Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Bible Study Notes in Ezekiel- Chapter 30


Ezekiel 30

 

-The lament over Egypt is taken up by the prophet in this explicative chapter of Scripture. The LORD says, “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 (Ezekiel 30:2-4).” Her allies will fall with by the sword and be broken too (Ezekiel 30:5, 8). “The pride of her power will come down” with violence being reigned upon them making the place desolate, incapacitated, and devastated (Ezekiel 30:6-7). This, like all the other occurrences prophesied in Ezekiel, will make KNOWN that the LORD is God when He sets a fire in Egypt (Ezekiel 30:8). It is by the hand of none other than Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and those with him who exact the vengeance of the LORD in fulfillment of His decrees (Ezekiel 30:10-12). God will also destroy the wretched idols, images, and princes of Egypt in His fury putting fear, fire, desolation, judgments, wrath, anguish, breaches, distresses daily, violence, captivity, darkness, clouds, and weakness upon them and their hosts. “Thus I (the LORD) will execute judgments on Egypt, and they will KNOW that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 30:13-19).”

-In the eleventh year of Ezekiel’s captivity in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the LORD came to the prophet again telling him that the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt has been broken and “it is not bound up for healing or wrapped in a bandage.” In other words, the strength of this once mighty position of power has been sapped and the enemy will now come in to destroy negating any opposition. God is against Pharaoh and will break him to the point of his people scattering among the nations in a dispersion. The king of Babylon will be strong at this time that “they will KNOW that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 30:20-26).”

-*Application* This message came to the prophet while Jerusalem was under siege from the Babylonian forces. Their reliance upon a defeated ally in the spiritual and soon physical realm was unwise and furthered their demise. Who do we rely on when desperate times come? Look to God to provide and supply. He is the sole Source of our sufficiency. Count only on Him, not people, power, riches, or your government.

 

Verse to Memorize: Ezekiel 30:25

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