"Church of Bones"
My "Indiana Jones."
I have been to over 30 countries and Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic is at the top of my list of weird and unique places to visit. It is known as the “church of bones, ” and is decorated with over 40,000 human skeletons.
It’s hard to describe walking into a church and seeing a display of skulls layered and stacked one on top of the other. The most fascinating decoration is the chandelier, which is said to contain at least one of every human bone. Another key decoration made of bones is the Schwarzenberg coat of arms.
Dating back to 1278, the King of Bohemia went to Jerusalem and brought back a jar of soil from Golgotha. He called it “Holy Soil.” It was from this journey people desired to be buried in the cemetery. Due to overcrowding, in 1870 a woodcarver named Frantisek Rint was appointed to place the bones in order and this was his artistic way of burying and honoring the dead. It is not scary as one might expect.
When I looked at the large display of human bones, I could not help but think of the Biblical story of Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones. God told Ezekiel to speak a prophetic message, which was: “Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord!…Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” So I spoke this message, just as He told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. Then He said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’ So I spoke the message as He commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army. Ezekiel 37
What stood out in this passage after visiting bone church was God’s personal touch and words to Ezekiel. Before each skeleton was put together, God kept saying, “I’m going to put breath into you and make you live again. Singular. God didn’t say, “into them.
God repeated He was doing it for “you,” and He didn’t need to check DNA to connect the bones. I’m pretty sure God would not connect my bones to my husbands. God doesn't confuse us with others.
It was Ezekiel’s faith that released the miracle and a miracle unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if I would have had the courage to speak forth words that God would raise those bones to life.
If God said to do the same, I would like to think I would, but the only instinct I had standing there was to do the tourists thing - take photos. I cannot fathom the skulls and bones I stood in front of rattling and coming to life. In all honesty, if God said to speak it, I think my confidence would not have been in God, but the fact that those around me didn't speak the same language.
Ezekiel had faith and courageously and outrageously spoke forth the exact words God told him to. I am praying today that God will continue to breath His life into my spirit so that I can hear Him the way Ezekiel did. I want to walk in the strength and knowledge of God so that when God says to do something outrageous I will have the same kind of courage; including what is strange and unusual. God works supernaturally in the natural realm and He wants to do incredible things through me and through you.
What outrageous thing has God asked you to do? What was the outcome? We would love to hear your testimony.
