Dry Bones and Spiritual Bone Marrow Failure

Dr. Victoria Moots

Ezekiel 37:1-10 Relates to the story of Ezekiel in the Valley of the dry bones. V. 11 reveals to us that these bones actually speak of the nation of Israel and its restoration, but I would like to use this example of the dry bones and their healing and apply it to us as individuals and to the church.

Let us read these verses. The latter part of verse 2 exclaims, “Lo, they were very dry.” These bones represented a body that was once living and moist and joined together but dried up and fell apart. The vultures, worms and other animals cleaned off all the meat (the muscles, tendons and ligaments) and the bone marrow dried up.

They had obviously been dead for a long time and seemingly beyond hope of living again, as far as the natural is concerned. Bones are usually very moist, having an abundant blood supply and are filled with an amazing substance called marrow. Job 21:24 relates to this, stating “His bones are moistened with marrow.”
Bones marrow produces all the cells in the blood and is located in the center of the bone. It is basically a factory that manufactures the immature forms of blood cells, called stem cells. The body sends signals to the bone marrow to trigger these cells to mature and be released into the blood stream as they are needed.

There are 3 basic types of blood cells the body requires (a trinity). The red cells carry the oxygen in the blood to all the other cells in the body. The white cells are part of the immune system that help fight off infection. The platelets are necessary to help form clots and control bleeding in case of injury.

Healthy bone marrow (moist bone) is necessary for life. If the bone marrow dries up and fails to produce adequate numbers of any of these cells, a person would soon die. When a person is sick, a doctor usually orders a test called a CBC (Complete Blood Count) which measures the numbers of these 3 cell types. If the numbers are very low, then it may be necessary to do a bone marrow biopsy to try and determine the cause. For this test a doctor must take a special needle called a “jamshidi;” needle to drill through the outer bone into the core to obtain a simple of marrow for analysis. This needle is sharp on 2 edges and hollow in the middle and very strong.

In cases of severe trauma or serious illness resulting in shock in which fluids need to be infused rapidly into the body, a similar needle called an intraosseous needle can be forced into the center of the bone where the bone marrow is located to deliver those fluids. A large amount of fluid can be infused in a short period of time.

In Proverbs 17:22 we read “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones” (the bone marrow). Proverbs 3:8 tells us that the fear of the Lord is health to our navel and marrow to our bones.

The nation of Israel lost their fear of the Lord and began to serve the gods of the nation’s surrounding them.  They no longer had a merry heart (the joy of the Lord), and their bone marrow began to dry up. If we fail to put God first in our hearts and allow the cares of this life to take priority, we will soon dry up and become lifeless, no longer able to stand against Satan.

In Ezekiel 37:3, God asks Ezekiel, “can these bones live?” The answer is in verse 4. God tells Ezekiel to speak to the bones and say, “Oh, ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” The Word of God has the power to give or restore life. It is “quick, or living, and powerful” (we read in Hebrews 4:12) “and sharper than any 2 edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow.” It is like the sharp 2-edged intraosseous needle that can pierce into the marrow and infuse life into someone who is dying. The Word of His Grace gives resurrection power to those who yield to its cutting and piercing of the soul. It is able to both diagnose and bring healing for spiritual bone marrow failure.

In a living body the bones are held together by joints, connected by ligaments and surrounded by muscles attached by the tendons to allow movement enabling the body to function.

The dry bones in the valley not only needed to be moistened with marrow but to be joined together as a body and then to be given breath. This is promised in verse 6, “and I will lay sinews upon you and bring flesh upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and ye shall live.”

This can only be accomplished by the life-giving Word of God’s Grace which is able to build us up (Acts 20:32). Ephesians 4:15-16 shows us how this takes place, “But speaking the truth in love may grow up into Him in all things which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together (with all the ligaments and tendons) and compacted by that which every joint supplieth.” The Word of God pulls us together as a body and builds us up in order that we may stand in the evil day. But to have life we must have breath, even as Ezekiel’s fry bones in the valley.

In verse 7 Ezekiel prophesied (or spoke God’s Word) (to edification, exhortation and comfort – I Cor. 14:3) and the bones came together. However, there was no breath in them. Then Ezekiel prophesied to the wind and the breath came unto them, and they lived and stood upon their feet an exceeding great army.

II Tim. 3:16 tells us “All scripture is given by inspiration of God (God breathed). In the physical body inspiration is part of the breathing process and means “to inhale or take a breath.” God’s Word in breathed into us by the Holy Spirit, causing it to become real and living in our hearts not just words on paper. God literally breathes into our souls the breath of life (as He did into Adam’s physical body) through His Word. We can breathe our God’s Word by the power of the Holy Spirit to give life to someone else.

Does your life seem like it is falling apart and you just can’t seem to get it back together? Are you drying up and suffering from spiritual marrow failure? Let the Word of God penetrate into your dried up bones and fill them with life-giving marrow and allow the Holy Spirit to quicken the Word to you heart. His Grace will build you up and give you strength to stand.

Yes, those dry bones can live again!!