Ezekiel 31 – Pride always leads to ruin.

Ezekiel 31 is the fifth segment of the message of God’s judgment on the nation of Egypt. This message came to Ezekiel “in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first of the month.” This meant that the message was given during the final siege of Jerusalem before her fall. Using both poetry and prose in this chapter, God was comparing Egypt to Assyria, which was like a cedar of Lebanon in verses 1-9. Then in verses 10-19, He provides the reason for her fall and destruction. The crux of this chapter is to show inverse 19. Egypt and Pharoah as mighty as they might seem would end up in the same fate as Assyria in all her greatness. Just as Assyria had fallen because of her pride, so also would Egypt end in the same way.

Simply put, Assyria like the cedar grew was taller than many trees in God’s Garden. Its height speaks of her might and durability. This was a picture of Assyria’s day of dominance. She would provide shelter for the birds, meaning smaller nations would depend on her for protection. Her beauty and majesty were unsurpassed for she was steady and had great influence. Like Assyria, Egypt’s splendor and power were also matchless at one point. 

But God was bent on punishing Assyria for her pride and abuse of power. He would execute the judgment and deliver Assyria into the hand of “a despot of the nations.” This was a reference to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, history’s most ruthless nation. God would deal with Assyria according to her wickedness. Nations that once depended on her would abandon her when she fell. Regardless of her impressiveness, she would be cut down and end up in the pit.  

If proud Assyria with all her power and splendor could fall how could Egypt with all her pride hope to be spared. The same end that Assyria encountered would be what Egypt and the pharaoh would have to face. 

Here are the takeaways: Pride always leads people and nations into ruin and God hates it. Since everyone is susceptible to pride, it behooves us to walk gingerly and tenderly before the Lord. None of us can deny our human frailty or our accountability to God. But we are thankful that our hope rests in Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer.