The final nation to whom Ezekiel prophesies judgement: Egypt.
The topic of last four chapters in the section of Ezekiel, which focuses on prophesies against the nations, is Egypt.
Chapter 29
Interesting. Verse 1 gives the date of the prophesy and it is before the prophesies of Tyre. So this isn't being told chronologically. This is seven months before the fall of Jerusalem.
Ezekiel is to set his face against the pharaoh and all of Egypt, so that means the people of Egypt have taken part in whatever is to bring their judgement. God is just.
And remember who is hearing these prophesies, the other captives in Babylon.
Verses 3 through 16 cover the first prophesy and indictment.
- the pharaoh is depicted as a monster in the middle of the Nile.
- the monster claims the Nile and claims to have made the Nile (big, big mistake, Mr. Monster. The Creator never seems to appreciate people taking credit for His Creation.)
- The Lord is going to put hooks in the monster's jaw and all of the little fish of the river will cling to the monster's back, adding weight to that jaw.
- Then the Lord is going to drag the monster out of the water and dump it on land, along with all the clingers.
- Wild animals will feast on the monster and fish.
Now the monster and the fish will know that the Lord is God, and not a proud pharaoh, taking credit falsely.
Like Tyre, Egypt has had a long, interesting, and complex history with Israel. From Abraham to Joseph and then Jacob's whole family, Egypt has been a place of refuge in times of need. And at time, Egypt has been a partner, such as relations that came from Solomon's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter. But often, they have been an enemy, or at least a rival. Through the history of the two nations, Israel often viewed Egypt in a more favorable light than God. they sought to be like Egypt. They sought to gain what they wanted from Egypt. And they trusted in Egypt. So Egypt has stirred up the lord's judgement both by trying to take His place in providing for Israel and for trying to overthrow Israel militarily.
It's symbolism we should always be aware of and reviewing in our own walk with God.
Starting in verse 8, the message for Egypt moves from the symbolism of the monster to straight talk. The Lord is going to have the sword descend and cut them off from man and beast. The Nile will dry up and Egypt will become desolate and uninhabitable for 40 years.
There's that number again. 40. This time applied to the symbol of the world instead of the people of Israel.
Her cities will be laid waste and her people scattered. The Babylonians would be the ones to do this; but when Persia takes over Babylon, then the Egyptian captive will be able to return home. The Lord promises, though, that after they return, they will never be a mighty kingdom again. therefore, the people of Israel will never turn to Egypt as their confidence, but they will know that the Lord is God.
We see why God puts so much emphasis on this nation. This is the rival that His bride turns to in adultery and the Lord is going to make sure they have nothing to offer going forward.
We have a new prophesy regarding Egypt starting in verse 17. This one comes 15 years later.
The Lord informs Ezekiel that Nebuchadnezzar went hard against Tyre, and even though they won, it cost them deeply. Babylon came out bald and broke. So the lord is going to hand over the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon would carry off all of Egypt's wealth as payment for the soldiers. God made it clear that He was making this happen as payment to Nebuchadnezzar because the battles waged by Babylon were in service to the Lord's will.
Verse 21 states that a horn would grow out of the house of Israel and God speak from there. And then everyone would know He is God.
I can't speak for God, obviously, so I don't know what time frame or events He meant by this. But one glance at Israel today, the amazing IDF forces, the amazing Mossad actions, the anti-missile dome, all of it...looks like a horn sticking out of Israel to me. And I think God is speaking. this tiny little nation tells me there is a God in heaven and Israel are His people.
Amen.
Chapter 30
This chapter is a prophesy about the actual judgement of Israel.
- wail, for the time in near
- a day of clouds and doom
- the sword will come to Egypt
- Anguish will come to Ethiopia (who is often mentioned along Egypt)
- her wealth is taken
- her foundations torn down
The Ryrie Study Bible points out that the "day of the Lord" is usually the end times, but in this case, Egypt represents all of the godless nations in the end times.
Pay attention.
All of the surrounding nations that are intertwined with Egypt will also fall (the fish clingers).
- with all of the supporting nations falling, Egypt's pride will also fall
- they will all fall by the sword
- their land will also be desolate
- their cities will also be devastated
“And they will know that I am the Lord,
When I set a fire in Egypt
And all her helpers are broken. Ezekiel 30:8
On that day of the Lord, He will send out messengers that will frighten and bring anguish to those who had placed their confidence in Egypt (Ethiopia).
- the multitude of Egypt will cease
- this will all happen at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
- Nebuchadnezzar and his people will descend ruthlessly with their sword and fill the land with the slain
- the Nile and its canal will dry up
- the land will be desolate
- strangers will be in charge
- The Lord will destroy their idols and images
- He will remove their princes
- He spells out specific judgements for specific regions and places (including areas where Israelites had settled)
From all of this judgement, they will know the He is Lord.
Starting in verse 20 we have a new prophesy. This time frame if just a few months before Jerusalem falls.
