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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day,
the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh,
king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. Speak to him and
say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:’”
“‘I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster
lying among your streams. You say, “The Nile belongs to me; I made it for
myself.” But I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your streams
stick to your scales. I will pull you out from among your streams, with all the
fish sticking to your scales. I will leave you in the desert, you and all the
fish of your streams. You will fall on the open field and not be gathered or
picked up. I will give you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of
the sky. Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.’”
“‘You have been a staff of reed for the people of Israel. When
they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their
shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.’”
“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will
bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast. Egypt will become a
desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
“‘Because you said, “The Nile is mine; I made it,” therefore
I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a
ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush. The
foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for
forty years. I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and
her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will
disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the
countries.’”
“‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of
forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were
scattered. I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper
Egypt, the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom. It will
be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other
nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations.
Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but
will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know
that I am the Sovereign Lord.’”
In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first
day, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed
bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the
campaign he led against Tyre. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I
am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he will carry
off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army. I have
given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for
me, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
“On that day I will make a horn grow for the Israelites, and
I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy and
say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:’”
“‘Wail and say, “Alas for that day!” For the day is near, the
day of the Lord is near—a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. A
sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush. When the slain
fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down. Cush
and Libya, Lydia and all Arabia, Kub and the people of the covenant land will
fall by the sword along with Egypt.’”
“‘This is what the Lord says:’”
“‘The allies of Egypt will fall and her proud strength will
fail. From Migdol to Aswan they will fall by the sword within her, declares the
Sovereign Lord.’”
“‘They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.’”
“‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to
frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day
of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.’”
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:’”
“‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He and his army—the most ruthless of nations—will
be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and
fill the land with the slain. I will dry up the waters of the Nile and sell the
land to an evil nation; by the hand of foreigners I will lay waste the land and
everything in it. I the Lord have spoken.’”
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:’”
“‘I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in
Memphis. No longer will there be a prince in Egypt, and I will spread fear
throughout the land. I will lay waste Upper Egypt, set fire to Zoan and inflict
punishment on Thebes. I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of
Egypt, and wipe out the hordes of Thebes. I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium
will writhe in agony. Thebes will be taken by storm; Memphis will be in
constant distress. The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall by the
sword, and the cities themselves will go into captivity. Dark will be the day
at Tahpanhes when I break the yoke of Egypt; there her proud strength will come
to an end. She will be covered with clouds, and her villages will go into
captivity. So I will inflict punishment on Egypt, and they will know that I am
the Lord.’”
In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
It has not been bound up to be healed or put in a splint so that it may become
strong enough to hold a sword. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as
well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand. I will disperse
the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. I will
strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I
will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally
wounded man. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of
Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my
sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. I
will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the
countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:”
“‘Who can be compared with you in majesty? Consider Assyria,
once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it
towered on high, its top above the thick foliage. The waters nourished it, deep
springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent
their channels to all the trees of the field. So it towered higher than all the
trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long, spreading
because of abundant waters. All the birds of the sky nested in its boughs, all
the animals of the wild gave birth under its branches; all the great nations lived
in its shade. It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its
roots went down to abundant waters. The
cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the junipers equal
its boughs,
nor could the plane trees compare with its branches—no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.’”
nor could the plane trees compare with its branches—no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.’”
“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because
the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its
height, I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal
with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside, and the most ruthless of
foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and
in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All
the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it. All the
birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its
branches. Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on
high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered
are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth
below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.’”
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it was
brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning
for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained.
Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field
withered away. I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I
brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the
pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, the
well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below. They too, like the great
cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword,
along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.”
“‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in
splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden
to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by
the sword.’”
“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign
Lord.’”
In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
“Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of
Egypt and say to him:”
“‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a
monster in the seas thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with
your feet and muddying the streams.’”
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:’”
“‘With a great throng of people I will cast my net over you,
and they will haul you up in my net. I will throw you on the land and hurl you
on the open field. I will let all the birds of the sky settle on you and all
the animals of the wild gorge themselves on you. I will spread your flesh on
the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains. I will drench the land
with your flowing blood all the way to the mountains, and the ravines will be
filled with your flesh. When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and
darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not
give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I
will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will trouble
the hearts of many peoples when I bring about your destruction among the
nations, among lands you have not known. I will cause many peoples to be
appalled at you, and their kings will shudder with horror because of you when I
brandish my sword before them. On the day of your downfall each of them will
tremble every moment for his life.’”
“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:’”
“‘The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you. I
will cause your hordes to fall by the swords of mighty men—the most ruthless of
all nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt, and all her hordes will be
overthrown. I will destroy all her cattle from beside abundant waters no longer
to be stirred by the foot of man or muddied by the hooves of cattle. Then I
will let her waters settle and make her streams flow like oil, declares the
Sovereign Lord. When I make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in
it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
“This is the lament they will chant for her. The daughters
of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it,
declares the Sovereign Lord.”
In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the
word of the Lord came to me:
“Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign to the
earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who
go down to the pit. Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and
be laid among the uncircumcised.’ They will fall among those killed by the
sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged off with all her hordes. From
within the realm of the dead the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her
allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised, with those
killed by the sword.’”
“Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by
the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. Their graves are
in the depths of the pit and her army lies around her grave. All who had spread
terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.”
