LET THE WIND BLOW

TEXT: Ezekiel 37:1-3

Israel had become a divided nation - the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah).  The Northern Kingdom quickly left behind their devotion for God, and He sent the Assyrians to defeat and discipline them.  The Southern Kingdom (Judah) maintained relationship with God a bit longer, but eventually they became as wicked and idolatrous as the Northern Kingdom.  Because of their wickedness, God sent the Babylonians to defeat and take them captive.

Ezekiel was among the large group taken captive.  He was from a priestly family and in training for service in the temple when taken captive by the Babylonians.  The city of Jerusalem was destroyed. The Temple was burnt down, and all of it’s implements and articles of worship were taken to Babylon and many more people taken into captivity.

This was a discouraging and disappointing time for Judah, and Jerusalem was no more.  Everything the people had put their hope in had been destroyed.  They were dead as a nation, and dead as a people.  It seemed like everything was going wrong in their life.  I’m sure many of them wondered where the promises of God’s blessings fit into all of this.  But our God is a deliverer and a promise-keeping God.  In Ezekiel 37:14, He promised better days were coming, and they would return to their own land.

God needed a voice and had already called Ezekiel as Prophet to Israel while in exile.  His  name means “strengthens” and “God is strong”.  His task was to rebuke Israel for their idolatrous nature and disobedience to God.  His task was not easy nor was it pleasant, but it was necessary.

Our text reveals that God’s hand came upon Ezekiel, meaning His anointing, His Power manifested as a vision showing him a picture of Israel.  It caused him to have Prophetic sight (seeing other than by natural sight), and it brought him out in the spirit.  He found himself surrounded by bones of the dead. Everywhere he looked, he saw dead people.  Have you ever looked at the world around you?  People around you may be living their lives, working their jobs, enjoying their hobbies, and raising their families, and they may seem charming, intellectual, reasonable, and apparently fit.  However if they do not know Jesus the Christ, they are spiritually dead.

Paul said in Ephesians 2:1 "While ye were dead (it was not until the Holy Spirit quickened, or made alive) in your trespasses and sins".  It doesn’t matter who they are - be it husband, wife, parents, children, friends, neighbor, co-worker, doctor, lawyer, or Indian chief. They’re spiritually dead.

Note:  After setting him in the midst of dead bones, God caused him to walk back and forth among these bones.  He made Ezekiel take a long, hard look at the situation.  God wanted him to verify there was no life in them.  Ezekiel could see they were very dry, dehydrated from sun/wind.  He could see they were scattered; no longer connected; thrown about.  God wanted him to see just how bad things were. Ezekiel realized Israel needed a divine intervention for a desperate situation.  A superficial answer was not good enough.

God asked a question in Ezekiel 37:3:  "Son of Man, Can these bones live?"  To the natural eye and eye of reason, it appeared impossible.  He saw nothing in the bones, nothing in himself, nothing in the whole creation that could produce this change.  Therefore, he answered, "O Lord God, thou knowest".  

How many know that only God could produce this change.  Medicine was not the answer.  First aid was no good.  Electric shock, I think not.  Ezekiel understood that he had to totally rely on God.  So God instructed him to Prophesy, meaning to predict the future.  Prophesy is a verb; action word; a doing word; it’s a state of being; to exist; to appear.  

Can you see that we have to speak to our situations no matter how dead they look?  We must activate Roman 4:17:  "Call those things that be not as though they were".  Ezekiel had to activate some faith. Not dead faith (all talk and no action), not demonic faith (form of God but the heart is far from it), but dynamic faith (cause things to happen; action).  He had to speak the Word over those dead bones. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is living, effective and can penetrate any dead situation.

