The Big Picture
The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are called the major prophets because they wrote big, or major, books. Isaiah wrote before the evil Assyrians took over Israel and led them into exile far away from home. Jeremiah wrote as the bad Babylonians captured Judah. And Ezekiel wrote while God’s people were in exile in Babylon. The book of Ezekiel describes six visions (or special dreams) he had over twenty years. The six visions talk about three big ideas: God’s judgment on Israel, God’s judgment on the other nations, and God’s future blessings for Israel. The blessings are covered in the final chapters of his book. Chapter 37 records one of the most amazing visions in all the Bible: Ezekiel sees a valley of dry bones. What is that all about? We’ll have to wait and see. But I’ll give you one little hint. Like Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel had a tough job. He had to announce the bad news that judgment had come to Israel because of their sin. But he also had a wonderful job because he got to preach the good news of God’s saving them from their enemies and the even better news of a brand new world that was coming. What does a valley of bones have to do with God’s good news? Let’s listen and find out.
