Ezekiel 29:7-16 – Placing our hope in God alone.

Ezekiel 29:8-16 is the continuation of the first segment of the prophet’s message on the judgment of Egypt. In the first seven verses, the message focuses on the Pharoah. But now in verses 9-16 the message zooms in on the judgment of the land of Egypt.

Judah had depended on Egypt despite the prophetic voices of Jeremiah and other prophets who told her not to. She was warned not to rely on Egypt but to submit to God’s plan of allowing Babylon to take them into captivity. Choosing to listen to false prophets, Judah went ahead and relied on Egypt. Judah soon finds out that instead of having a strong walking stick, Egypt was a weak stick of reed and disappointingly undependable.

For Egypt’s arrogance and treachery against Judah, she deserved to be punished. Her land would be left desolate, and her people scattered. The duration of her desolation was stated as 40 years. This figure was roughly the period Egypt would be in ruin.  Their restoration would coincide with the return of God’s people to their homeland.

Verses 13-16 indicate that there would be a reorganization after they return. Egypt would not return to her former glory but relegated to a subordinate position. Though Egyptians would return to Pathro, their land of origin, Egypt would no longer be a dominant power. She would be lower than the surrounding nations and never rule over them again. On the other hand, God’s people would no longer rely on Egypt for they would truly know their true God.   

Egypt was diminished so that Judah would no longer rely on and trust her. The result of God’s dealing with Egypt would prove that she was undependable and untrustworthy. From this account, we learn that apart from God, no one is fully trustworthy. Our eyes must be fixed on Him. Through life circumstances, our greatest hope of victory is to rely on God and place our trust in Him alone.