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Crocodile of the Nile River

This study in the book of Ezekiel is very unusual. I have never before encountered a passage of Scripture like this one. So, before we start digging into the passage, I want to first lay some background.

Genesis 1:26 tells us that God made man in His own image. Then Genesis 1:27 repeats the message that God made man in His own image when it says,

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 (NASB)

That is a terse summary of the creation of man. In Genesis 2 we are given an expanded version of how God created the first male and female. Now we are never told what Scripture means when it says God made man in His image. But we believe it means that we have intellect, will, and emotions just as God does. We were also given dominion over the planet earth. But it also is clear from chapter 3 that God allowed or gave man the freedom to choose to sin. Genesis 3:1-7 then gives us horrible news. We are told Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The reason that is horrible news is that Genesis 2:17 says God told Adam that in the day that he ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would die. When he disobeyed, he caused both himself and his wife, Eve, to die. We usually think that means they would eventually become old and die a physical death. But there was more that happened than just dying physically. They died in three ways.

First, they lost their spiritual relationship with God. Genesis 3:8-11 says that when God visited them in the garden after they had eaten, they were afraid of Him. That is why we are afraid of God today when we sin. In our conscience we know when we have done something wrong. Then we are told they hid themselves from God when He came walking in the garden of Eden. I believe His appearance was a theophany of Christ or a Christophany. Also, we are told they knew they were naked and they started blaming others for their disobedience. Rather than honestly admitting their own sin, they wanted God to think they were perfect—they had not sinned.

As a result, they lost the Garden of Eden and their face-to-face relationship and conversations that they once enjoyed with God. The last three verses of Genesis 3 state that God drove man out the Garden of Eden. Losing the relationship with God they once had is the first way Adam and Eve died. Nor can we have that type of relationship with God because Ephesians 2:1-2 says,

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 2:1-2 (NASB)

The only way we experience the relationship they once had with God is to believe in and trust Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. Then someday when we die, we will see Him face-to-face in heaven. In fact, Revelation 21:2-3 says that God will dwell with believers in the eternal heaven.

The second way Adam and Eve died was that they lost their eternal life and were destined to spend eternity in hell or the lake of fire. But God had a plan to rescue them and their descendants so He promised them that a male offspring would become the Savior of the world, the perfect Lamb of God who takes away our sins. He would save those who believe in the Messiah—the Christ. That promise was first given in Genesis 3:15 when God was speaking to the serpent. I believe that Adam and Eve understood and believed that would occur and we will see them in heaven one day.

The third way Adam and Even died is that they began to die physically. Genesis 5:3-5 says that Adam did not live forever. His body was designed to live forever, but he only lived nine hundred and thirty years and died. What a sad conclusion to such an incredible beginning of life. We can imagine all of the regrets, sorrow, and sleepless nights that couple experienced. We can imagine the remorse Eve felt for wanting to eat the forbidden fruit. No wonder so many men hate vegetables and fruit!

They died in three ways. 1) They lost their relationship with God, 2) were temporarily destined to eternal punishment, and 3) died physically. They experienced the pain and suffering of old age and death. They died three ways.

Now you probably wonder why I began this study with a theology lesson about how Adam and Eve died due to their sin of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The first reason is so that everyone will understand what it means that we are dead when we are born into this world. The second reason I began this way is that our study is about both physical and spiritual death.

Dead Population of Egypt In Sheol

Death of Pharaoh and the Egyptians (v 1-10)

Our study in Ezekiel 32:1-32 has three sections. The first section is verses 1-10. It is a lament or mourning about the death of Pharaoh king of Egypt. The first verse gives us the date that Yahweh gave the prophecy to the prophet Ezekiel. It says,

In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying . . . Ezekiel 32:1a (NASB)

Since the Jewish or Hebrew calendar was a lunar based calendar and the first month of the Hebrew year was Nisan, which corresponds to March and April in our calendar, the date is somewhere in March or April of the year 585 B.C. Once again, the date is relative to the first year of King Jehoiachin’s exile to the city of Babylon. This means the prophecy was given about five to sixth months after the Babylonian army had conquered the city of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

Verse 2 tells us that the prophecy is a lamentation or a mourning over the Pharaoh of Egypt. It is also another allegory. The book of Ezekiel has many allegories.

“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 32:1b-2 (NASB)

Yahweh told Pharaoh that he thinks he is like a young lion. A young lion would have had great strength compared to an older lion. Yet, Yahweh said instead he was like a monster in the seas. When he entered the rivers, he would burst forth or rush into the river, muddy the waters with its feet, and foul the rivers. The description most likely refers to a crocodile. Crocodiles rush into rivers by swiftly moving their feet and in the process muddy the waters, otherwise, the description is that of a sea monster.

Verses 3-8 now describe Pharaoh’s death.

