Ezekiel 32
-In the twelfth year of captivity, in the twelfth month, and
on the first day of the month the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel further
saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say
to him, ‘You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations, yet you are like
the monster in the seas; and you burst forth in your rivers and muddied the
waters with your feet and fouled their rivers (Ezekiel 32:1-2).’” God goes
further in telling His prophet to proclaim that He will spread His net over the
Pharaoh with a company of many peoples, and they will lift him up in the LORD’s
net (Ezekiel 32:3). God will leave his people on the land, and cast them upon
the open field. The birds will feast on their carcasses. The land will drink
their blood which has been spilt out, and the ravines will be full of the
Egyptians. They will be extinguished as the heavens are covered and the stars
are darkened in their land (Ezekiel 32:4-8). The nations will be troubled
around them when the LORD brings His destruction and dispersion upon them. Many
will be appalled at them and the nation’s kings will be “horribly afraid” when
God’s sword of wrath is brandished before them. Trembling and the saying “every
man for his life” will be the norm on the day of Egypt’s fall (Ezekiel
32:9-11). All this will be done that they will KNOW that the LORD is God. All
the daughters of the nations will chant lamentation over Egypt and her hordes
(supporters, Ezekiel 32:12-15).
-Now on the fifteenth of the month (apparently two weeks
later), the word of God came again telling Ezekiel more distressing news for the
nation of Egypt and her allies. Their beauty was being destroyed and they would
make their bed with the uncircumcised. They would fall by the sword. Assyria
too would fall in the same manner with Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Edom, the chiefs
of the north (probably princes of the Phoenician city-states), the Sidonians
along with all their hordes (Ezekiel 32:16-32). Babylon was the destroyer and
these nations were the destroyed.
-*Application* God works in the course of human events to
accomplish His purposes. At the time He was preserving His people in Babylon
through their might and vitality. He was raising up men like Daniel and women
like Esther to refine His own people and reach out to the Babylonians with the
truth, yet the Babylonians would never really accept Him fully. Do we see the
same things happening in our lives? Sometimes our captivity moments are where
God is developing and shaping us. Always trust that He is good and working
things for the believers’ benefit as we conform to His image (Romans 8:28-29).
Verse to Memorize:
Ezekiel 32:32
No comments:
Post a Comment