Sunday School Class notes and questions for this coming week, enjoy:

PASTOR JERRY DEPOY’S SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
FAMILY BIBLE CHURCH MARCH 22, 2009 EZEKIEL 37:1-14
THE PROMISE OF A NEW LIFE: “A VISION OF A NEW LIFE”

1The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
· Is this passage speaking of a literal event or is it that of a vision?
· What did Ezekiel see? Who do you believe that these bones represented? Could these “dry bones” ever have represented you?
· Why do you think that these bones were seen as “very dry?”
· Can you share an example of how God provided a miracle for you when you thought that the situation seemed “hopeless?”

3And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
· How would you have responded to the question asked in verse 3? Can dry bones live?
· What did God tell Ezekiel to do to make the dry bones live? What does this tell you concerning the power of the Word of God?
· What did God say would happen when Ezekiel preached to the dry bones? Can we claim this as a promise for us today?
· What was the order of events that would take place in the of this miracle? What is meant by “skin?” What is meant by “breath?”

7So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
· What happened when Ezekiel preached to the valley of dry bones? Do you think that a “shaking” must take place before a person can be considered truly saved?
· Can a person be “saved” if they have only “skin” and no “breath?”
9Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
· Who was Ezekiel to preach to in this text? What do you believe that the wind represented? Why was he to preach to the “four” winds?
· Why do you think that Ezekiel referred to the skin and bones as those who had been “slain?”
· What happened when Ezekiel preached to these dry bones? Are the people of our Church a people of dry bones?
· Can our Church be described as an “exceeding great army?”
· How should we apply these verses to the Nation of Israel?

11Then he said untooo me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in yooonur own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
· What did God tell Ezekiel was the meaning of this vision that he saw?
· Why did God speak to Ezekiel in a vision? Why did Christ speak to his disciples in parables?
· Is this vision to be taken literally? Will God cause the people of Israel to come out of their graves to live and rule in the land of Israel some day?
· Did Jesus have the power to cause people to come out of their graves?
· When the rapture takes place, what is going to happen to those who have died in Christ Jesus? Is there going to be a bodily resurrection?
· Should we encourage people to “cremate” their loved ones when they die? Can God cause a person to rise again even from the ashes?
· Where in the Bible does it say, “Ashes to ashes and dust to dust?”
· What is the significance of the rapture?
· If the rapture were to take place today, do you know for certain that you would be called “up?”
· How soon do you expect for the rapture to take place?
· Where in the Bible does it speak about the rapture?
· Does this text teach us anything about the "rapture?"