Thus says the Lord GOD,
“Now I will spread My net over you
With a company of many peoples,
And they shall lift you up in My net.
“I will leave you on the land;
I will cast you on the open field.
And I will cause all the birds of the heavens to dwell on you,
And I will satisfy the beasts of the whole earth with you.
“I will lay your flesh on the mountains
And fill the valleys with your refuse.
“I will also make the land drink the discharge of your blood
As far as the mountains,
And the ravines will be full of you.
“And when I extinguish you.
“I will cover the heavens and darken their stars;
I will cover the sun with a cloud
And the moon will not give its light.
All the shining lights in the heavens
I will darken over you
And will set darkness on your land,”
Declares the Lord GOD
Ezekiel 32:3-8 (NASB)

When verse 3 refers to a net being spread over this animal, that is how crocodiles were hunted in Egypt at that point in history. Diodorus Siculus (80–20 B.C.) tells us that Egyptians captured crocodiles in the Nile River by using very heavy nets. He wrote,

In early times the Egyptians used to catch these [crocodiles] with hooks baited with the flesh of pigs, but since then they have hunted them sometimes with heavy nets, as they catch some kinds of fish . . .¹

That agrees with what we are told here. Yahweh said I will spread My net over you with the help of many people and then leave you on the land. Then verses 4-7a describe the animal’s death on the open field. The birds and animals will eventually eat the animal for a meal. The description is symbolic. It is an allegory, but the message is clear. Yahweh would have Pharaoh killed. The last part of verses 7 and 8 appears to refer to the deaths of Pharaoh and the people of Egypt. When we die, we no longer see anything (Job 10:21). The grave is darkness and gloom. The body is dead.

Verses 9-10 reveal that Yahweh planned to cause the surrounding nations to become appalled, or horrified, fearful, and tremble when the Babylonian army invaded Egypt and killed Pharaoh. Most likely the other nations responded this way because they did not know what King Nebuchadnezzar would do next.

Deaths of Pharaoh and the Egyptians (v 11-16)

Verses 11-16 are the second section of the chapter. It reveals the army that will kill Pharaoh and the massive population of Egypt. I will not read the verses. Instead, I will just summarize them. Verses 11-12 reveal the army that will do the killing is the Babylonian army led by King Nebuchadnezzar. His army is called “the mighty ones” and the “tyrants” in verses 11-12. The soldiers were the tyrants of the nations.

Verses 13-14 states they would humble Egypt and destroy Pharaoh, the population, all the animals, and leave the land desolate. The result would be that the waters would become calm or still because of the massive slaughter. Verse 15 adds that all that was living would be killed.

Verse 16 reminds us that this was a lamentation or a mourning the Egyptian population would chant. As they chanted this dirge, they relived these horrible events. So, Yahweh lamented the death of Pharaoh and the massive population of Egypt. We should notice that Yahweh does not strive to avoid civilian causalities in war. It was a part of judgment on the nation. Verse 16 says,

This is a lamentation and they shall chant it. The daughters of the nations shall chant it. Over Egypt and over all her hordes they shall chant it,” declares the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 32:16 (NASB)

Life After Death (v 17-32)

The third section of this chapter is actually a second prophecy in this chapter. It begins in verse 17 and ends in verse 21. It is another prophecy. It is about the hordes of the massive population of Egypt. I will read verses 17-21 and then summarize the rest of the chapter because it contains a lot of repetition.

In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and bring it down, her and the daughters of the powerful nations, to the nether world, with those who go down to the pit;
‘Whom do you surpass in beauty?
Go down and make your bed with the uncircumcised.’
They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword. She is given over to the sword; they have drawn her and all her hordes away. The strong among the mighty ones shall speak of him and his helpers from the midst of Sheol, ‘They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’” Ezekiel 32:17-21 (NASB)

Immediately we are told the prophecy was given about one month later in 585 B.C. following the previous one. This is the worst of all of the lamentations. This prophecy describes what life after death is like in hell. While it is focused on the massive population of Egypt and their Pharaoh, we will learn a few things.

I suspect that most of us have been to a funeral. We mourn the death of those who die and leave this life because they never return. In our study of Ezekiel, we have been reading about the physical deaths of Israel and seven nations for thirty-two chapters. Frankly, it has been difficult at times, but the benefit has been that we keep learning important biblical principles and discover some of the ways of God. That has helped, but the killing has been terrible. It should cause us to lament what happened.

But the description in verses 18-21 of what life is like after death for the unrighteous person who rejects God is vastly much worse. It is worse than reading about animals being killed, babies dying, and the rest of a population begin slaughtered or butchered by tyrants of a ruthless and fearsome army.

