HE Is LORD

\In Ezekiel 29-32, the Lord called Ezekiel to prophecy against Egypt and its allies. The Lord gave to Ezekiel the exactly right words to say. Egypt was a powerful nation at the time of this prophecy. Many nations allied themselves to Egypt believing her to be stronger than Babylon but were wrong. God was against Egypt. His plan was to give the treasures of Egypt to Babylon as a reward. A reward? Yes, Babylon had destroyed the Sidonians at a great cost to their economy and received no compensation for it, so the Lord said the treasures of Egypt would be Babylon’s compensation. The nations who joined with Egypt would also suffer great losses.

“Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt. Speak, and say, thus says the Lord God: behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, ‘My River is my own; I have made it for myself.’ ...I have given you as food to the beasts of the field and to the birds of the heavens.” Ezekiel 29:2-3, 5

God calls Egypt a monster. The Egyptians were descendants of Noah’s son Ham. They were people created in God’s image, but they became inhabited by evil spirits and became like monsters. There was no love for God or neighbor in them. They preferred to worship the idols that evil spirits told them to create and serve. They became proud and belligerent... out of control. They accumulated great wealth and power. They used their technological advances to bully others and to serve their selfish interests. God compared them to a river monster but prophesied that animals and birds would feast on them. God created people to rule over the creatures of the sky, land and sea, but when people turn against God, He reverses the order so that the creatures humble them.

“Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When they took hold of you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their backs quiver.” “And the land of Egypt shall become desolate and waste; then they will know that I am the Lord, because he said, ‘The River is mine, and I have made it.’ I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and among the cities that are laid waste, her cities shall be desolate 40 years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.” Ezekiel 29:6-7, 9, 12

God’s people, Israel, had looked to Egypt to save them from being destroyed by Babylon, but the Lord told them in advance, even before it came to pass, that leaning on Egypt would hurt them. Egypt was going to be destroyed because of her pride. Then, the Egyptians would know that the God of Israel is God.

It is often after people lose all their props that they turn to God and come to know Him. God promised to scatter the Egyptians amongst the nations for a period of 40 years. As Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness, so the Egyptians would wander among the nations for 40 years.

“Yet, thus says the Lord God: at the end of 40 years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore. No longer shall it be the confidence of the house of Israel but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.” Ezekiel 29:13-16

The Lord prophesied of restoring the Egyptians to their land after 40 years of exile, but they would be the lowliest of kingdoms. She would not rule over nations any longer. She would never again become an idol to the Israelites. The Egyptians were going to lose their superpower status but they were going to come to know God. Indeed, there are many Egyptian Christians.

“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre... yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it. Therefore thus says the Lord God: surely I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army. I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they worked for Me, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 29:18-20

The Lord used a pagan king to humble proud nations. The Lord repaid him and his people for doing it. In a similar way, the Lord allows the proud devil to destroy arrogance amongst people today. The way of escape from the devil’s attacks is to humble oneself and turn to the Lord.

In Matthew 5:22-26, Jesus spoke against being angry with your brother without a cause. He urged the one who has offended his brother to go to him and be reconciled with him. Then, He said, “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.” In other words, rather than trying to justify your misbehavior when accused by the devil, agree with him, admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Trust that the blood of Christ is sufficient to blot out every sin that you have ever committed and rejoice in God your Savior!

“In that day I will cause the horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will open your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 29:21

After repentance, and knowing the Lord, comes fellowship. The Lord was going to bring about a new day of fellowship in Him between Egypt and Israel.

In Ezekiel 30:5, the Lord adds Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied with Egypt to the list of nations to be defeated by Babylon. Ezekiel 30:8 says that all Egyptians helpers shall be destroyed. In Ezekiel 30:18-19, the Lord says that “her arrogant strength shall cease... Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt, then they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Though Egypt had once been as glorious and great as the trees of Eden, she would be brought down. She should have turned to the Lord after He did miracles in her by the hand of Moses.

“To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 31:18

The Lord called Ezekiel to lament for Egypt because like a monster she had fouled up the rivers of the nations.

“Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: you are like a young lion among the nations, and you are like a monster in the seas, bursting forth in your rivers, troubling the waters with your feet, and fouling their rivers.” Ezekiel 32:2

The Lord was going to turn the lights out on Egypt.

“All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you, and bring darkness upon your land, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 32:8

The Babylonians would plunder the pomp of Egypt.

“For thus says the Lord God: the sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. By the swords of the mighty warriors, all of them the most terrible of the nations, I will cause your multitude to fall. They shall plunder the pomp of Egypt, and all its multitude shall be destroyed.” Ezekiel 32:11-12

Are there proud empires today that need to be humbled? Yes! I pray that the Lord will use us His people to warn them sufficiently to turn from pride to God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son and the Holy Spirit. Every nation that exalts itself against Him eventually falls.

In Ezekiel 32:22-30, the Lord lists the nations that will descend with Egypt into a pit due to their sins. “Assyria is there.” “There is Elam and all her multitude.” “There are Meshech and Tubal and all their multitudes.” “There is Edom.” “There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians.”

Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” That is, if you have been resisting His Spirit’s efforts to bring you to salvation. There comes a point when the Lord no longer holds out the olive branch. He wields the sword. Once it begins, it doesn’t end until that nation or person is totally humbled before Him, and knows that HE, indeed, is LORD.