Secondly, God instructed him to prophesy to the Wind.  The wind is one of the most powerful forces on the face of the earth.  It’s invisible, mysterious, and one can feel it’s effects, but you can’t control it.  It’s a transforming force.  When it blows, it can stir up things and bring about a change.  Constant blowing on landscape will pick up debris, rocks, dirt, and sand, and over a time, it will transform the very appearance of that land (wind erosion).  It’s a penetrating/destructive force.  The force winds of tornadoes and hurricanes will move things that seem impossible.  They can uproot the biggest, strongest trees and dismantle iron bridges completely.

What about the Wind, the Spirit, the Breath of God?  Scripturally the wind is the symbol for Holy Spirit. Throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testament, these terms are linked with the work of the Holy Spirit.  In the New Testament, the Greek word is pneuma, and in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is Ruach.  Both terms carry the same meaning - current of air, breeze, create.  Just like the natural wind, it’s invisible; mysterious; a powerful force.  Unlike the natural wind, it’s force is not destructive; it’s force is life-giving.  This wind is God Himself blowing his life force, His  energy, His intentions, His Mind into Mankind.  He sends His influences when and where, on whom and in what measures and degree He pleases. The causes are hidden, but the effects are plain.

In God, Ruach (create) is creative activity.  Genesis 1:2:  "The earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep and the Spirit (Ruach/creative activity) of God was hovering over the face of the water".  In mankind, it’s the life force that possesses the reason, will, and conscience. Even Job was moved to confess, “the Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life”(Job 33:4).

Never has there been a time/moment when the Spirit of God has not been actively at work.  You can’t have life without the wind.  It was the wind that opened and closed the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21; 15:10).  It was the wind that dried the flood waters from the earth after it rained 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 8:1).  It was the wind that brought the plague of locust upon the Egyptians, and it was the wind that took them away

 (Exodus 10:13; 19).  It was the wind that brought the quails to complaining Israelites (Numbers 11:31).  It was the wind that brought rain that ended the three and one-half year drought in Israel (1 Kings 18:45).

Someone needs a change in their life.  Can’t see it or touch it, but it’s changing.  Don’t know how and don’t know when, but it’s changing.  Because if we don’t experience a change in our lives, we will not fully develop to the flavor God wants for us. 

I tell you this is our season!  Our  birthing  season.  It wasn’t fire in the valley of dry bones.  It wasn’t oil  nor water in the valley.  It wasn’t the dove that brought restoration/resurrection in the valley of dry bones.  It was the WIND, the BREATH, the POWER of God.  There are times we need the fire, need the oil, need the water, need the dove.  

But when you need a change; when you need resurrection (standing up again), you need the power of God to come into your life and quicken you and raise up something in your life that has dried up or is drying up!  You need the wind - the blowing  wind  of God; the same wind, same anointing that blew through that valley of dry of bones.  It is blowing in this house right now.  Our God is immutable (unchanging).  Same God then, same God now.  Lift your hands right now.  Tell God, "Let the wind blow!"

When Elijah was hiding out in a cave, fearful that Jezebel would take his life (1 Kings 19:11), the Lord passed by his cave.  When he did, there was a wind, earthquake, and fire.  The Lord caused it.  It wasn’t a gentle wind of a warm summer night.  This wind ripped the mountain apart, broke boulders in pieces.  After this wind passed, the mountain was gone, pulverized, demolished.  God knows we’re thankful for the soft gentle breezes of His love.  But I’m in a time of my life, I need more than that.  I need a mountain-moving, rock smashing wind to blow right now.

Some of us have some mountain-sized problems that look impossible and immovable.  Some of us are facing mountains in our finances.  Others of you are up against the mountain of health issues that refuse to change.  Many are dealing with mountains of rebellious children/grandchildren.  Someone else is facing a mountain of drug/alcohol addiction.  There are all kinds of mountains.  Yours may be different from mine.  One thing we have in common - they look impossible and refuse to move, and circumstances refuse to change.