Verses 17-19 is powerful for it says that those who are already in Sheol will taunt Pharaoh, his hordes, and “the daughters of Egypt,” or her allies. The taunt is “Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and make your bed with the uncircumcised.” It is a question that implies Egypt and its allies were not more beautiful than any other nation. It was a greeting from hell. It was a welcome from the nether world and the pit. Verse 21 adds that the strong among the mighty ones already in hell would welcome them from the midst of Sheol. This reveals that there is hierarchy among those in hell, almost like a gang. If so, the gang controls hell and the prophecy said these mighty ones would taunt Pharaoh, the hordes of Egypt, and her allies. They will taunt with the words, “They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.” From an Egyptian perspective, that would be disgusting. So after the Egyptians, Pharaoh, and their allies die, their spirits will be sent to the nether world or Sheol and join the spirits of other wicked dead already in the pit or the grave—the uncircumcised dead and those slain by the sword of other nations.

Verses 22-30 tell us which nations will taunt them. They include peoples from Assyria (v. 22), Elam (v. 24), Meshech and Tubal (v. 26), Edom, and the chiefs of the north and the Sidonians. Those in Sheol will welcome Pharaoh and his people with taunts.

This prophecy reveals that after death we will be alive and conscious. Jesus taught us the same truth in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Both men were conscious after death. The wicked rich man was in hell and righteous Lazarus was in heaven. Both of them continued to think, speak, hear, and move. The dead in this prophecy are the wicked dead who went to hell. So, hell is not an enjoyable place. In hell the spirits of the wicked dead will harass and insult others and be harassed and insulted. They will be tormented in the flames of the eternal fire and burned by brimstone (Revelation 19:20; 20:10; 21:8). They will know what is occurring and will know one another. Eventually, hell becomes the lake of fire in Revelation 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15; 21:8.

In verses 17-32, we are told that Pharaoh, the hordes of Egypt, and the people from other nations died and went to the grave. In some verses we are also told that some of the dead went to Sheol, the pit, the nether world, the remotest parts of the pit (v.18, 23), or the lower parts of the earth (v. 24). I want to briefly explain each term. We understand the word grave (v. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) to be the place where the bodies of dead people are buried or their ashes are placed in an urn. The Hebrew word for pit normally refers to a hole in the ground (v. 18, 24, 25, 29, 30). Pits are dug and bodies are placed into what we call the grave, but it is just a dirt pit. So, there were dead from all of these nations in the grave.

In the Old Testament, Sheol (v. 21, 27) usually refers to the grave. Everyone’s body goes to the grave or Sheol. Then their spirits either go to heaven or to the pit. The pit is located somewhere in Sheol or the lower parts of the earth (v. 24). The remotest parts of the pit (v.18, 23) appears to be a distant location within the pit. Probably the more wicked dead are there. In verse 18, the netherworld appears to be Sheol.

Here in verses 21 and 27, it is clear that both the bodies of the righteous dead and the wicked dead go to Sheol, which is the grave. But the spirits of the righteous dead go to heaven. In contrast, the spirits of the wicked dead end up in the pit which is a compartment within Sheol. So, when verses 21 and 27 imply the spirits of the wicked dead are in Sheol, that is true because the pit is within Sheol. In the New Testament the pit is called hell or Gehenna. It is a place of torment by eternal fire, flames, brimstone, and darkness (Matthew 5:22; 25:30; Mark 9:43-44; Luke 16:23-24). People will be wailing from the torture of the fire and the verbal abuse of those in hell. The worst is that no one ever dies in hell.

Conclusion

The last two verses of the prophecy are verses 31-32. They say,

“These Pharaoh will see, and he will be comforted for all his hordes slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his army,” declares the Lord GOD. “Though I instilled a terror of him in the land of the living, yet he will be made to lie down among the uncircumcised along with those slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his hordes,” declares the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 32:31-32 (NASB)

Sadly, we are told that Pharaoh will be comforted when he knows that his hordes from Egypt are with him in Sheol and the pit. He will lie down with those whom he despised. The proud Pharaoh will be humbled.

This prophecy is incredible. It provides us insight into what the New Testament calls hell. Hell is the place where the spirits of the wicked dead go. The righteous in both the Old and New Testaments go to heaven or paradise. So, hell is a horrible place. There the wicked dead will suffer torment for eternity. It is their just reward for rejecting God, not repenting of their sins, and refusing to trust Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. I trust that you have asked Christ to forgive your sins and take you to heaven when you die and your body enters the grave.

How King Nebuchadnezzar Achieved Victory Over Pharaoh

The study of the book of Ezekiel has been a wonderful journey. We have gained insights into the character of God and also discovered His ways. Previously we have read Psalm 103:7, and I want to read it again because it reminds us that there is a difference between knowing what God has done and knowing His ways or how He operates. The verse says,

He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
Psalm 103:7 (NASB)

The last part of the verse tells us that God revealed His acts to the sons of Israel. The acts of God are what He did such as the ten plagues, parting of the Red Sea, drowning the Egyptian army, sending manna down from the sky, and causing water to pour out of a rock. But the ways of God refer to why Yahweh did what He did. It is to understand the principles by which He operated then and operates today.

