In today’s study, God tells Ezekiel to prophecy judgement against Egypt. All of God’s words come true. You can trust that. Let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, thank You for putting us on Earth at this time, despite how hard and difficult it is still today to live faithfully and in peace with ourselves and others. But to live in this time we can verify things prophesied about and have many teachers of faith we can listen to. Yet I can’t help but also want You to come gather your people and get us away from the evil and awfulness happening seemingly everywhere. Focus our minds, Lord, on Your Words. In Your Holy Name I pray. Come, Lord Jesus.
Please read Ezekiel 29:1-2
Judgment of Egypt
1 In the tenth year [of the captivity of King Jehoiachin by the king of Babylon], in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.
I don’t know why, but when it’s written so explicitly about the date it hits me different. I had to go back to the last one to see where he last said that. Ezekiel 26 was the last time. 1 Now in the eleventh year, on the first [day] of the month [after the capture of King Jehoiachin], the word of the Lord came to me, saying,… I guess whoever put the book together did it in some way other than by dates. Well, today another neighbor of Israel gets to hear God’s prophesy against them.
Please read Ezekiel 29:3
3 Speak and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God,
“Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
The great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers,
[Boastfully] declaring, ‘My Nile is my own, and I have made it for myself.’
Every word you speak, every thought you think is open and hearable to God. Be very careful what you think. Be even more careful what you say.
Please read Ezekiel 29:4-9a
4 “I will put hooks in your jaws
And [I will] make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales.
And I will pull you up from the midst of your rivers,
And all the fish of your rivers will stick to your scales.
5 “I will abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers;
You will fall on the open field; and you will not be gathered up or buried.
I have given you as food to the [wild] animals of the earth and the birds of the sky.
6 “And all the inhabitants of Egypt will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord,
Because they have been [only] a staff made of [fragile] reeds to the house of Israel.
7“When they (Israel) grasped you (Egypt) by the hand,
You broke and tore apart their hands;
When they leaned on you,
You broke and strained their backs.”
8 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am going to bring a sword on you and cut off (destroy) both man and animal,9 and the land of Egypt will be a desolation and a wasteland. And they will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.
He is omnipotent, all our lives are in His hands. Even if you do not know Him, your days are known to Him.
Please read Ezekiel 29:9b-12
“Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine and I have made it,’ 10 behold (hear this), therefore, I am against you and against your rivers (the Nile, its tributaries), and I will make the land of Egypt a complete waste and a desolation, from [northern] Migdol to [southern] [a]Syene, even as far as the border of Ethiopia (Cush). 11 No man’s foot will pass through it, no animal’s foot will pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years. 12 So I will make the land of Egypt a desolation [plundered and ruined] among desolated lands; and her cities, among cities that are laid waste, will be desolate forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and [I will] disperse them through the lands.”
There is a time limit on this one. Forty years. No man or animal will pass through it. Complete desolation for forty years.
Please read Ezekiel 29:13-16
13 ‘For thus says the Lord God, “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations among whom they were scattered. 14 I will reverse the fortunes of Egypt [as I will that of Israel] and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom. 15 It will be the lowliest of the kingdoms, and it will [b]never again exalt itself above the nations; I will diminish the Egyptians so they will never again rule over the nations. 16 And Egypt will never again have the confidence of the house of Israel; their wickedness will be remembered whenever Israel looks toward them [for help]. Then they will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord God.”
Fortunes reversed but forever lowly. And no confidence, how would you feel if whenever someone thought of you they remembered the wickedness you did. Praise God for Jesus who gives us the chance to be forgiven all our sins.
Please read Ezekiel 29:17-21
17 In the twenty-seventh year [after King Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon], in the first month, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army [c]work hard [at My command] against Tyre; every [soldier’s] head became [d]bald and every shoulder was worn and peeled [from carrying loads of dirt and stones for siege works]. Yet he had no wages from Tyre [in proportion to the time and labor expended during the siege], either for himself or his army, for the work that he had done against it [for Me].” 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her wealth and capture her spoil and seize her plunder; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt for the hard work which he did [against Tyre], because they did it for Me,” says the Lord God.
21 “In that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them, and they will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord [when I renew their strength].”
Fast forward the years. God explains He sent Nebuchadnezzar against Tyre. He uses earthly kingdoms/countries to exact His judgement. At least until His Day which is still in the future.
Remember, be very careful how you think and what you say, and what you do.
Footnotes
[a] Ezekiel 29:10 -Syene- Coptic Souan, Senon; Arab Aswan.
[b] Ezekiel 29:15 -never again- There are few stronger contrasts in any modern country than between the ancient glory, dignity, power, and wealth of Egypt and its later diminished significance.
[c] Ezekiel 29:18 -work hard- The siege against Tyre lasted about thirteen years.
[d] Ezekiel 29:18 -bald- Probably from constantly wearing war helmets.
Did you know you can also read the Quick Study? It’s on Matthew right now. Or you could go back to the Ezekiel chapters list.