim. 4:7; Eph. 5:18; John 1:14; 20:22; Rev. 19:13-14.
B
We need to enjoy Christ as our Pneuma, breathing Him in moment by moment and day by day:
１
An inoculator against the decline of the church is a man of God with the breath of God—2 Tim. 3:16-17.
２
We can breathe in the Lord by calling on His name—Lam. 3:55-56.
３
We can breathe in the Lord by opening ourselves to Him in our conversing with Him in prayer—Hymns, #255.
４
We can breathe in the Lord by pray-reading His Word:
ａ
The Bible is God's breath, this breath is the Spirit, and the Spirit gives life—2 Tim. 3:16; John 6:63.
ｂ
Our reading of the Bible by means of all prayer is our inhaling God—Eph. 6:17-18.
ｃ
Our teaching of the Bible by prophesying is our exhaling God—Ezek. 37:10; 1 Cor. 14:4b.
ｄ
We need to redeem our time and spend our energy to be saturated and soaked with the holy Word:
⑴
In order to reign in life, we should read the Word all the days of our life—Deut. 17:18-20; Rom. 5:17.
⑵
The Word is profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work—2 Tim. 3:16-17.
⑶
We should immerse ourselves in the ministry of the age, the New Testament ministry, the ministry of the word that opens up the Word and releases the unsearchable riches in the Word to betroth us to Christ as our Husband—Acts 6:4; 8:30-31; 2 Cor. 11:2.
⑷
The central point of our prayers should be our longing for the Lord's speaking—Eph. 5:26; S. S. 8:13-14; Rev. 1:20; 2:1a.
C
The Lord comes in to rescue and recover His people through the prophesying of His word—Ezek. 37:4-5, 10:
１
As Ezekiel prophesied to the bones, they came together with noise and shaking, and the sinews, flesh, and skin covered them—vv. 7-8; Psa. 95:1-2.
２
When Ezekiel prophesied again to the wind (37:9), "the breath came into them; and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great army"—v. 10.
３
When Ezekiel prophesied, God blew the wind, the people received the breath, and the breath became the Spirit.
４
This picture shows us that the Lord comes to revive His dead and scattered people and make them one through prophesying:
ａ
Prophesying is to speak for the Lord, to speak forth the Lord, to speak the Lord into others for the organic building up of the church—1 Cor. 14:4b, 8-9, 12, 26, 31-32.
ｂ
In order to speak for the Lord, we must live a prophesying life:
⑴
We must be revived every morning—Prov. 4:18; Lam. 3:22-24; Psa. 119:147-148; Prov. 20:13; 26:14; 6:6-11.
⑵
We must live an overcoming life every day—1 Cor. 2:9-10; Rom. 8:4; Phil. 3:8-10, 12-14; 2 Tim. 3:16; 4:2.
D
Through the breathing of the Spirit, God's people become the army and the house to fulfill God's twofold purpose to deal with His enemy and express Him in His image—Ezek. 37:10, 26-28; 2 Thes. 2:8; Gen. 1:26.