Dry bones, dry bones

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I recently had a fall and cracked a rib, and it has caused me to meditate on bones and their significance in the Bible.

Our analysis of bones starts in Genesis, where Eve was literally made from Adam's rib. Adult humans have 206 bones of which 24 are ribs; 12 on each side. True ribs attach to the sternum, along with false ribs, which attach to the sternum via cartilage, create a cage that protects our heart and lungs, but two pairs of ribs, the floating ribs, only attach at the spine. These are the most dangerous to break because they can pierce another object in the chest.

In Genesis, bones represent unity and family.  Adam describes Eve as "bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh", symbolising their deep and fundamental connection.

Bones are tied to our spirit

    Proverbs 17:22: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones".
    Proverbs 14:30: "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy [or jealousy] makes the
    bones rot".
    Psalm 32:3: "When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all day long". 
    
Here, bones represent our inner being. A broken spirit can "dry up the bones," while good news can strengthen bones, similar to a "merry heart" being like medicine.

Bones also relate to our physical health
    Proverbs 3:8: "This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones".          Colossians 2:19: References being connected to the "body" which is "held together by its ligaments and tendons". This is a direct description of your skeleton.

Physiologically, bones are critical. Bones provide structural support; without them, we literally could not move. Bones provide protection for our organs.  Bones are a storage site for critical minerals, like calcium and phosphorus, but most importantly, bones are the site where new red blood cells (RBCs) are made. It is this function that makes the reference to boens in Ezekiel so intriguing.

In Ezekiel 37, the prophet sees a valley full of dry, scattered bones, which represent Israel's spiritual death and hopelessness during their exile. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones, and when he does, the bones begin to reassemble. The bones rattle, and God's spirit fills them. This prophecy is a promise of resurrection and a new life in the Lord. 

Notice these were dry bones, dry bones are brittle, Dry bones no longer have water or blood. John 7:37-38 connects living water to the Holy Spirit and says if we drink from that water, we will never thirst again. 1 Jn 1:7 says it is the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin. It is the Holy Spirit and salvation through the blood of the lamb that are missing from the dry bones. Interestingly, when Christ was crucified, NONE of His bones were broken, fulfilling a prophecy. This was unusual since individual who were crucified often had their leg bones broken so they would suffocate more quickly. 

I know the promise of Ezekiel was for the nation of Israel, but the term nation of Israel refers to the descendants of Jacob, the people chosen as a holy nation to worship God. We are now a part of that family, adopted as fellow heirs. I know I have felt pain down to the bone, felt crushed and broken. This means that the promises for a nation are also the promises to us as individuals.

God can take our literal brokenness, when we cannot stand, and heal and reassemble us into new life, and here is the thing about broken bones, unlike tendons and ligaments, a broken bone once healed is decidedly stronger than it ever was before.

Lauren Daigle sings it better than I can write it,

Rescue every daughter, bring us back the wayward sonAnd by Your spirit, breathe upon them, show the world that You alone can saveYou alone can save
As we call out to dry bones, come alive, come aliveWe call out to dead hearts, come alive, come aliveUp out of the ashes, let us see an army riseWe call out to dry bones, come alive

Come alive 

Through the eyes of men, it seems there's so much we have lostAs we look down the road where all the prodigals have walkedOne by one, the enemy has whispered liesAnd led them off as slaves
But we know that You are God, Yours is the victoryWe know there is more to comeThat we may not yet seeSo with the faith You've given usWe'll step into the valley unafraid, yeah
As we call out to dry bones, come alive, come aliveWe call out to dead hearts, come alive, come aliveUp out of the ashes, let us see an army riseWe call out to dry bones, come alive
God of endless mercy, god of unrelenting loveRescue every daughter, bring us back the wayward sonAnd by Your spirit, breathe upon them, show the world that You alone can saveYou alone can save
As we call out to dry bones, come alive, come aliveWe call out to dead hearts, come alive, come aliveUp out of the ashes, let us see an army riseWe call out to dry bones, come alive
So breathe, oh, breath of GodNow breathe, oh, breath of GodBreathe, oh, breath of God, now breathe
Breathe, oh, breath of GodNow breathe, oh, breath of GodBreathe, oh, breath of God, now breathe
As we call out to dry bones, come alive, come aliveWe call out to dead hearts, come alive, come aliveUp out of the ashes, let us see an army riseWe call out to dry bones, come alive
We call out to dry bones, come aliveOh, come alive

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