As we have been studying the book of Ezekiel, we have been asking the question, why did Yahweh act in these ways? One principle that we have discovered is that Yahweh operates by a principle that has been given to us in Jeremiah 18:5-10 which describes how He responds to nations when they act wickedly or righteously. That describes one of His ways. He operates according to principles. His ways are not arbitrary nor indiscriminate. They are rooted in His character.

When we read a book, a chapter, or a verse in the Bible, we should ask why did the Holy Spirit share this information with us? That might reveal one of the ways of God. For example, why did the Holy Spirit have chapters 25-29 written in the book of Ezekiel? The answer is He wanted the Israelites and us to know He punished other nations also when they sinned, and not just Israel when they sinned. Yahweh is holy and He is also just. He is not a judge who plays favorites. He even punished a nation that He loved (Deuteronomy 7:6-8). Beginning in chapter 25, Yahweh told us that six nations would be punished for several reasons. The most common reasons were pride and mistreating the nation of Israel.

Beginning in Ezekiel 29, Yahweh prophesied that Egypt would be destroyed for the same two reasons: pride and mistreating Israel. The first reason was that Pharaoh claimed he made the Nile River! It is obvious that Pharaoh thought that he was a god. The second reason was that Pharaoh did not keep his commitment to the king of Israel. As a result, we learned two operational principles. Our God punishes the proud and those who despise Israel will be cursed. So, Egypt would be humbled and destroyed.

Then verses 17-21 in the last part of Ezekiel 29 explain why King Nebuchadnezzar was to be the one who would conquer and destroy Egypt. The answer was that the king would be given Egypt as a reward for serving Yahweh. That gave us the principle that Yahweh rewards His faithful servants.

In chapter 27 and the first part of Ezekiel 30, we discovered that Yahweh lamented the destruction of the nations of Tyre and Egypt. We discovered that Yahweh does not enjoy punishing wicked and rebellious individuals or nations. So, while He lovingly gives us time to repent, at some point He must punish unrepentant sin. Yahweh operates according to principle and those principles are based on His character.

In our study today, which is the last part of Ezekiel 30:20-26, we will discover how King Nebuchadnezzar was able to defeat Egypt even though that nation had a massive population. We are going to discover that when Yahweh must punish a nation, He will do three things. First, He will weaken the guilty nation. Second, the passage will reveal one way in which He does that. Third, we will be reminded that He selects another nation to destroy the guilty nation.

Date of the Prophecy

Now let us read the first verse of our study which is Ezekiel 30:20,

In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying . . . Ezekiel 30:20 (NASB)

As we have discovered already, the dates of the prophecies are counted from the first year of King Jehoiachin’s exile. Since he was exiled in the year 597, the date is 587 B.C. since the months are relative to the Hebrew calendar. The month and day would be Nisan 7, which corresponds to the month of March in that year. If we compare this prophecy to the first one given against Egypt in Ezekiel 29:1, we learn that this one was given only 2-3 months later.

So, Yahweh announced judgment upon Egypt in chapter 29. In chapter 30, Yahweh called for lamenting or mourning Egypt’s destruction. Now we will learn how Yahweh caused Egypt to be destroyed. This is the last step in Yahweh’s judgment upon a nation—its destruction.

Yahweh Broke One Arm of Egypt

In verse 21, Yahweh announced that He had already weakened the nation of Egypt in preparation for its destruction. He said,

“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.” Ezekiel 30:21 (NASB)

Obviously when Yahweh said, “I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt” He used a figurative statement. But His point was simple. He had weakened Pharaoh’s ability to defend himself and his nation. Not only had Yahweh broken his arm, but He would not allow it to heal. He did not want the arm to heal because He did not want Egypt to be able to hold a sword or defend itself. It is difficult to hold a heavy sword with a broken arm!

This verse tells us that Yahweh had already broken one of Pharaoh’s arms and stripped him of some power. But Ezekiel does not tell us when this happened or how in this prophecy. Therefore, we have to search Scripture to discover what happened to Egypt.

Our first hint about the meaning of the broken arm is given in Ezekiel 29:6-8. When Israel leaned on Egypt for defense against the Babylonian army, Egypt abandoned Israel. Now if we search for more information, we find Jeremiah 37:6-10 says that the puppet king, Zedekiah, had asked Jeremiah to appeal to Yahweh for help. Here is the passage.

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Thus you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army which has come out for your assistance is going to return to its own land of Egypt. The Chaldeans will also return and fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire.”’ Thus says the LORD, ‘Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go. For even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’” Jeremiah 37:6-10 (NASB)

So, King Zedekiah learned that Pharaoh Hophra would abandon Judah in order to save his army. So, while we are not told that this event is symbolized by a broken arm, it seems to be the best explanation. Pharaoh Hophra’s army returned to Egypt wounded.

