Lament for Egypt and Her Allies For God Has Judged Them

Lament for Egypt and Her Allies For God Has Judged Them

When we read various Old Testament prophecies, we learn that God punishes wicked nations and blesses godly nations. Jeremiah 18:7-10 gives us this principle. But I think it is important that we read it again so that we are reminded of this principle. Yahweh said,

At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. Jeremiah 18:7-10 (NASB)

This principle applies to every nation on planet earth. When a nation becomes increasingly more evil, Yahweh will eventually destroy it. But if it repents and turns from evil, Yahweh will not destroy it. Then God adds if He plans to bless a godly nation but it turns evil, then He will destroy it. That is the divine principle. Scripture has some great examples of this principle. So, we have both the principle and examples. The book of Ezekiel has been giving us a number of examples.

Before we leave this principle, there are two important points that Scripture teaches us about God’s judgment of wicked nations. The first is that Yahweh gives the wicked nations time to repent before He punishes or destroys them. We have seen that principle throughout the book of Ezekiel. Beginning in chapter 2, the prophet Ezekiel was told that Israel was a rebellious people and so they would not listen to Him. Yahweh also used the prophets Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah for 80 years to call the nation of Israel to repent, but they refused.

Jonah 3:10-4:2 tells us that Yahweh did not destroy the ancient city of Nineveh when it repented. That made the prophet Jonah upset. So He complained that Yahweh was slow to anger. That is, Yahweh was not eager to punish Nineveh. It is important for us to remember that Scripture says Yahweh does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11). Rather He wants the wicked to repent. But we must remember that biblical repentance is not reciting a group of some clever words. Biblical repentance involves action and means to turn away from the sin.

True repentance comes from a heart which seriously desires and attempts to stop sinning — not some clever words seeking escape from punishment.

That is what God desires. Since God loves the wicked, He gives wicked nations and people time to repent. But eventually, His holiness demands that He must punish or destroy them if they do not repent.

The second important point that Scripture teaches us about God’s judgment on wicked nations is that if they do not repent after Yahweh warns them to repent, He will finally judge them and it cannot be stopped (Ezekiel 8:18; 9:10; 24:14). Since we have a God who loves us, He usually warns and delays punishment when we sin to give us time to repent. His warnings are an expression of His love. He did this for the people in Nineveh. This reveals another way of God (Psalm 103:7). We have a God who loves sinners.

103:8-10 says,

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psalm 103:8-10 (NASB)

Joel 2:13 says,

And rend your heart and not your garments.
Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.
Joel 2:13 (NASB)

We have a God who loves sinners, and those who believe in Him.

Introduction (v 1-2)

We have read about an interesting pattern that has been occurring in Ezekiel. We have been seeing a repeating pattern. In chapters 3-18 Yahweh called Judah to repent. Then in chapter 19, Yahweh told the prophet Ezekiel to lament Judah’s destruction. Finally, Judah was destroyed. The same pattern was repeated with the nation of Tyre (Ezekiel 26-28). Yahweh announced judgment, Ezekiel gave laments for Tyre, and then Tyre was destroyed. In our study about Egypt, the pattern is also repeated. In our last study, which was Ezekiel 29, Yahweh announced judgment on Egypt. Now in chapter 30, Yahweh will lament for Egypt or mourn for Egypt  over the wickedness and destruction of Egypt. So, this study is a lament over the destruction of Egypt.

Chapter 30 contains two prophecies. The first prophecy is in verses 1-19. It is about the destruction of Egypt and her allies. We will study the second prophecy next time. Here are verses 1 and 2 of the first prophecy.

The word of the LORD came again to me saying,
“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,
Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’”
Ezekiel 30:1-2 (NASB)

Wail! . . . This introduces the lament. Why did Yahweh call for wailing? Because of the coming destruction of Egypt. Even Yahweh considered the destruction a tragedy. The Hebrew for day is yom. It does not refer to a 24-hour day but to some period of time since it does have a number connected with it. So, it means the destruction will not occur tomorrow or next week. The exact meaning of “day” is explained in the next verse.

