Ezekiel 30:20-26 – Keep a short account with the Lord.

In Ezekiel 30:20-26, we come to the fourth segment of God’s message of judgment on Egypt. The Bible has used the arm or arms as a symbol of strength and military might. Here six times in these six verses this word has been used. It speaks of the breaking of Pharoah's arms and the strengthening of the arm of the king of Babylon.

Apparently, the arm of Pharoah had been broken once. In Jeremiah 37:7-10 God had told Judah of the defeat of Pharoah’s army which she had solicited help to fight against Nebuchadnezzar and his army. In that defeat, Pharoah’s strength was already weakened. This “fractured arm” was not bandaged and had not healed, rendering it unable to hold up the sword firmly menacing to keep up with the fight with Babylon.

Furthermore, Egypt’s other arm would be broken by God since He was against her. In other words, He would further weaken Egypt’s remaining army. So, whatever remaining strength Egypt had, God was going to weaken and totally decommission her fighting force to make her powerless.

Breaking the arms of Egypt was not all. God would be empowering the arms of Babylon to increase their might. God would then use Babylon to uphold His justice. With Egypt’s defeat, the Egyptians would be dispersed over the nations and scattered all over the land.  This would enable them to know that God is truly the sovereign Lord.   

Sin has consequences. And God’s dealing with one’s sin cannot be prevented, no matter how capable one considers oneself to be. As believers, we need to learn to identify sin and mitigate it with humility and humble repentance. Learn to keep a short account with the Lord.    

Ezekiel 30:1-19 – God has the whole world in His hand.

Ezekiel 30:1-19 is the third segment of Ezekiel’s message of judgment on Egypt. It starts by referring to “the Day of the Lord” in verses 1-2.  This phrase “the Day of the Lord” usually refers to a period and not just one day. It leaves a sense of the certainty of God’s prescribed judgment. It would be an awful period of gloom where the very foundation of Egypt would be shaken. News of her calamities would also terrify her allies. Specifically mentioned in verse 5 were Egypt’s allies. They were Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all of Arabia, and Libya.

Verses 6-8 then went on to show how thorough the attack on Egypt would be.  From north to south, no part of Egypt would be left untouched. Every part of the country would be burned, and the people distraught. At the destruction, the Lord’s hand in the judgment would be recognized and He would be acknowledged. The destruction would be so catastrophic that the people of nearby Ethiopia would be petrified and stricken with terror.  They could sense that they would be the next target of the judgment of God.  

Nebuchadnezzar and his army were once again singled out in verses 10-11 as the instrument God would use. These ruthless, evil strangers would come and devastate Egypt. God would even dry up the Nile. This is an indication that He would remove any obstacle that would come in the way of the invading army. In other words, God Himself was paving the way for the invasion and delivering Egypt into the hands of the invaders. The whole country and all her cities would be left in ruin. Furthermore, their idols would be crushed, their strongholds burnt and the people captured as their leaders were slaughtered.  The oppression and bondage that Egypt had imposed on the people would be broken. Through the judgment, Egypt would know that the Lord indeed is God. 

The phrase “And they will know that I am the Lord” repeatedly occurs throughout the book of Ezekiel. Evidently, God wants to be known as the only true God. We cannot go away from this passage without realizing that the destiny of all nations lies in the hand of God. He uses each one to extend His purpose of making Himself known. Every which way He reveals Himself proves that He alone deserves our worship. It also shows that no other so-called god is worthy of worship. Let us worship Him alone, for He alone is worthy of our worship!  

Ezekiel 29:17-21 - Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Ezekiel’s message of judgment on Egypt starts in chapter 29 and has seven segments. So far, we have covered the first segment in verses 1-16. Ezekiel 29:17-21 is the second segment of the message. The message came to Ezekiel in the 27^th year, on the first day of the first month of Jehoiachin’s captivity concerning the fall of Egypt.

Apparently, Nebuchadnezzar’s army went hard on Tyre for thirteen years and was unrewarded. The phrase “every head made bald” was by way of saying that his force of soldiers had worn their ill-fitted helmets for so long till they were made bald.  Besides their shoulders became raw and sore from carrying the timbers and stones. Despite all the hard labor, their reward was meager. They did not return with many spoils of war. This is an indication that though Nebuchadnezzar had attacked Tyre, he did not capture her. Apparently, Tyre only fell into the hand of Babylon later.      

As a reward for his not-so-fruitful work in Tyre, God gave Egypt to him instead.  So, Nebuchadnezzar’s force attack on Egypt was God’s doing. He had declared saying, “I have given him (Nebuchadnezzar) the land of Egypt for his labor which he performed because they acted for Me.” In no uncertain terms, God said in verse 19, “Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her wealth and capture her spoil seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his army.”

The unrewarded work of Nebuchadnezzar against Tyre seemed to have put a question mark on Ezekiel’s authenticity as a prophet. Verse 21 denotes that what God did to Egypt was to affirm his prophetic ministry and prove that he was His spokesman. Through it all the people would come to know that the Lord is God.    

For thirteen long years of hard work, Nebuchadnezzar’s force did not take away many things from Tyre. What they did receive, however, were heads made bald by their ill-fitted helmets and shoulders made sore by carrying timbers and rocks. However, God rewarded them in another way. This tells us that the service we render for Him will never go unrewarded.

