Ezekiel 35-37: Wind, the Catalyst for Life

Ezekiel 37:9
Amplified Bible (AMP)

9 Then said He to me, Prophesy to the breath and spirit, son of man, and say to the breath and spirit, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath and spirit, and breathe upon these slain that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath and spirit came into [the bones], and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.

 The Lord has been speaking to me about wind the last few years.  I hadn't noticed previously that the famous "Dry Bones" portion of the Bible speaks of the "four winds" being the catalyst for life. 

According to Smith's Bible Dictionary

The north wind, or, as it was usually called "the north," was naturally the coldest of the four, and its presence is hence invoked as favorable to vegetation in So 4:16 It is described in Pr 25:23 as bringing rain.

The east wind crosses the sandy wastes of Arabia Deserts before reaching Israel and was hence termed "the wind of the wilderness." Job 1:19; Jer 13:14 It blows with violence, and is hence supposed to be used generally for any violent wind.

The south wind, which traverses the Arabian peninsula before reaching Israel, must necessarily be extremely hot.

The west wind reaches Israel loaded with moisture gathered from the Mediterranean, and is hence expressly termed by the Arabs "the fathers of the rain."
 
I find it interesting that these four winds brought life to the dry bones which filled the valley mentioned in Ezekiel 37:1.  But although the dry bones lived,

 "...they say, Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost; we are completely cut off."  Ezekiel 37:11 

In the natural, a catalyst speeds up a chemical reaction without itself being changed or consumed (Merriam Webster).  The wind will always be the wind as long as the earth remains.  It continues its work of bringing rain (Holy Spirit) for the growth of vegetation (spiritual fruit), violently blows off anything that would stick to us while in the wilderness, dials up the heat causing us to thirst for water (Holy Spirit), and then quenches our thirst with rain (signifying His Spirit and blessing poured out on us).


Father, thank You for the live-giving, restorative power in wind!  Thank You that no matter how dry, how dead, how hopeless a situation, Your wind prevails!  We receive Your wind, Lord.  In Jesus' name, AMEN!!!