Yahweh Will Break Both Arms of Egypt

22-23 now reveal that Yahweh would break Pharaoh’s other arm.

“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.’”’” Ezekiel 30:22-23 (NASB)

The result would be the nation would be destroyed and the people scattered.

Yahweh Will Cause King Nebuchadnezzar To Win

How would this happen? Verses 24-25 tell us that the king of Babylon will break Pharaoh’s other arm. Notice how personal the descriptions are in these verses. It is the Pharaoh of Egypt against the king of Babylon.

“‘For I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; and I will break the arms of Pharaoh, so that he will groan before him with the groanings of a wounded man. 25 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. Ezekiel 30:24-25 (NASB)

This occurred in 571/570 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt.

They Will Know That I Am The LORD

Now notice that Yahweh said He was in total control of the events.

“‘When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands, then they will know that I am the LORD.’” Ezekiel 30:26 (NASB)

So, Yahweh wounded Egypt’s military and strengthened Babylon’s military in preparation for the destruction of Egypt and the scattering of its massive population. Because Egypt sinned, Yahweh planned and executed its destruction. He wounded one nation and strengthened another nation that would destroy the wounded nation. This reveals how God pulls up and pulls down nations. He weakens the guilty nation and empowers another nation that will destroy the guilty one.

Then they would know that Yahweh is the LORD. He is the only God. He gave the prophecies and they were fulfilled. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 tells us that is the sign that a prophecy is from God. It comes true! Now when the prophecy comes true, you will know that Yahweh exists and He is superior to the gods of Egypt. This gives us another principle. God has given us prophecies in order to help us identify the true God. At the same time, when a prophecy comes true, we know it came from Him. So, He also wants to help us know how to identify when He has spoken. He has done that for our benefit. That is another way of God. We have a very loving and caring God.

Conclusion

Before we close, I want to summarize the signs that reveal a nation is approaching divine judgment. There are at least nine signs for which we should watch. These were the signs that we have seen in the book of Ezekiel and in the book of Romans. They can be found throughout the Bible. They are:

Signs A Nation May Be Approaching Judgment

1.    A nation has a shortage of supplies they need for living (Ezekiel 16:27-29).
2.   The leaders of the nation are wicked (Ezekiel 20:16).
3.   The leaders of the nation are proud (Ezekiel 20:15-16; 26:3).
4.   The majority of the nation has abandoned God.
5.   Worship of false gods increases (Ezekiel 16:27-29; 20:39).
6.   Sin and violence increases (Romans 1:28-32).
7.   The nation is increasingly antisemitic (Ezekiel 25:6-8).
8.   The nation denies that Israel has a special relationship with God (Ezekiel 25:8).
9.   The nation rejoices that Israel is attacked by another nation and wants it destroyed (Ezekiel 25:3, 12-13).
10.   The nation does not keep its promises to Israel (Ezekiel 30:6-8). Egypt was destroyed because it did not keep its promises to Israel.

The book of Ezekiel has also given us ten signs that God is judging a nation. The signs develop over time and eventually God destroys the nation. Here are the signs:

Ten Ways God Can Judge A Nation

1.   God allows the nation to kill its children (Ezekiel 20:26).
2.   God allows sexual sins to increase (Ezekiel 22:6-12, 25-26).
3.   God allows homosexuality to increase (Romans 1:24, 26, 28).
4.   God uses the weather to destroy a nation (Ezekiel 30:12).
5.   God allows the population to decline (Ezekiel 20:26).
6.   God refuses to listen to the prayers of the leaders (Ezekiel 20:3, 31).
7.   God removes the wealth of the nation (Ezekiel 30:4).
8.   The foundations of the nation are removed (Ezekiel 30:4).
9.   God weakens a nation in preparation for another nation to destroy it (Ezekiel 30:20-26).
10.  God destroys a nation’s allies, thus leaving the nation helpless when disaster strikes (Ezekiel 30:6-9).

It is fitting for us to close this study with these lists because chapter 30 tells us how God destroys a nation. He weakens it from within and strengthens its enemies.

So, what can we do? How should we respond? First, we should pray for our nation and for ourselves just as Daniel did in Daniel 9:4-19. He started his prayer by confessing his own sins and then the sins of the nation. Then He made his prayer request of God. We should ask God to remove the evil and save evildoers from their sins. However, we should remember that when the prophet Habakkuk asked God to remove the evil in Israel, God’s answer was to destroy the nation.

Second, we should ask God to send out laborers to share Christ for Jesus told us in Matthew 9:37-38 to pray that way.

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38 (NASB)

Then, third, we ourselves should be willing to strive to make disciples in every nation just as Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 28:19-20.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB)

This is the way change comes to a nation. The Holy Spirit can change the hearts and the nation.

