Marrow

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In the King James Version of the Bible the word marrow is used for rich food.  Psalm 63 expresses the deep longing of David when he was in the desert.  He is earnestly seeking the Lord and proclaims that his soul thirsts for the Lord.  He has seen the power and glory of the Lord so nothing else will satisfy him.  He writes, "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips."  (Psalm 63:5 - KJ)
 
When I think of marrow I think of the dog that I grew up with.  Frisky was a black Collie-mix, mid-size dog with white paws and a white blaze on his chest.  My dad used to go to the butcher to get bones for him to chew on.  His favorite were the ones filled with marrow.  Once Frisky got one of these bones he was off limits for us.  He jealously guarded his bone until every ounce of marrow was gone.  Only then would he walk away from it.
 
The field of dry bones that Ezekiel describes in Chapter 37 is meant to demonstrate the condition of the people of Israel in captivity.  They were scattered and daily living was without "marrow and fatness."  But it was God's intention to restore the nation and bring new life to them.  That is why He told Ezekiel to prophesy:  "O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them." (Ezekiel 37:12-13)
 
There was no marrow in the bones laying in Ezekiel's valley.  No life could be found there.  Marrow is the spongy tissue made up of fat, blood and stem cells inside of bones.  It is important for producing blood cells that carry oxygen to tissues in the body and fight infection and platelets that help blood to clot.  Healthy bone marrow is needed for life.  Ezekiel's prophecy brought the marrow back to the bones.
 
The prophetic population in the Church seems to be in agreement about this season being one for the return of the prodigals--those who have dry bones.  Jane Hamon explains that the term dry bones comes from the convergence of three Hebrew words:  shame, confusion and disappointment. These three conditions work within the prodigals to keep them from hope.  Their spirits have been crushed which dries up their bones. (Proverbs 17:22)  The dis-appointment cuts them off from their appointment with their vision for the future.  Proverbs 29:18 explains:  "Where there is no vision, the people perish." (KJ)
 
The prodigals are in need of courage to renounce the shame, confusion and disappointment that is keeping them from moving forward.  Let us pray that they will cry out to God for help in forgiving those who have wounded them.  Let us pray that they will invite Jesus to fill them with His breath of life so that marrow will come into their dry bones.  And let us pray for ourselves, that God will continue to fill us with His breath of life.
 
Proverbs 3:6-8 says, "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes:  fear the Lord, and depart from evil.  It is health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." (KJ)  Next week we are entering the first of 12 months (Nissan) on the Hebrew calendar.  It is a time for us to set the order of our lives for the rest of the year and to focus on walking toward the destiny that God has ordained for us.  He will direct our paths as we acknowledge our need for Him.  He will restore lost vision and bring us back to the mountain of His Presence. 
 
The Lord gave His people several promises in Isaiah 25 that we can agree with:  "On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food (marrow) for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine--the best of meats and the finest of wines.  On this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; He will swallow up death forever.  The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth." (Verses 6-8)  Amen!