The Valley of Dry Bones
Artwork: Brian Eapen
The Valley of Dry Bones of Ezekiel Chapter 37 is one of the most dramatic and well known of the images that God gave to his prophet for his people.
It is a word of great hope and promise.
Even though Ezekiel was shown his nation’s lack of love for God, (the dry bones) he could also see a future for the people, a people restored to life and safety in their own homeland once more. (the mighty army)
This song lends itself well to drama and dance for children. Why not get some percussion going too?
Verse one: Space the children out on the floor, and in ‘dead lion’ posture ask them to be bones, dry dead bones.
Verse 2: These bones must move and rattle and show signs of life, but as yet no breath.
Verse 3: They rise slowly, begin to breath, moving into an army formation.
Make a study of styles of some of the more modern artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Edvard Munch and paint a picture of this story in the style of one of their paintings.
42 The Valley of Dry Bones: Ezekiel 37. 1-14
(to the tune ‘I’ve been working on the railroad’)
I was taken to a valley,
led there by the Lord
Then he set me in the middle
of that valley wide and broad.
Bones, dry bones were all around me
on the valley floor.
God commanded me to prophesy,
“Dry bones, hear the Lord!
I will give you breath! I will give you life!
You’ll know I am Lord!”
So I spoke unto the dry bones,
heard a scary sound.
All these bones just came together,
rattling right out loud!
I saw skin and flesh and tendons,
cover them around.
But I could not hear them breathe at all,
there upon the ground.
“Come O Breath!
From the four winds!”
He told me what to say!
“Come O Breath,
breathe into the slain!”
He told me what to say!
So they breathed when I obeyed him,
rose up, came to life!
Very soon there was an army,
I started wondering why?
Then God spoke again unto me,
“Say to Israel,
You who say that all your hope is gone
Come and listen well!
I will give you breath! I will give you life!
You’ll know I am Lord!” X2
instrumental
© words Sheila Hamil 2011