Ezekiel Chapter 37
Ezekiel 37
Life to Dry Bones and Unity to God’s People
Ezekiel 37 is one of the great restoration chapters of Scripture. After Ezekiel 36 promised the New Covenant cleansing, the new heart, and the indwelling Spirit, Ezekiel 37 shows the national restoration of Israel in vivid prophetic pictures. First, Israel is pictured as a valley full of very dry bones: dead, scattered, disgraced, and hopeless. Yet by the word of the LORD and the breath of the Spirit, the bones come together, receive flesh, live, and stand as an exceedingly great army. God Himself explains that the bones are the whole house of Israel, and He promises to bring them into the land of Israel and put His Spirit in them. Second, the LORD commands Ezekiel to join two sticks, representing Judah and Joseph/Ephraim, showing that the divided nation will one day be reunited into one kingdom under one king. That king is identified as David, with one shepherd, one covenant of peace, one sanctuary, and one restored people dwelling in the land forever.
A. A dead nation restored to life.
1. Ezekiel 37:1-3, The valley of bones.
Ezekiel 37:1, The 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,
Ezekiel 37:2, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
Ezekiel 37:3, And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
The hand of the LORD was upon me indicates divine power and prophetic inspiration. Ezekiel is not imagining this scene from his own mind. The LORD brings him into this experience. As elsewhere in Ezekiel, the hand of the LORD signals that God is moving the prophet into a revelation that no man could naturally see or understand.
Carried me out in the spirit of the LORD shows that this is a prophetic vision. Ezekiel is brought by the Spirit into a scene that reveals the condition and future of Israel. This is not merely an emotional illustration; it is a divine revelation.
Earlier Ezekiel was also brought into prophetic experience by the hand of the LORD.
Ezekiel 3:22, And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.
Set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones places Ezekiel in the middle of death. The valley is full of human remains. This is not one corpse, or even one battlefield casualty. It is a mass of death, a nation-like scene of destruction.
There were very many in the open valley emphasizes the vastness of the death before him. The bones are not few. They are many. The vision represents a national condition.
They were very dry means these bones had been dead a long time. They were beyond any human hope of resuscitation. A recently dead body may provoke desperate hope, but scattered dry bones provoke none. The dryness communicates hopelessness, long desolation, and the impossibility of life apart from God.
The bones were also exposed in the open valley, which in Israelite thought was a disgrace. The unburied dead were a sign of shame and judgment.
Deuteronomy 28:25, The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and-flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
Deuteronomy 28:26, And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth,-and no man shall fray them away.
Can these bones live? is the LORD’s question to Ezekiel. Humanly, the answer is obvious: no. Bones cannot assemble themselves, clothe themselves with flesh, breathe into themselves, or become an army. But God’s question forces Ezekiel to look beyond the bones to the power of the LORD.
O Lord GOD, thou knowest is the right answer. Ezekiel does not pretend that the bones have life in themselves. He does not presume to know all that God will do. He places the matter in God’s hands. Ezekiel has no hope in the bones, but he has hope in God.
2. Ezekiel 37:4-6, Speaking life to dead bones.
Ezekiel 37:4, Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
Ezekiel 37:5, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
Ezekiel 37:6, And 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.
Prophesy upon these bones is a command that appears foolish from a human point of view. Preaching to living men may seem reasonable. Preaching to corpses may seem hopeless. But God commands Ezekiel to speak His word to the dead bones.
This shows that the power is not in the preacher or in the hearer. The power is in the word of the LORD.
Isaiah 55:10, For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth-the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and-bread to the eater:
Isaiah 55:11, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void,-but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
The New Testament also teaches that the message of God may seem foolish to the perishing, yet it is the power of God to those who are saved.
1 Corinthians 1:18, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it-is the power of God.
O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD shows the central instrument of revival. The bones must hear God’s word. Israel’s future life will not come from political genius, national pride, military strength, or human optimism. Life comes by the word of the LORD.
Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live is the divine promise. God Himself will cause breath to enter the dead. The Hebrew idea behind breath also connects with spirit and wind. This prepares for the later explanation that God will put His Spirit in Israel.
I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin describes a reversal of death and decay. The bones will be reassembled and clothed again with bodily structure. God will restore what had been undone.
And put breath in you, and ye shall live shows that structure alone is not enough. Bones, sinews, flesh, and skin still need breath. National organization without the Spirit of God is not true life.
This connects directly with the promise of Ezekiel 36.