But I dare you to call forth the wind of God.  I declare and decree that when it  blows there won’t be any dust left.  I declare there won’t be any evidence that a mountain ever existed.  The Bible says that the wind that blew by Elijah was a great and a strong wind.  I prophesy that a great and strong wind blow through your life and blow in your favor and change things.  I don’t care how big, how ugly, how long that mountain has been standing in your way, stealing your health, your money, your peace, your joy. Let the wind blow, and when it blows, it’s going to move that mountain.

I’m talking about a force that can’t be seen, can’t be touched, can’t be controlled.  Don’t know from whence it came, nor direction it’s going.  Don’t know how hard or how long it’s going to blow.  But you can testify that you can feel it’s affect, and you will see the results.

You must get to the place you can cooperate with the wind.  You must learn to position yourself so when it’s blowing, it benefits you.

 You have to be flexible.  You've got to know when the wind changes direction so you can change with the wind.  When it changes direction, you have to shift.  You must not miss the shift.  How can you miss the shift?  By fighting the wind; fighting change; not walking in what God ordained for you to be; refusing to accept change the wind brought; refusing to shift when the wind changed.  Make up your mind you’re not going to miss it!  God’s wind will blow healing, deliverance, mercy and grace, forgiveness, restoration, miracles.  It blows to undo all the works of the devil!

Without the wind, you’re powerless; dead in the water; an empty shell.  You may look good, have a lot of activity, and make a lot of noise, but you’re dead.  You already know what the wind did for Elijah’s mountain.  You know what it did for Ezekiel in that valley of dry bones.  The Word of God went forth and caused flesh to come on the bones.  They were covered with skin, and they connected with each other. They began to rattle and make noise.  They came alive, but they were not LIVING.  WHY?  They did not have the Wind; the Spirit; the Breath of God; the anointing; the RUACH/creative activity to blow in them to RENT (Hebrew word - carunch) meaning to break off; tear into pieces the mountain of dry bones.

How many need a "carunching" anointing right now?  That "carunching" anointing blew my court case out the court house last Thursday.  Judge ruled case dismissed.  I didn’t have to defend myself.  The Wind of God ripped that mountain into pieces.  That battle was not mine.  It was God’s.

 I believe God is in a "carunching" mood today.  Any mountain that gets in His way of fulfilling His plan for your life is going to get "carunched", crunched, demolished, and pulverized.  All that presented itself in that valley of bones in Ezekiel 37: 1- 2 was brokenness; hopelessness; despair.  That’s how the devil tries to destroy humanity - broken marriages, dreams, poor health (sickness, diseases of every kind:  high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, asthma, kidney, liver, heart problems, fear, depression, anxiety, worry, stress).  It’s all in that valley, and it was very dry.

The mountain of joy or the essence of life was gone.  The scene was filled with darkness and hopelessness.  When God asked His mighty prophet, "Can these bones live again?", he couldn’t find enough faith to say, "Yes".  Only the Lord God thou knoweth.  This didn’t show great faith on Ezekiel’s part, but he demonstrated great obedience.  It’s not great perfected mountains of faith that God needs from you.  If you have faith as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20), it’s just enough faith to obey Him.

You might be looking at your valley of dry bones, and it may seem an impossibility.  "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalm 30:5).  In Ezekiel 37:10, "breath came into them and they lived and stood on their feet an exceedingly great army". There was no evidence left of what existed in verses 1 and 2.  There was not one single dry bone left in that valley.  Every bone had found it’s place, and every bone was restored to it’s strength and power.

I prophesy that you are going from verses 1 and 2 to verse 10 in one jump.  It doesn’t take God all day for a turnaround.  Just lift your hands and praise God!  As you praise Him, activate the wind of God; activate the anointing; activate His power.  Ask Him to send that mountain crushing, devil blasting, dead raising wind of His Spirit.  The wind that will destroy all of the work of the devil.  I declare there will be no evidence that the devil ever touched your life.  There is no power from hell that can stand against the wind of God.  Hallelujah!

~ Evangelist Brenda Hansley