The Gospel According to Ezekiel, Chapters 30-31 (Part 1 of 2)

The Scandal of Trusting in a Child Over Nations

In the context of the Christmas season, one thing that comes to mind as we examine these passages in chapters 30 and 31 is the ridiculousness—some of the insanity—of the message going out to the Israelites in exile. Consider the comparison: not trusting in nations, but instead trusting in an infant.

When you see the magnificence of the nations surrounding Ezekiel's day—Egypt, Assyria, with their powerful armies and magnificent weapons—God's response is: Don't trust in these nations, but trust in a child I will send you several years later. It's ridiculous on the surface. And because we know He grew up and died—seemingly defeated on a cross—it's the scandal of the gospel according to Ezekiel.

Unless it is indeed the servant of David that Ezekiel prophesies about, this Christ, this King who will ultimately rule a nation that makes these others look pathetic by comparison.

Symbolic Language and Spiritual Fulfillment

We've looked at Egypt's pride and Israel's trust in Egypt. Given the language, there's a lot of symbolism and spiritual language here—not a specific emphasis on literal physical fulfillment, but spiritual fulfillment in Egypt and especially in Israel's life. This prophecy is spoken in exile for the benefit of God's people, including today.

God gives His people effective prophetic tools to deal with pride. Last week we saw what pride looks like in Egypt—Pharaoh Hophra is not the God of the Nile, not an incarnate Egyptian god. Pride causes God to judge and make Israel a desolation among desolate nations. Some nations listed in chapter 32 are already destroyed; Egypt will dwell among them in Sheol, a spiritual place. One nation hasn't been destroyed yet but is spoken of as already destroyed. This is symbolic language.

Chapter 31 compares Egypt to Assyria. We've seen what pride is; now we're shown how to deal with pride. God uses Egypt and Assyria to teach us how to effectively deal with pride and benefit spiritually from these prophecies.

The Day of the Lord and Judgment on Egypt

Ezekiel 30:1-4

The word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’ For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. A sword will come upon Egypt, and anguish will be in Ethiopia when the slain fall in Egypt, they take away her wealth, and her foundations are torn down.”

Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all Arabia, Libya, and the people of the land that is in league will fall with them by the sword,” says the Lord. Indeed, those who support Egypt will fall, and the pride of her power will come down.

From Migdol to Syene, they will fall within her by the sword,” declares the Lord God. They will be desolate in the midst of the desolated lands, and her cities will be in the midst of the desolated cities. They will know that I am the Lord when I set a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers are broken.

On that day messengers will go forth from Me in ships to frighten secure Ethiopia; and anguish will be on them as on the day of Egypt; for behold, it comes.

There's a translational difference in verse 5 between English versions and the Greek, which says “members of my covenant” or “children of my covenant.” But given Jews already exiled to some of these places (like Jeremiah), it's better to follow the Hebrew: a league or agreement between nations, not God's covenant people.

The symbolic language shows God doing what's necessary to stop Israel from turning to Egypt for support. Pride is the anti-God attitude: discontent with all things God, resulting in self-exaltation. The proud are against God, and God opposes the proud.

God judges Egypt for pride, prevents Israel from trusting it, and demonstrates He is sovereign. They will know that I am the Lord—to acknowledge His existence, attributes, lordship, as judge with the right to say what is right, how to live, as Head over His followers.

Israel's Pattern of Looking Back to Egypt

Israel's history shows repeated turns back to Egypt. Their beginning as a nation: slavery and bondage to Egypt and its gods, redeemed into the wilderness toward the promised land—sin behind, holiness ahead.

Yet they looked back. In the wilderness wanderings—should have been bliss, freed to dwell with Yahweh, led by pillar of fire and cloud, after God laid low Egyptian gods, Pharaoh, and army—they complained: “Better that we were back in Egypt.” Even the golden calf was called “the God who led us out of Egypt”—an image of Yahweh.

Under pressure, they looked back. Instead of “Let's see what God does next,” they said God isn't sufficient. Pride says: God can't handle this; I'll find something else.

God's Destruction of Idols and Pride

Ezekiel 30:10-12

Thus says the Lord God, “I will also make the hordes of Egypt cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He and his people with him, the most ruthless of the nations, will be brought in to destroy the land; and they will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain. Moreover, I will make the Nile canals dry and sell the land into the hands of evil men. And I will make the land desolate and all that is in it by the hand of strangers. I the Lord have spoken it.”

God destroys idols, as in the plagues over Egyptian gods' domains. He destroys the gods of Egypt yet again.

Ezekiel 30:13-19

Thus says the Lord God, “I will also destroy the idols and make the images cease from Memphis. And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; and I will put fear in the land of Egypt. I will make Pathros desolate, set a fire in Zoan, and execute judgments on Thebes. I will pour out My wrath on Sin, the stronghold of Egypt; I will also cut off the hordes of Thebes. I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin will writhe in anguish, Thebes will be breached, and Memphis will have distresses daily. The young men of On and of Pi-beseth will fall by the sword, and the women will go into captivity. In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark when I break there the yoke bars of Egypt. Then the pride of her power will cease in her; a cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity. Then I will execute judgments on Egypt, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

Pride is Egypt's issue; the pride of her power will cease. This cuts off Israel's trust in Egypt—symbolic of turning to pride for help. God makes Egypt a desolation, unable to help Israel.

