Ezekiel 37:4-6 “Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”
There’s a song we sang for years in church called “The days of Elijah”, written by Robin Mark in 1994. The song reminds us of the times in which we live, our responsibility as a church, and the great hope of salvation, a salvation the Lord has established for His people, to all who would believe.
When doing jail ministry, a group will often sing two or three songs before delving into the teaching. The songs will have many overtures within them that reveal depth of meaning, many times tying into the teaching. We see evidence of God using songs to remind the people of Israel concerning His commands or His faithfulness in times past. When the people forgot the songs, God would send prophets to remind them of the covenants.
The Declaration
When a prophet made a declaration, they were speaking on behalf of God.
Elijah was a prophet of the Lord. As a spokesman for God to the people they would uphold the Word of the Lord and exemplify the standard by which God had called the people. A prophet was held to a very strict standard of conduct. Any word revealed to them was to be spoken exactly as it had been received. Any deviation from God’s Word was an affront to God’s perfection and the prophet typically forfeited his life when he chose to cross that line.
Today, God’s people are His spokesmen and women, burdened with the task of declaring the Word of the Lord to this generation of people. The Bible is the very standard of Truth and the the message that believers proclaim. It is therefore imperative that they understand the message of God’s Word and proclaim it faithfully. If God’s people don’t speak God’s Truth in the way He related it, they diminish God’s power before others and cheat people from knowing the fullness of God’s glory.
Ezekiel 3:4 “Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.”
When people receive the Word of God in light of how it was revealed, there is a transformation that occurs, deception is reduced to a lie and the darkness is illumined.
Proverbs 23:16 “Yes, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things.”
The Word of God is life. For those who receive it, they too are given the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name. They lost cannot know unless we tell them, they cannot see Him unless we walk in the purity of His countenance for we are called to higher standard; it is for others that we are called to live. Believers are not called to live for themselves, but for the glory of God. Jesus alone deserves the glory.
Isaiah 42:6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles”
Righteousness Restored
Mankind was made in perfection and yet sin corrupted. The righteousness that Adam enjoyed prior to the fall, was lost for four thousand years. The law of the Lord showed the people what they had lost and for thousands of years the law reminded them how far they fell short.
Jesus fulfilled the law, thus elevating those who believed in Him to a position of righteousness once again.
Romans 1:17 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
The faith of God’s people is in their Creator. The world mocks those who trust in the Lord but little do they know that knowledge of God is acquired when faith is walked in obedience.
The Dead Arise
Consider the call to life which goes out into a dead world, relegated to destruction and lost to the judgement of sin.
Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
The Spirit of God brings life. Believers have been made complete in Christ. They are not meant to live apart from God but with Him. You wonder why people search for purpose in a world that can only provide pain? They search to fulfill the flesh when it is the spirit of mankind that yearns for more.
The Spirit of Christ is the answer. For those who proclaim Christ, sin diminishes the Spirit’s work in the life of a believer. A fresh anointing comes in the mornings of repentance. Insight into a realm that is denied by the world is kept exclusive to those who abide in Truth.
White Fields
Consider the fields, the harvest is in full blossom, the stalks are tall and ready for the harvest to come. The diligent are those who are ready to serve in God’s kingdom.
John 4:35 “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest.”
The Lord is who prepares the harvest. Believers are his workers in the field. He has called them to be faithful and He has prepared the way. He is waiting for you to be found faithful.
Luke 10:2 “Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
The days of Elijah are upon us. John the baptist began the preparation for the day of the Lord. Today the call is for us to take a stand as Elijah did for righteousness and truth. The world is churning with anxiety and fear, seeking for answers in the midst of a reality that is ever changing and hopeless.
This age is coming to a close, the Lord’s return is at hand and the harvest is nearly complete.
Are you ready?
U.T. 