Prophecy of Egypt’s Destruction and the Lesson for Israel

Archaeology and historical records reveal that Egypt was once a very powerful and magnificent nation. According to archaeological records, the first dynasty of Egypt ruled from about 2920 B.C. to 2770. The first pharaoh of this dynasty was Menes. The archaeological discoveries in Egypt are fabulous. Currently, eighty different pyramids such as the great temple of Ramesses II, the sarcophagus of the Pharaoh Seti from the 19th Dynasty, and the Pyramid of Khufu known as the Great Pyramid have been discovered. Egypt made great advances in science, medicine, warfare, mathematics, astronomy, and the development of tools.

Even though Egypt was a magnificent empire, it was a wicked empire. They were polytheistic and greatly involved in the occult. Their main god was Osiris, the god of the underworld. The most important goddess was Isis, the wife of Osiris. Re was the sun god. Horus was the war god. These are just a few of the many gods and goddesses of Egypt.

An Egyptian priest known as Manetho in about 300 B.C. wrote a history of Egypt in the Greek language. The only remains of his work are quotes by Eusebius of Cesarea, Flavius Josephus, Julius Africanus, and George Syncellus. The reason I mention Manetho is that his writings reveal the Egyptians were antisemitic despite the fact that Joseph, son of Jacob, rescued the nation of Egypt from famine.

Because of Joseph’s rule in Egypt, the Jews were once well respected there, but Scripture teaches that for about 400 years, the Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians. We have already discovered from Ezekiel 20:5-8, Joshua 24:14, and Amos 5:25-27 that the Israelites worshiped the Egyptian deities while they were in Egypt. So, even though Israel worshiped their gods and goddesses and were their slaves, the Egyptians hated them.

After the Israelites escaped from Egypt by crossing the Red Sea, historical records indicate that the two nations were normally enemies. Charles Feinberg in his commentary on Ezekiel states,

After the time of Joseph in the patriarchal period, Egypt was a constant enemy of Israel except for a short time in Solomon’s reign. Egypt periodically urged Israel to rebel against Assyria and Babylon. In Ezekiel’s time, as in Isaiah’s day, there was a conflict for power in Asia between the empires on the Nile and the Euphrates ( cf. II Kings 18:21; Isa. 20:5; Jer. 37:5-10), and Judah became embroiled in the contest.[1]

Judah was in the middle between the empires of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. Egypt wanted Judah to join together to defend themselves against these super-powers.

Introduction to Ezekiel 29

Our study is in Ezekiel 29. Chapters 2-24 are prophecies about Yahweh’s judgment upon Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel. Chapters 25-32 are prophecies about Yahweh’s judgment upon seven surrounding Gentile nations. Six of those nations are Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, and Sidon in Ezekiel 25-28. Now we are going to learn about Yahweh’s judgment on Egypt in seven prophecies in chapters 29-32.

Ezekiel 29 is the first prophecy against the nation of Egypt in chapters 29-32. We have already discovered that just as Yahweh prophesied punishment upon Judah because it rebelled and sinned against Him, God judged these seven sinning nations. Egypt is the last of the seven nations.
Here are verses 1-2,

In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. Ezekiel 29:1-2 (NASB)

Once again the prophet dates the prophecy. All of the dates given have been relative to the first year of King Jehoiachin’s exile. Since the king was taken into exile in the city of Babylon in 597 B.C., that means the year of this prophecy is 587 B.C. If we compare this date to that given in Ezekiel 24:1 and 2 Kings 25:1, we learn this prophecy was given one year and two days after King Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem. It is also seven months before the city and temple are burned and leveled to the ground (2 Kings 25:3-8).

Verse 2 says the prophecy was against the Pharaoh, king of Egypt. So, as King Nebuchadnezzar’s army was attacking Jerusalem this prophecy was announced against Egypt. If you are asking why this prophecy was given, we will discover the answer later.

Before we read verse 3, we need to know that the pharaoh mentioned in this verse is Pharaoh Hophra. He reigned as pharaoh from 588 BC to 570 BC. That means he became pharaoh about one year before Nebuchadnezzar’s army attacked Jerusalem. We should also remember that Zedekiah, the king of Jerusalem, wanted to have an alliance with this pharaoh. Why? Because Zedekiah had rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar and was afraid he would be killed. This is the king who was forced to see his sons killed by King Nebuchadnezzar, had his eyes plucked out, and was taken captive to Babylon. Apparently, Zedekiah in desperation for an alliance asked Pharaoh Hophra for one and hoped this new king could be trusted. But he made a great mistake. We discovered this in our study of “Parable of Two Great Eagles and The Vine” in Ezekiel 17:11-17. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah had warned him to not trust Pharaoh Hophra (Isaiah 30:1-2; Jeremiah 37:7).

It is helpful to know that Pharaoh Hophra was the son of Pharaoh Necho and was known as Pharaoh Apries to the historian Herodotus and many historians today.