The Lord tells Ezekiel that He has broken the arm of the Pharaoh Hophra and the arm is not healed, so he cannot swing a sword. Now the Lord will break both arms, so he cannot even hold a sword. The people will be dispersed among the nations. Meanwhile, the lord will strengthen the arms of Babylon, so they can easily overtake Egypt with two broken arms. Once they are defeated and the people scattered, they will know that the Lord is God.
Chapter 31
New time frame: one month before Jerusalem falls.
This prophesy is to be said to the Egyptian Pharaoh, comparing Egypt to the Assyrians.
- Who do you think you are?
- Assyria was cedar, beautiful, tall, well-watered, its roots fed all of the surrounding trees
- It was taller than all the trees of the field and had long branches that spread out because they were well-nourished
- animals came to give birth in the tree's shade
- all the great nations lived under its shade
- it was beautiful in its greatness
Oh wow. verse 8 states that no tree in God's garden could compare to its strength and beauty. I guess that's to mean that Assyria had grown stronger and more striking than Israel, who should have been the biggest most beautiful tree around. But they weren't about their Father's business, so they weren't.
‘The cedars in God’s garden could not match it;
The cypresses could not compare with its boughs,
And the plane trees could not match its branches.
No tree in God’s garden could compare with it in its beauty.
9 ‘I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches,
And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God, were jealous of it. Ezekiel 31:8–9
I'm going to have to look at some commentaries for this one. Very interesting. Specifying Eden changes this whole message. I wonder if we're back to talking about satan, mighty and beautiful–belle of the ball in Eden. it has to be. however, the MacArthur Bible Commentary states that it was just a way to demonstrate how great of a tree that Assyria was. "Even the trees of Eden would have been jealous."
The Lord is displeased that this high and mighty tree becomes haughty. He hands over Assyria to be driven away by another despot nation. A foreign nation will cut down this mighty tree. It fell and everything in its shade went with it. Birds and beasts will made the dead tree their home.
When trees get too big for their britches, they will all be brought down. The sons of men who fall into this kind of pride and haughtiness will die and go down to the pit. [yikes.]
When Assyria fell, it caused many to lament and suffer. They wilted because they had relied on this big tree. The same will be true for Egypt. And the same will be true for all godless nations in the end.
Chapter 32
New time frame: A year and a half after Jerusalem fell.
Ezekiel is asked to take up a lamentation for the Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
- you thought you were a young lion, but you're actually the Nile river monster that took everybody down, including your own destruction
- now I will use others as a net to capture you from the river
- I'll leave you to die on dry land as birds and beasts feed on you
- I will end you and darken your land.
- people you don't even know are going to be appalled by your destruction
- other nations will be afraid when they see you fall
- Babylon is comin', baby!
- they are bringing swords
- they are tyrants
- your pride will be devastated
- and your people and cattle destroyed
- the land will be desolate
And from all of this, they will know that He is Lord.
The nations will chant a lamentation for Egypt
We see a new timeframe in verse 17, two weeks after the prophesy and lamentation from verse 1–16. Ezekiel is commanded by God to wail for the multitude of Egypt. He then tells Ezekiel to take the lamentation down to Sheol (the pit in the underworld). Other nations were already there to greet Egypt.
I think Ezekiel is letting the Israel's captives in Babylon know that Egypt has officially fallen. For any who were holding out hope that things would break there way, with the help of Egypt, God wanted them to know that their sometimes-ally was now sent to hell with all of the other gentile nations.
He goes on to catalogue other nations in the pit.
- Assyria is there, who had spread terror in the land of the living
- Elam is there, who spread terror but bore disgrace in their fall. Ryrie notes them as a once-mighty power in SW Asia that were absorbed by Persia.
- Meshech and Tubal are there. They also spread terror.
- He points out that people who were considered heroes still went down there with their weapons beneath them and their iniquity resting on their bones. Ryrie notes them as powerful nations from the north west.
- Edom is down there. And he notes that the kings and princes are right beside all the soldiers who fought and died. There is no special privilege in the pit.
- The chiefs of the north and Sidonians are there. they spread terror and were mighty, but still went down in shame, laying and disgraced like all those who fell by their sword.
The Lord ends this prophesy about Egypt by summarizing that the Pharaoh can take comfort by all of the others that are in the pit with him. Even though the Lord used the Pharaoh to instill terror in others in the land of the living, the Pharaoh and his multitudes will end up in the pit along side all of the others slain by the sword in the end.
This is the end of the section of Ezekiel that focuses on the judgment of the other nations.
So now, Israel has fallen. Judah has fallen. All of the other nations are falling to Babylon. We know from the book of Daniel that this era of Babylon is the first of four, culminating in the Roman Empire and the modern age.
Which leaves us with what comes after that, and what we're all longing for... our restoration in the final kingdom: He's coming back. That's the topic of the remainder of the book of Ezekiel, Israel's restoration.
Come, Lord Jesus, Come.
Amen.