Day of the Lord Is Near (v 3-5)

This prophecy has four sections. The first section is verses 3 to 5.

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 30:3-4 (NASB)

Now we are told the day is near. It will be the “day of the LORD.” This expression “day of the LORD” is often used to refer to the future tribulation and the second coming of Christ. It can also include the millennial kingdom and the destruction of the present heaven and earth. That is, the “day of the LORD” refers to God’s future judgment (Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11; 3:14; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi 4;5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10). But here it simply refers to Yahweh’s judgment on Egypt.

Then the prophet describes what the “day of the LORD” will be like for Egypt. He said it will be like a day of clouds, and a time of doom or judgment. During this “day of the LORD,” a sword will come upon Egypt and Cush, which is often called Ethiopia or Africa. That is, Egyptians will die and its wealth will be removed. The summary is that the very foundation of Egypt will be destroyed.

Then verse 5 surprises us. It says,

“Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all Arabia, Libya and the people of the land that is in league will fall with them by the sword.” Ezekiel 30:5 (NASB)

These nations were allies with Egypt. Ethiopia, Put, Lud, and Libya (Isaiah 66:19; Jeremiah 46:9) were various nations in Africa. These nations along with Arabia provided mercenaries to Egypt’s army. So, the message is that Egypt’s allies will be destroyed also. Why? The answer is given in the next section.

Egypt’s Allies To Be Destroyed (v 6-9)

Verses 6-9 provide details about what would happen to these allies of Egypt.

Thus says the LORD,
“Indeed, those who support Egypt will fall
And the pride of her power will come down;
From Migdol to Syene
They will fall within her by the sword,”
Declares the Lord GOD.
“They will be desolate
In the midst of the desolated lands;
And her cities will be
In the midst of the devastated cities.
And they will know that I am the LORD,
When I set a fire in Egypt
And all her helpers are broken.On that day messengers will go forth from Me in ships to frighten secure Ethiopia; and anguish will be on them as on the day of Egypt; for behold, it comes!”
Ezekiel 30:6-9 (NASB)

Verse 6 helps us understand that since these nations supported Egypt, Yahweh would destroy the mercenary soldiers in the cities and the nations themselves. They would also be destroyed from Migdol to Syene, that is, from the north to the south, or from Lower Egypt to Upper Egypt. The destruction would be so bad that the Egyptian land and cities would be desolate. In addition, Yahweh would cause Egypt to burn to the ground. The terrible news would travel to Ethiopia and cause the people to mourn for their loved ones. So, Egypt and its allies would be destroyed.

This gives us our first biblical principle. Nations and individuals must be careful with whom they associate for God could destroy you if He destroys your ally. Why? First, 1 Corinthians 15:33 says bad company corrupts good morals. Second, it is wicked to support a wicked nation. So, the principle in Jeremiah 18 will be applied.

The same is true today. Observe that the western nations today share many of the same wicked practices and policies. One example is that they were pro-Christianity; now they are becoming anti-Christian. We must remember that Israel was warned to form an alliance with Yahweh and no one else.

Nebuchadnezzar Will Destroy Egypt (v 10-12)

The third section is verses 10-12. It describes the destruction of King Nebuchadnezzar’s army in Egypt.

“‘Thus says the Lord GOD,
“I will also make the hordes of Egypt cease
By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
He and his people with him,
The most ruthless of the nations,
Will be brought in to destroy the land;
And they will draw their swords against Egypt
And fill the land with the slain.
Moreover, I will make the Nile canals dry
And sell the land into the hands of evil men.
And I will make the land desolate
And all that is in it,
By the hand of strangers; I the LORD have spoken.”’”
Ezekiel 30:10-12 (NASB)

Immediately, Yahweh told the Egyptians and us that the “hordes” or the massive population would die, and He would use King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to accomplish this. This gives us a second biblical principle. It does not matter how big a nation might be, God can destroy it. Yahweh will use another wicked nation to destroy that nation. Verse 11 reveals that Yahweh planned to use the army of King Nebuchadnezzar which was the most ruthless of nations in that day.