Prophecy Given Against Egypt

Ezekiel 29 contains two of the seven prophecies against Egypt. We will study only the first prophecy. It has three sections. The first section is verses 3-7. I titled this section, “Prophecy Given Against Egypt.” Here is verse 3,

“Speak and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,
“Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
The great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers,
That has said, ‘My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it.’”
Ezekiel 29:3 (NASB)

We are told immediately that the prophecy is against the Pharaoh of Egypt, Pharaoh Hophra. The prophecy is given in allegory. The pharaoh is symbolized by a great monster in the Nile River. The important river in Egypt is the Nile River. But notice that at the end of verse 3, we are told he was a very proud man. He believed he had made the Nile River himself. Herodotus states that this pharaoh believed no god could remove him because he was “so entrenched in his realm.[2] This further proves the pharaoh was very proud. But he was wrong!

So, in verses 4-5 Yahweh added,

I will put hooks in your jaws
And make the fish of your rivers cling to your scales.
And I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,
And all the fish of your rivers will cling to your scales.
I will abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers;
You will fall on the open field; you will not be brought together or gathered.
I have given you for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the sky.
Ezekiel 29:4-5 (NASB)

Yahweh’s message was that He could and would remove him when He said, “I will put hooks in your jaws.” Hooks were a common method used in capturing crocodiles. So, Yahweh would remove proud Pharaoh Hophra.

Yahweh would also remove the “fish of your rivers.” The fish symbolized here were the people of Egypt. In verse 5, we are told they would die in the open field. Fish cannot live when they are out of water. Even worse, the beasts and birds would eat them. This is another allegorical or symbolic statement. But it is not difficult to understand. Since the pharaoh was the king of Egypt and the people were loyal to him, they would be punished along with him too!

So, Yahweh was going to remove Pharaoh Hophra as the leader of Egypt because he was a proud man. He and the people were going to be punished for their pride. This is the first reason Egypt would be punished.
Verses 6-7 now reveal another reason Egypt would be punished.

“Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the LORD,
Because they have been only a staff made of reed to the house of Israel.
“When they took hold of you with the hand,
You broke and tore all their hands;
And when they leaned on you,
You broke and made all their loins quake.”
Ezekiel 29:6-7 (NASB)

The second reason pharaoh would be punished is that the Egyptians were nothing but a staff made of reeds to Israel. Notice that Yahweh is using language they would have understood. The reeds probably grew in the Nile River. But the point is that a staff made of reeds would be very weak and useless. It would not support a feeble person who was leaning on the staff. Yahweh’s point is that Egypt did not support Israel. Egypt was not trustworthy. Israel should have trusted Yahweh.

In verse 7 Yahweh said, “When they took hold of you with the hand, you abandoned them. You broke their hands when they leaned on you.” That is, when the king of Israel leaned on this flimsy and sharp staff it hurt his hands. Pharaoh Hophra did not support Israel in their battle against King Nebuchadnezzar’s army after promising to help them. Ezekiel 17:15-17 describes what happened when King Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem.

“‘But he [King Zedekiah] rebelled against him [Nebuchadnezzar] by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape? As I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘Surely in the country of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall die. Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in the war, when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives.’” Ezekiel 17:15-17 (NASB)

So, we have our three principles in this study. The first principle is that God punishes proud leaders of nations, and nations that do not honor Him but claim the credit for the things that God has helped them accomplish. Psalm 127:1 tells us that God is the one accomplishes our tasks.

Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.
Psalm 127:1 (NASB)

The second principle is that God will punish those who promise to support Israel and then withdraw their support. They have violated Genesis 12:3. They offer to bless Israel and then actually curse Israel. Remember the Hebrew word for “curse” means “to dishonor” or “to despise.” A. C. Gaebelin makes an important comment in his 1921 commentary on the book of Ezekiel. It is a comment that is a warning to Israel. He said,

Egypt gave no help to Israel and only wounded them grievously, as a staff which breaks under weight of him who leaneth upon it breaks and pierces the hand. Whenever God’s people turn to Egypt (the type of the world) for help, and form ungodly alliances, they do so to their own hurt and shame.[3]

This is a warning to Israel to not trust Egypt. It is a warning to every nation to keep their promises to Israel. 2 Corinthians 6:14 gives all believers a general warning to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

The third principle is that once again in verse 6, God did this so that “all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the LORD.” God gives prophecies so that we will know He is the only God. We are going to see this principle three times in this study, and four times in the chapter (v. 6, 9, 16, 21). In fact, it occurs 63 times in the book of Ezekiel. He wants to help us know that He is the only God. Isaiah 43:10b says,

And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
Isaiah 43:10b (NASB)

Prophecy Interpreted

The next section is verses 8-16 and it is titled, “Prophecy Interpreted.” This section now explains the meaning of the prophecy in more detail.

