Ezekiel is the last major prophetic book due to its length and believed chronological order, as a later book than Isaiah and Jeremiah. The book is named after the prophet Ezekiel who enters exile with the Judean people. Within this book, as the New Oxford Annotated Bible notes “combined messages of judgement and salvation.” And are some of the most fascinating and puzzling writings in the Bible. Even at moments, very bizarre, an example being Ezekiel’s muteness or the allegory of a pot overheating and the city of Jerusalem or visiting the valley of the dry bones. Yet the book closes with hope and promise, as Ezekiel shares future visions of a new Temple and return to the land.

Ezekiel 37:11-14

¹¹Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ ¹²Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. ¹³And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. ¹⁴I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.”

Prayer

Saving God, in the depths of despair you again incite your Spirit of strength to revive these parched hearts. May the joy of your unfailing love be the breath that billows into my arid heart, now and forever, Amen.