We were previously told that the Egyptians would be slaughtered with a sword (v. 4). The land would be filled with the dead. It is repeated in verse 11. Now verse 12 tells us that Yahweh will cause the canals of the Nile to become dry. This gives us a third biblical principle. Yahweh may choose to use the weather to destroy a nation. A fourth biblical principle is that Yahweh may cause the land to be sold to evil people. Strangers will destroy the nation‘s military, kill the people, destroy the financial system, and even sell the land to an enemy nation. Those are examples of how God can destroy a nation.

Map of Egypt

Devastation of Egypt Described (v 13-19)

So, Yahweh will destroy Egypt’s allies who live in the land by using King Nebuchadnezzar. Now in the fourth section, He describes the result. It will be a total devastation of Egypt.

Thus says the Lord GOD,
“I will also destroy the idols
And make the images cease from Memphis.
And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt;
And I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
I will make Pathros desolate,
Set a fire in Zoan
And execute judgments on Thebes.
I will pour out My wrath on Sin,
The stronghold of Egypt;
I will also cut off the hordes of Thebes.
I will set a fire in Egypt;
Sin will writhe in anguish,
Thebes will be breached
And Memphis will have distresses daily.
The young men of On and of Pi-beseth
Will fall by the sword,
And the women will go into captivity.
In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark
When I break there the yoke bars of Egypt.
Then the pride of her power will cease in her;
A cloud will cover her,
And her daughters will go into captivity.
Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt,
And they will know that I am the LORD.”’”
Ezekiel 30:13-19 (NASB)

Memphis was a former capital of Egypt and a religious center with numerous temples. So, verse 13 tells us that Yahweh would destroy Egypt’s idols. We are also told that Egypt would no longer have a prince or a pharaoh. Yahweh would remove the leadership. This gives us the fifth principle that Yahweh removes evil leaders from nations, for leaders are ultimately responsible for their nations. Romans 13:1-5 tells us that God appoints leaders to be His minister to the nation. So, we can expect Him to remove them when they fail do their job.

Verses 14-18 list many important cities in Egypt that will be destroyed. The cities were major cities of Egypt. Most of them were religious centers. Zoan was a royal residence. Pi-beseth or Sin was a major military stronghold. Thebes was the old capital of Egypt. Imagine the major cities of the United States being destroyed: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Miami, and Tucson. Imagine what that would do to our grocery, department, and hardware stores — not to mention communication, electricity, water, gasoline, and the many public utility services in the country.

Notice that Yahweh would use the Babylonian army and fire to destroy them. Verse 17 said the young men of On and of Pi-beseth would be killed and the women would be taken captive. The daughters of Tehaphnehes would be taken captive. Imagine the horrors of the slaughter and the pain women would experience. Verse 19 closes with, “Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt, and they will know that I am the LORD.” So, we see this statement again.

That concludes the third prophecy in chapters 29-32 and the first prophecy in this chapter.

Conclusion

So, what have we learned? We have learned five biblical principles that God used to destroy Egypt. If God used these to destroy Egypt, He might use them again to punish another nation. In fact, we have learned in previous studies that God has used some of them on other nations. So, we have a long list of ways in which God might punish and destroy a nation. We will close by giving you four of these methods and leave the rest of the signs for our next study. This is the first part of this study in chapter 30.

One of the signs that God is punishing a nation is that He allows it to kill its children (Ezekiel 20:26). Another sign is that He allows sexual sins to increase (Ezekiel 22:6-12, 25-26). A third sign is that He uses the weather to destroy a nation (Ezekiel 30:12). So, is your nation being judged? In the next study we discover more ways in which God judges a nation.