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will bring upon you a sword and I will cut off from you man and beast. The land of Egypt will become a desolation and waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” Ezekiel 29:8-9a (NASB)

Yahweh told the Egyptians that the allegorical prophecy in verses 3-7 meant they would be made a desolate wasteland or completely destroyed. When that occurred they would know that He is the LORD. That is the second time this promise is given.

Map of Egypt

Verses 9b-12 now gives us another principle.

“Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I have made it,’ therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene and even to the border of Ethiopia. A man’s foot will not pass through it, and the foot of a beast will not pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years. So I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated lands. And her cities, in the midst of cities that are laid waste, will be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.” Ezekiel 29:9b-12 (NASB)

The city of Migdol is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was in the northern part of Egypt, in the Delta region. The city of Syene was in the southern part of Egypt at the first cataract on the Nile River. So, when Yahweh said Egypt would be an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, this helps us understand that Yahweh’s message was that all of Egypt would be waste and desolate. When Yahweh punishes a nation, He renders just punishment!

This reminds us of a fourth principle that we have already discovered seven times in Ezekiel. That is, one form of punishment that God uses against a nation is to scatter its citizens. He did that at the tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9. Yahweh will use it against the Egyptians. They were to be scattered for forty years.

A fifth principle that we have discovered earlier is that Yahweh uses more wicked nations to punish less wicked nations. So, Yahweh will use the Babylonian empire to punish Egypt. We will discover more about this in verses 17-21.

Verses 13-16 now tells us what would happen to the Egyptians after they were scattered for forty years.

For thus says the Lord GOD, “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. I will turn the fortunes of Egypt and make them return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom. It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations. And it will never again be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing to mind the iniquity of their having turned to Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.”’” Ezekiel 29:13-16 (NASB)

Next Yahweh announced that He would gather back to Egypt those Egyptians He had scattered. He did no just permit or allow them to return. No, He intentionally gathered them back Himself. But the ancient empire of Egypt would not be restore to its former glory. Instead, He would humble the nation.

They would return to the land of Pathros. This area of land was apparently located in the southern part of Egypt near Syene. Therefore, Yahweh promised that He would gather the Egyptians back to the southern part of Egypt, and from there the nation would expand. But the nation would never return to its former greatness. He would not allow it. Thus they would know that He is the Lord GOD.

Before we leave this passage it is important to state that,

No archeological finding has yet confirmed an Egyptian deportation similar to the one experienced by Israel. However, it is unwise to dismiss a clear statement of Scripture on the basis of incomplete archeological data. Nebuchadnezzar did attack Egypt (29:17-21; cf. Jer. 43:8-13; 46:1-25). Assuming that he conquered the country, one would expect him to deport people to Babylon as he did others he conquered. Presumably, then, the Egyptian captives would have been al­lowed to return home in the reign of Cyrus of Persia, who defeated Babylon in 539 B.C. (ca. 33 years after Nebuchadnezzar’s attack). Allowing seven additional years for the people to return and rebuild, a 40-year period of desolation was entirely possible.[4]

Daniel 11:40-45 tells us that in the future at the Battle of Armageddon, Egypt will attempt to defeat Israel again, but Israel will not be defeated. That will be Egypt’s last attempt to regain greatness.

Conclusion

We have discovered five biblical principles in this study. But the primary message of this prophecy is that Israel trusted in man and not in God. As a result, Israel suffered punishment, and Egypt suffered punishment for abandoning her. This reminds me of Psalm 118:8 which says,

It is better to take refuge in the LORD
Than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
Than to trust in princes.
Psalm 118:8 (NASB)

Micah 7:5–7 says,

Do not trust in a neighbor;
Do not have confidence in a friend.
From her who lies in your bosom
Guard your lips.
For son treats father contemptuously,
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
Micah 7:5–7 (NASB)

He said do not place your trust in a neighbor. Do not trust in a friend. Do not place your trust in the one who leans against your chest. He says do not trust in family members. Then he says I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. That is, he says to trust in the Lord.

We often do the same thing that Israel did. We often trust those who are successful in the eyes of the world. We trust in pastors, We trust in church leaders. We trust many businesses, and at times even our governments. We trust family members and even our spouses. Sometimes they prove they cannot be trusted. But only God has demonstrated that He is always and totally faithful!

The song “Trust and Obey” tells us that there is no better way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and follow Him. The song “Christ The Sure and Steady Anchor” reminds us that Jesus is our anchor. He is always a safe and secure friend.
Finally, the recurring message in Ezekiel and in this chapter is that God wants to help us understand that He and He alone is God and there is no other. That is, we should choose to always place our trust in Him and in no one else!

References:

1. Charles Fienberg. The Prophecy of Ezekiel. Moody Press. 1969. P. 167.
2. Fienberg. Ibid., p. 168.
3. A. C. Gaebelin. Publication Office “Our Hope”. 1921. p. 305.
4. Charles H. Dyer. Ezekiel. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. ChariotVictor Publishing. 1985. p. 1286.