May 14, Ezekiel 30
“I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. Then they shall 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." - Ezekiel 30:25
Imagine a fight between two men. One of them is brandishing a sword and the other had two broken arms. You would not expect that fight to last very long, would you? When God chose to use Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to bring down Pharaoh of Egypt, he described the conflict between them in exactly those terms. He said he would break both the arms of the King of Egypt, but he would strengthen the arms of Nebuchadnezzar and put the Lord's own sword in his hand.
Egypt's time was up. God was coming in a day of judgment against the proud, idolatrous, materialistic and powerful Egyptians. Their idols, their Nile River, their riches, their cities, their allies all combined could not save them from the wrath of God when he brought Nebuchadnezzar to defeat and destroy the nation of Egypt.
The Day of the Lord is a Bible-wide image of God acting in judgment against his enemies and wicked nations. All these judgments within time (events in the history of this world) point to an ultimate Day of the Lord when the Judgment of all who have ever lived from all nations and all peoples will take place.
It's hard to imagine a clearer illustration of God's sovereign control over all things than the description in Chapter 30. He strengthened Babylon, and broke and weakened once mighty Egypt. God sometimes employs human soldiers and leaders to accomplish his righteous purposes. The human agents are instruments in his hand, servants to do his bidding. God was about to use the Chaldeans to punish Egypt. Egypt and her allies would know (but too late for most of them) that the God of Israel was truly the LORD. By comparison, the idols before whom they worshiped and in whom they trusted were powerless to save them from the wrath of God. Their statues may have been cast in precious metals, but the idols were worthless protectors.
Like the laments about Tyre and her king in previous chapters did, this lament in Chapter 30 mourns the awful ruin and desolation that would fall on Egypt after Nebuchadnezzar arrived. Their wealth, their allies, their military power, their religions were all worthless as defenders and protectors of the nation of Egypt. None of them could withstand or survive the onslaught of the wrath of God, delivered by the fire and swords of the Chaldeans.
These oracles against Egypt begin with "Thus says the LORD" and end with "they shall know that I am the LORD." God revealed through his faithful prophet what he was going to do, and there would be no doubt that he had done it after the awful destruction and death was done. It was the word of God, and it was sure. Sovereign God used one nation to discipline and punish another. And the survivors would know it was the hand of God who had determined the battle and its outcome.
God's people need to remember to hold God's word in the highest regard. And we need to remember that he is in control. I pray that neither you nor I will have to learn from bitter experience that God does what he says and is in complete control.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—May 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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