This brings us to what Paul said in Colossians 3:23-24 and hears the exhortation of God. “Whatever we do, do our work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord we will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom we serve.”

 

This is what the British missionary, C.T. Studd has to say: 

Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill.
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
 
Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh, let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
  
 

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.   

Ezekiel 29:1-7 – Learn to rightly appraise ourselves

Of the messages of judgment that Ezekiel had for all the foreign nations that had oppressed Israel, the one to Egypt and the Pharaoh was the longest. It begins in Ezekiel chapter 29 all the way to chapter 32. There are seven segments to the message. The message started by exposing the sin and the call for judgment in Ezekiel 29:1-16. Verses 1-6, paint the Pharoah of Egypt as a monster, and verses 7-16, declare the judgment Egypt would have to face.

Verse 1 said that the message came to Ezekiel “in the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month.”  This would be approximately seven months before the fall of Jerusalem. The Pharoah is referred to here as a monster of the Nile. The monster would be the legendary crocodile. And Nile of course is Egypt. Those fishes that were caught in the scales of the crocodiles are her citizens.  

The way hunters would catch a crocodile was by using hooks and hooking the jaws to render it helpless. Like a crocodile being caught by a hunter’s hook, God caught Pharaoh and the citizens of Egypt and left them helpless in the desert without burial. They would be left in the open field as food for scavengers.

Why did God judge Pharoah and Egypt? In verse 2, Pharoah is said to be boastfully claiming to himself that Egypt is his and that it is he who had made it. But he was clueless of the power that was not his. Verse 7 said that he was only a staff made of reed. Pharaoh and Egypt were not as strong as they thought they were.  Verse 7 shows their unreliability. For his foolish self-exaltation, Pharoah and Egypt would be judged and made to realize who is God overall.   

It is needful for us to have a proper estimate of ourselves. Think of what Jesus said in Matthew 23:12, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” We must not think more highly of ourselves than we ought.  When we think more highly than we are, we run the risk of becoming self-centred. So according to the grace granted us, let us have a proper and right evaluation of ourselves.      

Ezekiel 28:25-26 – Sanctifying God in our lives

Israel, the people of God have a special place in His heart. He would treat them differently from those of the other nations. While He would deal with their waywardness, He would not allow their oppressors to scornfully treat them. God’s messages of condemnation on the other nations take a break in Ezekiel 28:25-26. These two verses tell of how God's people would end up finding His favor. 

God’s plan was to gather them from the nations where they had been scattered. He would manifest His holiness in full view of the nations as He gathers the people to the land, which He had promised to Jacob, His servant. There they would dwell securely, build houses, and plant vineyards.  The nations that had treated them with contempt, would be judged. God’s intention was to let His people know that He is their covenant Lord.

God gathered His people from all over the nations to make Himself known to them as well as to manifest His holiness. The church is also assembled from all over to know and experience God and to make manifest His holiness. God wants us to be sanctified and He be sanctified by us. Are we living a sanctified life and sanctifying His name among others? At all costs, let us give our total allegiance to God and worship Him only. Let us determine to live a consecrated life God’s so that He will be sanctified in our midst.   

 

Ezekiel 28:20-24 – Dealing with our briers and thorns

The message of judgment from God through Ezekiel 28:20-24 was directed at Sidon. It was a seaport along the Mediterranean coast in modern Lebanon, about 36 kilometres south of Tyre. Like Tyre, Sidon was both an influential as well as a wealthy Phoenician city.  Sadly, she was one of those who oppressed the people of Israel.  

Sidon had a long history of involvement with the life of the covenant people of God. Joshua 19:28 indicates that among other places, Sidon was apportioned to the tribe of Asher. Unfortunately, the tribe of Asher did not eradicate them leaving a trail of problems that descendants of Asher had to encounter.

In David’s preparation to build a temple for God, 1 Chronicles 22:4 tells us he obtained a large quantity of cedar wood from Tyre and Sidon. It was also here that the infamous Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, hailed from. Hence, it would not be a surprise to find elements of Baal worship in this city.

It was also in the Sidonian city of Zarephath that 1 Kings 17 tells us that a widow took care of Elijah. It was here that Elijah was used by God to provide flour and oil to help that widow through a time of famine. Here God, through Elijah, also raised that widow’s son from the dead.

However, besides Ezekiel, other prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, and Zechariah had also prophesied Sidon’s demise. Because Sidon had oppressed the covenant people, God in Ezekiel 28:20-24, sent them a message of judgment. The purpose of the judgment was to glorify God and enlighten the people. Through it, they would know that the Lord He is God. And that He would manifest his holiness among them through the judgment.

In the judgment, pestilence would be sent upon Sidon. And there would be much bloodshed on her streets. And the wounded would fall by the sword everywhere. In bringing the judgment, verse 24 said that God was removing “a prickling brier or a painful thorn.” God would save His people from having to encounter their malicious oppressors. In doing so, God would be acknowledged as the only true Lord.  

Sidon represents the depth of sins and idolatry that was “the prickling brier and painful thorn” to the people of God then. Are there “prickling briers and painful thorns” in our walk with God? Learn to identify them and then bring them to the Lord in prayer. “O, what peace we often forfeit, O, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.”