Ezekiel 36:26, A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and-I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:27, And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye-shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Ye shall know that I am the LORD gives the purpose. The resurrection of Israel as a nation will reveal Yahweh. When the dead nation lives, the LORD will be known as the One who spoke and performed it.
3. Ezekiel 37:7-8, Dead bones assemble together.
Ezekiel 37:7, So 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.
Ezekiel 37:8, And 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.
So I prophesied as I was commanded shows Ezekiel’s obedience. He does not argue with the command, soften the message, or refuse because the bones look hopeless. He speaks because God commanded him.
As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking means the word of God immediately produces movement. The bones respond to the word. The valley of silence becomes a valley of rattling and shaking.
The bones came together, bone to his bone means God restores order. The bones do not form grotesque confusion. They come together properly. When God restores, He puts things in their right place.
This is important for Israel’s restoration. The nation is not merely revived in a random way. God restores Israel according to His covenant order and purpose.
The sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above shows the restoration progressing. The bones receive structure, strength, flesh, and covering. The death process is reversed.
But there was no breath in them is the crucial limitation. They are assembled, formed, and covered, but not yet alive. The outward structure is restored before the inward breath comes.
This is a powerful principle. A people may have organization, land, identity, institutions, and visible form, but without the Spirit of God there is not full spiritual life. In the prophetic context, Israel’s national restoration and spiritual regeneration are connected but distinguishable. The vision unfolds in stages.
4. Ezekiel 37:9-10, The second prophecy to the bones brings life and strength.
Ezekiel 37:9, Then 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.
Ezekiel 37:10, So 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.
Prophesy unto the wind gives Ezekiel a second command. He first prophesied to the bones; now he prophesies to the breath, wind, or spirit. The word of God has brought form, but the breath of God must bring life.
Come from the four winds, O breath shows the need for the Spirit’s life-giving work from every direction. The four winds suggest fullness and universality. The breath must come upon all the slain.
This recalls the creation of Adam, when God breathed life into man.
Genesis 2:7, And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the-breath of life; and man became a living soul.
What happened to Adam individually is now pictured nationally for Israel. God must breathe life into the dead.
Breathe upon these slain, that they may live means the goal is not mere formation but life. The slain need the breath of God. Humanly, they are dead; spiritually and nationally, only the LORD can make them live.
So I prophesied as he commanded me again shows Ezekiel’s faithful obedience. The prophet speaks to the bones and then speaks to the breath because God commands both. Preaching and prayer belong together. The word must be proclaimed, and the Spirit must be sought.
The breath came into them, and they lived is the miracle of the vision. What was dead becomes alive by the breath of God.
And stood up upon their feet means the restored people are no longer scattered bones or lifeless bodies. They stand in strength.
An exceeding great army shows the purpose of their life. They are not raised merely to exist, watch, or enjoy comfort. They are raised as an army under God’s command. The restored nation will have strength, order, and purpose.
Israel’s restoration will ultimately serve the glory and kingdom purposes of God.
5. Ezekiel 37:11-14, God explains the vision to Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 37:11, Then he said unto 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.
Ezekiel 37:12, Therefore 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.
Ezekiel 37:13, And 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,
Ezekiel 37:14, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own-land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
These bones are the whole house of Israel is God’s interpretation. The vision is not first about the church, a generic revival, or individual resurrection, though principles of revival may be drawn from it. The direct meaning is national Israel, including both the northern and southern kingdoms. The whole house of Israel is in view.
Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts expresses Israel’s despair. Exile, destruction, scattering, and the fall of Jerusalem made Israel feel dead and cut off. Humanly, their hope was gone.
Therefore prophesy and say unto them means the answer to despair is the word of the LORD. God gives Ezekiel a message for hopeless Israel.
Behold, O my people is tender covenant language. Even in death-like exile, God calls them my people.
I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves changes the image from exposed bones to buried bodies. The meaning is the same: God will bring life from death and release from hopelessness.
And bring you into the land of Israel is central. The restoration of life includes return to the land. This agrees with Ezekiel 36, where the New Covenant promises included regathering into Israel’s own land.
Ezekiel 36:24, For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring-you into your own land.
Ezekiel 36:28, And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people,-and I will be your God.
The land promise also goes back to the patriarchs.
Genesis 17:7, And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for-an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
Genesis 17:8, And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a-stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
Ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves means Israel will know the LORD through restoration. The resurrection-like restoration of the nation will reveal His covenant faithfulness.
I shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live directly links Ezekiel 37 with Ezekiel 36:27. Israel’s restoration is not merely political or geographic. It includes spiritual life by the Spirit of God.
I shall place you in your own land again emphasizes literal land restoration. The land is called your own land because God gave it to Israel by covenant.
Then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it means the fulfillment will prove the word. God not only promises restoration; He performs it.
Saith the LORD seals the promise. Israel’s hope rests not in the bones, not in the nation’s strength, and not in political circumstance, but in the LORD who speaks and performs.
From a literal, dispensational, premillennial reading, Ezekiel 37:1-14 has not yet been fulfilled in its complete sense. Israel has experienced partial national restoration in history, but the full spiritual renewal, national unity, possession of the land, and Spirit-filled obedience await the future work of God in connection with the return and kingdom reign of Messiah.
B. One kingdom under one king.
1. Ezekiel 37:15-17, Two sticks become one stick.
Ezekiel 37:15, The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 37:16, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for-the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of-Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
Ezekiel 37:17, And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
The word of the LORD came again unto me introduces a second prophetic sign. The valley of dry bones showed Israel restored to life. The two sticks now show Israel restored to unity.
Take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions means the first stick represents the southern kingdom, Judah, along with those associated with it. After Solomon, the kingdom divided. Judah became the main tribe of the southern kingdom.
The division began in the days of Rehoboam.
1 Kings 12:16, So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying,-What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O-Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
1 Kings 12:17, But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
Take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions means the second stick represents the northern kingdom. Joseph is represented especially by Ephraim, the dominant northern tribe. The northern kingdom was often called Ephraim.
The northern kingdom’s first king, Jeroboam, was from Ephraim.
1 Kings 11:26, And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s-name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
The prophets often used Ephraim as a name for the northern kingdom.
Hosea 4:17, Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
Hosea 5:3, I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest-whoredom, and Israel is defiled.
Join them one to another into one stick means the divided kingdoms will be reunited. What human sin and rebellion divided, God will join.
They shall become one in thine hand shows unity under prophetic demonstration. Ezekiel’s joined sticks picture Israel’s future reunification in the hand of God. This is not about joining the Bible to another book, as false interpretations claim. The text itself explains that the sticks represent Judah and Joseph/Ephraim, the divided houses of Israel.
2. Ezekiel 37:18-20, The meaning of the joined sticks.
Ezekiel 37:18, And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what-thou meanest by these?
Ezekiel 37:19, Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which-is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him,-even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
Ezekiel 37:20, And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? means Ezekiel’s acted prophecy provoked questions. The people wanted to know what the joined sticks meant. God’s symbolic actions through Ezekiel were designed to teach.
I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows identifies the northern kingdom and its associated tribes.
And will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah means God will reunite the northern and southern kingdoms.
Make them one stick shows the removal of the ancient division. The split that began after Solomon will not define Israel forever.
They shall be one in mine hand is the key. The unity is not merely political compromise or human diplomacy. It is unity in God’s hand. God Himself will make Israel one.
The prophets anticipated the reunification of Israel and Judah.
Jeremiah 3:18, In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together-out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
Hosea 1:11, Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head,-and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
The sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes means the sign must be visible. The exiles need to see that God has not forgotten the whole house of Israel. The northern tribes were not lost to God. He knows them and will restore them.
3. Ezekiel 37:21-23, The promise to gather, unify, and restore Israel.
Ezekiel 37:21, And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from-among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their-own land:
Ezekiel 37:22, And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall-be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into-two kingdoms any more at all:
Ezekiel 37:23, Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any-of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and-will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone repeats the regathering promise. Israel’s scattering among the nations will not be the final word.
Will gather them on every side means this restoration is worldwide in scope. It reaches beyond the Babylonian exile.
And bring them into their own land again ties restoration to the land. The LORD says their own land because the covenant land still belongs to Israel by divine grant.
I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel is explicit. The restored people will be one nation, in the land, on the mountains of Israel. The text does not point to a purely spiritualized people detached from the land. It promises national unity in Israel’s land.
One king shall be king to them all means Israel will be united under one ruler. The divided monarchy will never return.
They shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all promises permanent reunification. The north-south division that shaped Israel’s history after Solomon will end.
Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols means restoration includes purification. The reunited nation will not return to the idolatry that once defiled the land.
Nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions expands the cleansing. God will save Israel not only from exile but from the sins that brought exile.
