From Dead Bones to
Godly Life
Ezekiel 37:1-14 –
New International Version (NIV)
1
The hand of the Lord was on me,
and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord
and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He
led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of
the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of
man, can these bones live?”
I
said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone
know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to
them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!
5 This is what the Sovereign Lord
says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I
will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with
skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know
that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was
prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together,
bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on
them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son
of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe
into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as
he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on
their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people
of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut
off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the
Sovereign Lord says: My people, I
am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back
to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I
am the Lord, when I open your
graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in
you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will
know that I the Lord have spoken,
and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”.
Where did the hand
of the Lord set Ezekiel (verse 1)?
What were the
bones in the valley like (verse 2)?
How did Ezekiel
answer the Lord’s question “son of man,
can these bones live” (verse 3)?
What are the “dry bones” supposed to hear (verse 4)?
Who is going to
make breath enter the bones (verse 5)?
In your opinion,
why will the dry bones, after receiving tendons, flesh, skin, breath and life “know that I am the Lord” (verse 6)?
What happened
while Ezekiel prophesied (verse 7)?
In your opinion,
how would Ezekiel feel to see the miracle of the bones with flesh on them, but
know that they were not alive because “there
was no breath in them” (verse 8)?
What was Ezekiel
to prophesy to (verse 9)?
What happened when
Ezekiel “prophesied as he commanded me”
(verse 10)?
Who says “our bones are dried up and our hope is
gone; we are cut off” (verse 11)?
What was Ezekiel
to prophesy and say to them (verse 12)?
When will they
know that “I am the Lord” (verse 13)?
What will the Lord
put in them (verse 14)?
In your opinion, what is the basic
message of this passage?
John 3:1-8 - New
International Version (NIV)
1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a
member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at
night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God.
For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the
kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus
asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh
gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You
should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The
wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where
it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Who was Nicodemus
(verse 1)?
When did he come to Jesus (verse 2)?
Why did he know
that Jesus was “a teacher who has come
from God” (verse 2)?
How did Jesus
reply (verse 3)?
In your opinion, what
does the answer that Nicodemus gives show about his understanding of Jesus and
the kingdom of God (verse 4)?
What has to happen
before someone can enter the kingdom of God (verse 5)?
What gives birth
to spirit (verse 6)?
In your opinion,
why does Jesus say “you should not be
surprised at my saying, ‘you must be born again’” (verse 7)?
Where does the
wind blow (verse 8)?
What can you not tell
from hearing the sound of the wind (verse 8)?
In your opinion,
what does Jesus mean when He says “so it
is with everyone born of the Spirit” (verse 8)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how is the breath going
into the dry bones of Ezekiel 37:1-14 and giving them life similar to the Holy
Spirit moving like the wind and bringing people into new life and the kingdom
of God in John 3:1-8?
1 Timothy 1:12-17
- New International Version (NIV)
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength,
that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even
though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown
mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace
of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that
are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But
for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners,
Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who
would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the
King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever
and ever. Amen.
What three things does Paul thank
Christ Jesus for (verse 12)?
What was Paul shown even though he was
once a blasphemer, persecutor and a violent man (verse 13)?
How was the “grace of our Lord” poured out on Paul (verse 14)?
Why did Christ Jesus come into the world
(verse 15)?
Why was Paul, the worst of sinners, shown
mercy (verse 16)?
How does Paul describe the King (verse 17)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how is the rebirth by the
Spirit that Jesus says is necessary in John 3:1-8 demonstrated by Paul who says
that the “grace of our Lord was poured
out on me abundantly” in 1 Timothy 1:12-17?
In your opinion, how does the
transformation of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37:1-14 anticipate the
transformation of Paul described in 1 Timothy 1:12-17?
2 Peter 1:3-11 –
New International Version (NIV)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly
life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through
these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through
them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in
the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith
goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge,
self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance,
godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual
affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in
increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive
in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does
not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed
from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to
confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never
stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the
eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
What has God’s divine power given us (verse 3)?
Why has God given us His “very great and precious promises” (verse
4)?
What are we to “make every effort to add” (verses 5-7)?
In your opinion, how will possessing “these qualities in increasing measure”
keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ (verse 8)?
What are those who do not have these qualities
forgetting (verse 9)?
What should we confirm (verse 10)?
What will we receive if we do these things
(verse 11)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how
does Paul’s discussion of the Lord’s grace being poured abundantly on him in 1
Timothy 1:12-17 show Jesus Christ saving sinners, and Peter’s instruction in 2
Peter 1:3-11 to make every effort to add to “faith
goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to
self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness,
mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” show how those
sinners can confirm that calling and election?
In your opinion, how does Peter’s
statement in 2 Peter 1:3-11 “so that
through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption in the world caused by evil desires” help us to
understand about the rebirth that Jesus says in John 3:1-8 is necessary to see
the kingdom of God?
In your opinion, how
is God’s prophesy in Ezekiel 37:1-14 “I will put
my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it,
declares the Lord.” shown to have a
new fulfillment in 2 Peter 1:3-11 by Peter’s statement that “His divine power has given us
everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us
by his own glory and goodness”?
In your opinion, what do these passages
from Ezekiel, John, 1 Timothy, Romans and 2 Peter tell us about being reborn
and the living productive lives?
In your opinion, what do these passages
show us about ourselves today?
Next, back to 2 Peter 1:12 –
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