Ezekiel 30:1-26 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Ezekiel 30:1-26. Let’s go!
Ezekiel 30:1-9 (NIV)
1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘Wail and say, “Alas for that day!”
3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near– a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.
4 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.
5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.
6 “‘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.
7 “‘They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities.
8 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.
9 “‘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.
On verses 1-9: Here the Lord has a message concerning the nation of Egypt, warning that “the day is near” (v3) when “a sword will come against Egypt” (v4) causing widespread destruction there. Despite “her proud strength” (v6) and her allies supporting her, Egypt would be defeated and made desolate (v7), and her allies would be crushed (v8).
What can we learn from this? If God is against you, it doesn’t matter who else is for you or on your side. But the reverse is also true: if God is for you, it doesn’t matter who is against you or who is on your enemy’s side. As Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Praise God. Because Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, we can know that God is definitely for us and not against us. That is especially the case if you have responded in faith to what Jesus Christ has done on the cross, for now by faith in Jesus Christ you are God’s child, endowed with God’s Holy Spirit, an heir of His kingdom, a citizen of heaven and a member of God’s team and family on earth. Because of Jesus Christ, we know that God is for us and not against us.
Ezekiel 30:10-12 (NIV)
10 “‘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.
11 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.
12 I will dry up the streams of the Nile and sell the land to evil men; by the hand of foreigners I will lay waste the land and everything in it. I the LORD have spoken.
On verses 10-12: Here the Lord reveals how He intends to punish Egypt: “by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon” (v10).
What can we learn from this? God uses people to accomplish His will, whether they themselves are aware of it or not.
Ezekiel 30:13-19 (NIV)
13 “‘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.
14 I will lay waste Upper Egypt, set fire to Zoan and inflict punishment on Thebes.
15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the hordes of Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium will writhe in agony. Thebes will be taken by storm; Memphis will be in constant distress.
17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall by the sword, and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
18 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.
19 So I will inflict punishment on Egypt, and they will know that I am the LORD.'”
On verses 13-19: In centuries past, when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, the Lord performed incredible miracles which the Egyptians witnessed first hand. Through miracle after miracle, God showed the Egyptians that He alone is God. Nevertheless, for centuries the Egyptians continued to worship their own gods. According to some scholars, the Egyptians had as many as 1,200 different idols that they worshiped. God was now calling the Egyptians to account for their idolatry – “I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis” (v13). In verses 13-19 the Lord mentions various Egyptians cities, many of which were commercial, religious or political centres in Egypt, to suggest that all of Egypt will feel the punishment that God will dole out on the nation for its pride and idolatry.
What can we learn from this? God will hold us accountable to the miracles and revelations about Him we have received from Him. In other words, God will ask us one day, “What did you do with the miracles, the blessings and the ways I revealed Myself to you? How did you respond to God’s goodness in your life? Did you respond with humility, praise, worship and living for Him, or did you respond selfishly, lazily, or indifferently?” If God has done amazing miracles and revealed Himself in your life – and He has – then God will hold you accountable to the revelation about Himself that you received from Him. How we respond to God’s goodness matters.
Ezekiel 30:20 (NIV)
20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the LORD came to me:
On verse 20: According to scholars, this means that the message described in verses 21-26 came to Ezekiel on April 29, 587 B.C.
Ezekiel 30:21-26 (NIV)
21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up for healing or put in a splint so as to become strong enough to hold a sword.
22 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.
23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.
24 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.
25 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.
26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
On verses 21-26: Why does the Lord describe Pharaoh as a ruler with a broken arm (v21)? That is because in 588 B.C. Egypt had tried to help Jerusalem against the Babylonians. Egypt was unsuccessful in its efforts, Jerusalem was conquered, and Egypt itself was left in an injured and weakened state. Egypt’s arm, representing her overall strength and her ability to defend herself, was broken. Now Ezekiel was foretelling that the Babylonians would attack and defeat the already injured Egypt, thereby breaking both arms (v22, 24-25). This attack would result in the Egyptians being scattered across various countries (v23, 26).
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are for me and not against me. Thank You for being the only all-powerful ally we have in life. May we place our trust in You and not in anything less than You. I realize today that You will hold me accountable to the miracles, the goodness and the revelations about You that You have shown me in the past. May I never take for granted Your miracles, Your goodness and the ways You have revealed Yourself to me, but instead may I live humbly, joyfully and wisely in light of them. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
