Yesterday, as Amanda and I were returning from the Oregon coast, we witnessed what I would consider one of the rarest occurrences in the region. As we descended the Columbia River Valley and approached Biggs Junction, I remarked, “Look at the water; it is completely still.” It was a beautiful sight, an unaffected reflection of the desert cliffs—perfectly calm and serene. This stillness indicated one thing: there was little to no wind. This fact was confirmed as we neared the massive wind turbines that dot the landscape; not one was turning. That was the anomaly—no wind on the Oregon/Washington plains.The unmoving wind farm turbines stood as colossal reminders that we do not generate the wind; we only harness it. To see these impressive structures, which symbolize potential power, without the wind was to witness their impotence and stillness. Hydropower, solar arrays, and wind turbines—all rely on the true energy that powers them.
This all reminds me of Ezekiel 37. In this passage, God informs Ezekiel about a time of revival, a restoration of His people. God takes Ezekiel to a valley filled with bones and poses a question to the prophet.
Ezekiel 37:3-9 – “And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord GOD, you know.’ 4 Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’ 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.'”
There are many implications in this passage. Firstly, it illustrates that God can reanimate and restore what is dead. The bones that were once lifeless can be reinvigorated and revived. Like a scene from a horror movie, as Ezekiel prophesied, the bones came together, followed by muscles, sinews, and skin beginning to envelop them. Yet, these bodies remained inanimate and lifeless until God commanded breath to enter them through Ezekiel’s instructions.
The Hebrew word for breath and wind is the same as the word for Spirit. This text reveals that, while we may appear to be flesh and bone, without God’s Spirit, we too are unresponsive bodies. However, when we allow the Spirit to flow through us, we come alive.
This passage culminates in a confirming sign. As stated in Ezekiel 37:13, “And you shall know that I am the LORD when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people.”
When we come to life, we will recognize and acknowledge the source of that life. We will understand that life does not result from our own efforts and power, but from having God’s Spirit animate us. Just as giant wind turbines in the desert are ineffective without the wind, humanity without God’s Spirit is powerless.