Dealing with Pride: Compare It to God

The way to deal with pride is to recognize who God is compared to what pride produces. The best way for a Christian to deal with any sin, especially pride, is to compare what pride does to what God does—pit your sin against God.

See who is more powerful, more pleasurable, more sovereign over your life. As you behold more of God, it equips you against sin. Christians with unchecked sin know less of God. There's a direct correlation between how you live and the theology you know.

Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies—the wrong knowledge puffs up. True knowledge of an immense God cannot make you prideful. God sits enthroned in the heavens, earth as His footstool. Finite man cannot stand prideful before an infinite God.

If God is love, learning more about Him is learning love. Diligently let theology lead to doxology and right living. God reveals Himself in Ezekiel as means of grace.

He breaks their power, executes judgments. They will know that I am the Lord. It's the Christian's life and duty to know God. Without knowing Him, we gain nothing. Spiritual maturity requires knowing to teach (Hebrews 5).

Breaking Pharaoh's Arms

Ezekiel 30:20-26

In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the month, the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, that it may be strong to hold the sword. Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong and the broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands. For I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword into his hand; and I will break the arms of Pharaoh, so that he will groan before him with the groanings of a wounded man. Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands, then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

This is fulfilled historically: Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar's vassal, rebels on Egypt's counsel against Jeremiah's warning to submit to Babylon. Egypt aids Jerusalem; their army is decimated, Jerusalem falls, then Babylon conquers Egypt. God breaks Pharaoh's “sword arm”—Egypt's army—sending them back wounded.

God's Judgment on Egypt's Pride

God strengthens the arms of Babylon and sends him against Egypt to break its other arm, perhaps referring to its economy. Sometime after this, the Egyptians ally with the Babylonians, fulfilling this literally. The picture is both literal—God breaks Egypt as a source of trust for Israel—and symbolic, dismantling Egypt's pride completely.

God deals with what Israel turns to, dismantling it entirely. Seeing God tear down things we trust apart from Him calls us to acknowledge His faithfulness, power, and ability to be our God. These things cannot come through for us, and the God we serve is against them, tearing them down.

We must be diligent to witness that our trust and dependence in all things belongs to God. Jeremiah told Zedekiah to express humility: be a vassal to the mightiest nation, don't try to be something else. Humble yourself, remain submissive and obedient to Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar for the time being, and God will exalt you in due time—a New Testament teaching.

Jeremiah nearly died for his unwavering stance on God's word. Submissiveness to Babylon expresses humility. Babylon is God's judgment; God uses Babylon, calling Nebuchadnezzar His servant throughout Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar serves God in judgment, so submissiveness to Babylon is submissiveness to God, allowing Him to work.

Wait for God to exalt you. Wherever you are is the place you need to be for God's greatness to shine through. Wait in total anticipation for what God will do next, like in the wilderness. God is not destroying you; He is drawing you into deeper dependence on Him. The greatest place is deeper dependence, waiting to see what God does, in genuine anticipation, rejoicing. This is the Christian lifestyle.

Listen to God's instruction, trust Him, embrace humility even when it doesn't seem right. It didn't seem wise to Zedekiah's worldly counsel to submit to the conquering enemy. But trust God, not pride.

Chapter 31: Egypt Compared to Assyria

In the 11th year, 3rd month, 1st day—June 21, 587 BC—more symbolic language compares Egypt to Assyria, back in the Garden of Eden. The known world, nations God planted, is the Garden of God.

Ezekiel 31:2-18
Son of Man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: Who are you like in your greatness? Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches and forest shade, and very high, and its top was among the clouds... [full passage describing Assyria's greatness, fall, and comparison to Egypt].

Assyria was dominant, conquering and allying brutally. Even allies faced hazing. Nineveh speared heads outside to strike fear. God describes Assyria's greatness in conquest, rule, and fear, not praising it.

As Egypt boasts, God compares it to greater Assyria—no comparison. Egypt is nothing like Assyria, obliterated 25 years earlier. How could mighty Assyria fall to God for pride, yet Egypt expect escape?

The Infinite Depths of God Versus the Emptiness of Pride

How great sin's sources are, yet how quickly we turn to God. Nothing measures up to God's might. As C.S. Lewis has Aslan say in Prince Caspian, "The more you grow, the bigger I grow"—meaning as Christians grow in knowledge of God, He becomes more immense in our eyes. We see more of who He is.

Like Ezekiel's river, the deeper we go into God, the deeper He is. We stand in shallows, perceiving a shallow God, but deeper, He captivates us infinitely, like a parabola approaching but never crossing the axis—infinitely growing closer.

The more we take in, the more we see God's expanse. The more we go into sin like pride, the shallower it is—empty and resourceless, despite appearances of abundance.

Permanent satisfaction is only in God, infinite: no end to His joy, satisfaction, security, protection, quenching rivers changing our hearts. If nothing else from these chapters, God is worthy, sufficient; you won't be disappointed trusting Him.