I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned means God will deliver them from the places and patterns of their sin.
And will cleanse them directly connects to the New Covenant cleansing promised in Ezekiel 36.
Ezekiel 36:25, Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and-from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
So shall they be my people, and I will be their God is covenant relationship language. The restored and cleansed Israel will belong to the LORD in true covenant fellowship.
4. Ezekiel 37:24-28, David, king over the restored Israel.
Ezekiel 37:24, And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also-walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
Ezekiel 37:25, And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt;-and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my-servant David shall be their prince for ever.
Ezekiel 37:26, Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and-I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
Ezekiel 37:27, My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my-people.
Ezekiel 37:28, And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in-the midst of them for evermore.
David my servant shall be king over them identifies the one king from verse 22. The restored and reunited Israel will be ruled by David. From a literal reading, this is best understood as David himself raised and ruling in the Millennial Kingdom under the supreme reign of Messiah. Many take David here as a title for Christ, the Son of David, and Christ is certainly the ultimate King. Yet Ezekiel repeatedly distinguishes David as servant and prince, fitting the view that resurrected David will have a real governing role over Israel under Messiah.
Ezekiel had already promised this in the previous shepherd chapter.
Ezekiel 34:23, And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David;-he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:24, And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the-LORD have spoken it.
Other prophets also speak of David’s future role.
Jeremiah 30:8, For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will-break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of-him:
Jeremiah 30:9, But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto-them.
Hosea 3:5, Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king;-and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
They all shall have one shepherd means the reunited nation will no longer suffer under many false shepherds. The flock will be gathered under one shepherdly ruler.
They shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them shows the obedience produced by New Covenant renewal. This fulfills the promise of Ezekiel 36:27 that God would put His Spirit within them and cause them to walk in His statutes.
They shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant again emphasizes the literal land promise. The land was given to Jacob, meaning the twelve tribes of Israel. This is not a vague symbol. It is the ancestral land where their fathers dwelt.
God promised this land to Jacob.
Genesis 35:12, And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy-seed after thee will I give the land.
Wherein your fathers have dwelt confirms that the land is the historic land of Israel.
They shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever means the restoration is lasting and generational. The promise is not temporary return only. It looks to enduring kingdom blessing.
My servant David shall be their prince for ever again identifies David’s continuing role. He is called prince here, not merely king, which harmonizes with Christ as the supreme King and David as prince over Israel under Him.
I will make a covenant of peace with them connects to Ezekiel 34 and the New Covenant blessings of restored Israel.
Ezekiel 34:25, And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out-of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
It shall be an everlasting covenant with them means this covenant will not fail like the Mosaic covenant was broken by Israel. It is permanent.
Isaiah also speaks of the sure mercies of David in an everlasting covenant.
Isaiah 55:3, Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make-an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
The New Testament connects the everlasting covenant with the blood of Christ.
Hebrews 13:20, Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of-the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Hebrews 13:21, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing-in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I will place them, and multiply them means God will establish and increase restored Israel. This echoes the population and blessing promises of Ezekiel 36.
I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore points forward to the temple vision in Ezekiel 40–48. For Ezekiel and the exiles, restoration could not be complete without the return of God’s sanctuary presence among His people.
My tabernacle also shall be with them means God will dwell among Israel. The covenant goal is not merely land, government, or prosperity, but God’s presence.
Yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people repeats the covenant relationship promise. The LORD will dwell with His restored people.
The heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel means the nations will recognize that Israel’s restoration and holiness are the LORD’s work.
When my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore means God’s sanctuary presence in restored Israel will publicly testify to the nations. The future temple and God’s presence among Israel will vindicate His name and prove that He sanctifies His people.
Ezekiel 37 teaches that Israel’s condition after judgment was humanly hopeless, like a valley full of very dry bones. Yet the LORD can bring life to what is dead. By His word and Spirit, He will restore the whole house of Israel, bring them into their own land, put His Spirit in them, and make them live. The chapter also promises the reunification of Judah and Joseph/Ephraim into one nation under one king. Israel will no longer be divided, defiled, or scattered. David will shepherd them, they will dwell in the land given to Jacob, the covenant of peace will be everlasting, and the LORD’s sanctuary will be in their midst forevermore. The chapter is not merely a general lesson about revival, though it contains powerful revival principles. It is a direct prophecy of Israel’s national resurrection, spiritual renewal, reunification, and kingdom restoration under the faithful covenant hand of God.
