THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Ezekiel: Effective Ministry To The Spiritually Rebellious

Part XLV: God's Fearful Judgment On Egypt For Her Sin

(Ezekiel 30:1-19)

 

I.               Introduction

A.    When God gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, He did so amid shocking displays of His great divine power so that the people of Israel were afraid of the Lord.  They even asked that Moses speak with God and then he relay His Word to them, for they were afraid to hear God speak directly to them, Exodus 20:18-19.

B.    Scripture often presents the great value of respecting the Lord, and Ezekiel 30:1-19 ESV is one such passage.  We view it for our insight and edification (as follows):

II.            God's Fearful Judgment On Egypt For Her Sin, Ezekiel 30:1-19 ESV.

A.    The Ezekiel 30:1-19 NIV prophecy against Egypt is composed of four sections, each starting with the phrase, "This is what the Lord [or Sovereign Lord] says," v. 2, 6, 10, and 13. (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1287)

B.    We view those sections that describe Egypt's frightening punishment from the Lord, Ezekiel 30:1-19:

1.      Ezekiel 30:1-5 emphasized the comprehensive nature of God's coming destruction of Egypt:

                         a.        God's prophet was to call for wailing due to the calamity that would come upon Egypt, a time of gloom and doom for not only Egypt herself, but for the nations with whom she had dealings, Ezekiel 30:1-3.

                         b.        The Lord would bring an invading army to kill Egyptians and cause Ethiopia to be in anguish as Egypt's wealth would be carried away as booty by the invaders and her city foundations torn down, Ezek. 30:4.

                         c.        Besides Egypt, her allies of Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia on the west coast of Asia Minor and all the foreigners residing in Egypt would fall by the sword along with the Egyptians, Ezekiel 30:5; Ibid.

2.      Ezekiel 30:6-9 emphasized the destruction of Egypt's mercenary allies within Egypt's borders, Ibid.:

                         a.        Those who supported Egypt would fall, those who caused her to be proud in her might with such allies, people living in her borders from Migdol to Aswan, the northern and southern extremities of the land, their cities being laid waste by the invaders, Ezekiel 30:6-7.

                         b.        Egypt's allies living within her borders would thus know that God was the Lord when He had set fire to Egypt and when all her allies would be broken as to their supportive power of Egypt, Ezekiel 30:8.

                         c.        News of Egypt's destruction would spread rapidly, causing panic among her allies as ships would take messengers up the Nile River south to Ethiopia to announce Egypt's fall, Ezekiel 30:9; Ibid., p. 1288.

3.      Ezekiel 30:10-12 emphasized the great destruction of Egypt by Babylon's king Nebuchadnezzar:

                         a.        God said that He would use Babylon's king Nebuchadnezzar to put an end to Egypt's wealth, he with his soldiers being the most ruthless of the nations, coming to fill the land with the slain, Ezekiel 30:10-11.

                         b.        The Lord promised to dry up the streams of the Nile River, giving the land to foreigners from Babylon who would destroy the land and everything in it, Ezekiel 30:12; Ibid.

4.      Ezekiel 30:13-19 emphasizes the many places in Egypt that would be destroyed in God's judgment, Ibid.:

                         a.        God would destroy the idols of Memphis, a city known for its many idols, that there would no longer be a prince in the land, causing fear to abound there, Ezekiel 30:13, 16d; Ibid.

                         b.        Pathros, a synonym for upper Egypt, would be made a desolation, Ezekiel 30:14a; Ibid.

                         c.        Zoan, a royal residence in the Delta region would be set on fire, Ezekiel 30:14b; Ibid.

                         d.        Thebes in southern Egypt, Egypt's long time capitol, would face God's judgment, v. 14c, 15b, 16c; Ibid.

                         e.        Pelusium, about a mile from the Mediterranean Sea in the Delta, a major military center that guarded the northern entrance to Egypt, would face God's wrath via the Babylonians, Ezekiel 30:15a, 16b; Ibid.

                          f.         The young men of Heliopolis, a major religious center during much of Egypt's ancient history and located just south of the Delta and of Bubastis, another important religious center in lower (northern) Egypt, would fall by the sword, the women of these cities going into captivity, Ezekiel 30:17; Ibid.

                         g.        At Tahpanhes near the present Suez Canal where Pharaoh's palace resided would experience the gloom of destruction and defeat by the Babylonians, her daughters going into captivity, Ezekiel 30:18; Ibid.

                         h.        In summary, God said He would execute judgment on Egypt, and they would know He was God, v. 19.

                                              

Lesson: God pronounced dreadful, comprehensive and thus fearful judgment on all of Egypt for its sin.

 

Application: May we realize that when God punishes sin, He does so with breathtaking severity in every way so that we learn to revere Him and thus depart from evil. (Exodus 20:20)