“Elam is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of
them are slain, fallen by the sword. All who had spread terror in the land of
the living went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame
with those who go down to the pit. A bed is made for her among the slain, with
all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the
sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear
their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain.”
“Meshek and Tubal are there, with all their hordes around
their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they
spread their terror in the land of the living. But they do not lie with the
fallen warriors of old, who went down to the realm of the dead with their
weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields resting
on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the
living.”
“You too, Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the
uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.”
“Edom is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their
power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the
uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.”
“All the princes of the north and all the Sidonians are
there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by
their power. They lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword and bear
their shame with those who go down to the pit.”
“Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be
consoled for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the
Sovereign Lord. Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living,
Pharaoh and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those
killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Ezekiel, Chapters 29
through 32
This ends today’s
reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Over the last six devotions, we have seen God pronounce
judgments associated with the punishment He imposed on the Israelite kingdoms
of Israel and Judah. Those judgments were on the nations of Ammon, Moab, Edom,
Philistia, Tyre, and Sidon.
Today, we finish this series by heading back to the south
after looking north at Tyre and Sidon and focusing on a nation who had quite a
history with the people of God. Of course, I am speaking about the nation of
Egypt.
You’ll recall that Egypt was where the Israelites were being
held against their will by the Pharaoh in an oppressive captivity before God
brought them deliverance and placed them on the path to the land He had
promised them, the land of Israel. After this, the relations between Israel and
Egypt ran hot and cold. King Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter during his
reign (1 Kings 9) and was given an entire city by the Egyptian ruler as a
wedding gift. But later, Rehoaboam, king of the southern kingdom Judah, was
attacked by the Egyptian king Shisak who “attacked Jerusalem” and “carried off
the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace,
taking “everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made” (1 Kings
14:25-26).
Then we have today’s scripture passage which encompasses
four full chapters of Ezekiel, far more than any other nation God mentioned
prior. So what got Pharaoh and Egypt in that kind of trouble with God? We find
out from His words:
“‘I am against you,
Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams. You say,
“The Nile belongs to me; I made it for myself.” But I will put hooks in your
jaws and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales. I will pull you
out from among your streams, with all the fish sticking to your scales. I will
leave you in the desert, you and all the fish of your streams. You will fall on
the open field and not be gathered or picked up. I will give you as food to the
beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky. Then all who live in Egypt will
know that I am the Lord.’”
“‘Because you said,
“The Nile is mine; I made it,” therefore I am against you and against your
streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from
Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush. The foot of neither man nor
beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years. I will make
the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her cities will lie
desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians
among the nations and scatter them through the countries.’”
First of all, we need to know that the Nile was a jewel in
the Egyptian national treasure. Outside of its nourishing waters, there wasn’t
much else that could be used to support agriculture as a majority of Egypt was
marked by the desert wilderness and its expanse of sand. And so the Egyptians
constructed fertile lands around the Nile and used its water to the fullest
advantage.
The second thing we need to keep in mind was that God
created all things to include the Nile. All of creation was His and His alone,
and accordingly, He was to get all the credit and glory for all He had made. As
we see in our scriptures, that didn’t happen with Egypt who frankly didn’t even
acknowledge or worship the God of Israel, opting instead to serve a bevy of
gods within their polytheistic worship system. We see in our verses for today
that the Pharaoh believed that he had made the Nile for himself and thus the
river belonged to him and Egypt.
And so God would show him who was really in control and did
so through judgment at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, the
same forces who attacked and destroyed many other nations to include the mighty
Assyrian empire. When the Babylonians were finished, many Egyptians would be
dead and the nation would be left in ruin just as Assyria was, a desolate
wasteland similar to other countries we have covered throughout this devotional
series. Any Egyptians who were fortunate enough to survive the onslaught would
end up dispersed to other nations for a forty year period, after which they
would be allowed to return and rebuild much like the Israelites would be able
to do after their seventy year exile in Babylon. But note that Egypt would
never return to prominence again. God promised as much through these words:
“There they will be a
lowly kingdom. It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt
itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again
rule over the nations. Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the
people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for
help.”
One other point I think is very interesting here is that God
offered Egypt to the Babylonians as a reward after they had attacked and
conquered Tyre. We know how rich Tyre was because of its place at the center of
commerce and trade but yet the Lord provided the additional riches to their
haul. Babylon had done a lot of the Lord’s judgment work and He in turn
compensated them nicely for their work.
So what do we take away from this?
I think there are two main things as we conclude this
devotion.
First, we need to realize that when it comes to matters of
creation, all of it belongs to the Lord. He is the Master and Maker of all of
us, the Author of all living things, and so He warrants all the glory, honor,
and praise. Even when we accomplish something significant using a gift He has
given us, He deserves all the prestige and credit for we could have never
accomplished anything noteworthy without His blessing.
The second thing I believe we need to remember is that no
nation, no matter how powerful it seems, will stand a chance against God’s
judgment. The Egyptian empire was vast and prosperous and powerful. It had few
rivals in the world during biblical times. But its national pride and refusal
to recognize and worship the God who blessed it with its prominence was its
downfall because the Lord God Almighty will never stand by and allow Himself to
be disrespected, disregarded, or dishonored. Not in the times of Ezekiel, not
ever.
Perhaps nations today should take note of this and change
the focus of their thanksgiving, adoration, and devotion on the God who made
them what they are, the God who can also take it all away.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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