Ezekiel and the Valley of Bones

God’s people were still prisoners in far-off Babylon. Their real home was so far away, like a distant dream.

Sometimes, they felt really, really sorry because they hadn’t listened to God. If only they had, they wouldn’t be stuck in this faraway place. It was like Israel was dead.

Everyone was so, so sad, and they couldn’t even imagine things getting better.

There was a man named Ezekiel. He was like God’s messenger. God would tell important messages to Ezekiel, and then he would run and tell these messages to the people.

Even when the people were stuck as prisoners far away in Babylon, Ezekiel never stopped talking about God.

But one day, something special happened to Ezekiel.

He didn’t have this dream when he was snoozing in his bed; instead, it was like a movie playing in his head, sent by God. We call this kind of dream a “vision.” 🌙✨

Now, in Ezekiel’s special vision, something incredible happened.

The Lord took him away to a valley full of bones, bones, and more bones. Ezekiel found himself right in the middle of this bony place!

As Ezekiel looked around, he realized these bones had been lying here for ages, maybe even longest than he could imagine. These bones were as white and dry as a sunbaked desert! ☀️💀

Suddenly, in that bone-filled valley, Ezekiel heard the voice of God.

God asked him a really interesting question, “Ezekiel, do you think these bones can come back to life?”

Ezekiel must have scratched his head and thought about it. He knew God could do amazing things. It seemed pretty impossible for bones to spring back to life, but with God, anything was possible.

So, he replied, “Well, only you, God, would know if that can happen.”

Now, here’s where the story gets really exciting!

The Lord gave Ezekiel a very strange task. He said, “Ezekiel, go talk to those old, dry bones. Tell them the words I give you.”

And guess what?

Ezekiel didn’t hesitate; he did just what the Lord asked. He started talking to those bones, like having a conversation with them!

Ezekiel told the bones that God would breathe life into them. Not just that, but He would wrap tendons and flesh around those bare bones and even give them a cozy skin blanket. And the best part? He’d make them breathe and be alive again! Can you imagine that?

So, Ezekiel, being the brave prophet he was, spoke to those old bones, just like God told him. And guess what happened? The bones began to rattle and shake!

Before Ezekiel’s eyes, the bones started coming together, like puzzle pieces finding their place. And then, they sprouted flesh and skin! Ezekiel couldn’t believe his eyes or ears. Imagine seeing all of that in a vision!

And then, something even more incredible happened! God’s voice told Ezekiel, “Now, talk to the wind, Ezekiel!”

So, Ezekiel did just that. He spoke to the wind, and guess what? The bodies started to breathe, like they were waking up from a long, long nap. And not only that, they stood up, one by one!

Can you believe it? Ezekiel saw a whole bunch of live people standing there. It was a giant army had come to life right before his eyes. Imagine that! God had taken a bunch of old, dry bones and turned them into a mighty army.

Now, the Lord had more to say to Ezekiel. He explained that the whole nation of Israel was just like those dry bones in the valley. You see, their country had been taken over, and all the people were like prisoners. Even their beautiful city, Jerusalem, and their special temple were all destroyed, just like a knocked-down tower of blocks.

The people of Israel felt so sad; they thought their whole country was like a ghost town. No hope, no happiness, just like a gloomy day.

But here’s the amazing part: God can do anything! He can take old bones and make them into an army. And guess what else? He can take the nation of Israel and make it strong and vibrant once more. He can bring the people back to their homeland and rebuild that special temple.

Ezekiel had a big smile on his face because he finally understood the special dream God showed him. He knew what to do next. He was going to keep talking to the people of Israel and telling them about this amazing vision.

Even though they were stuck as prisoners right now, Ezekiel knew something important. Someday, they would all get to go back to their homes. That made him really happy!

So, Ezekiel shared the good news with the people. Now, everyone had something to look forward to and hope for.