The high price of not worshiping God

 Read Ezekiel 30.

Pharaoh claimed in chapter 29 that, as a god, he made the Nile River and owned it.  The LORD responded with a prophecy of Egypt's judgment.  Here, are some details of that prophecy in the form of a funeral song, or lament.  God's destruction will be all inclusive.  Notice the fourteen times God says, "I will."  This is the LORD’s personal response to Pharaoh for robbing Him of His glory.

1. The People (vv.1-8)
Egyptians will be killed by the sword of the Babylonians.  The surrounding nations that supported Egypt will experience the same fate. 

2. The Wealth (vv.9-11)
In the previous chapter we are told that the Babylonians fought hard and long to destroy Tyre.  Yet, none of Tyre's wealth was found to pay the soldiers.  So, God promised the wealth of Egypt as Nebuchadnezzar's reward for meting out His justice (29:20).  This is referred to again in 30:10.  

3. The Land (v.12)
The real Owner of the Nile will dry it up for a time.  By reducing the main water supply to that region, the agriculture and food supply would dry up with it.

4. The Idols (v. 13)
All the multiplicity of false worship will be destroyed.  No man-made god is any match for the God of heaven.

5. The Cities (vv.14-19)
No stronghold will be able to stop the Babylonians.  Walls will be broken down and the buildings burned.

6. The Pharaoh's Power (vv.20-26)
His "arms" of strength to rule will be broken.  This is a reference to his personal authority and Egypt's armies.  Pharaoh Hophra and the nation will be unable to defend themselves.

The purpose behind God's judgment remains the same.  When a person rejects the authority and worship of the LORD, He will intervene in such a way that will be unmistakable.  "Then they will know that I am the LORD."  

 

Pharaoh thought he was in charge and did not need the LORD.  In the end, he lost everything. How much better is it to respond to His grace voluntarily!   "O, come!  Let us adore Him."

 

Giving credit where credit is Due

 Read Ezekiel 29.

Egypt had historically been the southern powerhouse of nations.  During times of trouble, Judah looked to their Egyptian neighbor for an alliance of help.  God pronounced a series of prophecies concerning Egypt that requires four chapters to deliver. 

1. The River Monster. (vv.1-5)
This Pharaoh would have been Hophra (589-570 B.C.)  Pharaohs were considered to be gods and the ultimate sin of Hophra was to claim that he made and owned the Nile River.  This was a direct affront to the real Creator and Owner of all things.  Comparing the Egyptian king to a large, ferocious monster in the river, God predicted his demise would be like hooking him and dragging him off in the desert to die.
   
2. The Reed. (vv.6-9a)
Judah allied with Egypt hoping to break free from the Babylonian oppression.  But when Judah leaned on them for support, they proved to be untrustworthy.  Therefore, God would judge them.

3. The Repercussions. (vv.9b-16)
God's punishment included reducing Egypt's power to nothing and scattering the people for a period of forty years.  After that time, the LORD promised to restore Egypt's fortunes.  However, never again would Egypt rule over other nations as it once did.

4. The Reward for Babylon. (vv.17-21)
The Babylonians were used by God as His instruments to judge the nations for their sin.  When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Tyre, he expected to capture its great wealth.  But after all the hard work of the soldiers, they found nothing.  Evidently, in a protective move Tyre had shipped its wealth elsewhere.  The war had been costly without a pay-off.  God promised to give the wealth of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar as his reward. 

Taking credit for what God has done robs Him of His glory.  We must be careful to give the LORD the glory due Him.  Doing so will keep our pride in check, strengthen our awareness of His blessings, and cause us to speak of His goodness more often.

 

God deals with pride and a Promise

 

Read Ezekiel 28.

As the Lord continued to deliver prophecies concerning Tyre, He zeroed in on two individuals and has a word for two other nations.

1. To the prince of Tyre. (vv.1-10)
The ruler of Tyre at the time was Ethbaal III.  He reigned for a little less than twenty years.  Evidently, he possessed a very wise business acumen that made him and Tyre extremely wealthy.  Like the Egyptians and other pagan nations, their rulers were not only seen as having divine rights but divine themselves.  Ethbaal thought he was a god.  Sarcastically, the LORD asked, "Are you wiser than Daniel?  Do you know everything?"

Such pride will always bring a devastating response from the LORD, sooner or later.  To prove Ethbaal's mortality, God promised to bring foreigners (the Babylonians) to ruthlessly kill him and reduce Tyre to nothing.

2. To the king of Tyre. (vv.11-19)
This is referring to someone entirely different.  First, note the change in titles.  Ezekiel rarely used the term "king."  Second, the one described here was full of wisdom, beauty, and was present in the Garden of Eden (vv.12-13).  So, a mere man, as Ethbaal was (v.2) does not fit.  Further, this "king" had been created sinless and lived in the presence of God (v.15).  He was in fact twice mentioned as "a guardian cherub", a type of specially created overseer.  This can be none other than Satan himself, the evil power behind Ethbaal.

Like Ethbaal, this guardian cherub's downfall came due to his pride.  He thought he could replace the LORD.  He was cast out from his position and God's presence (v.16).  One day, God will ultimately and publicly deal with Satan in such a way that the nations will be "appalled" (v.19).

3. To Sidon. (vv.20-24)
The Sidonians are described as a thorn in the side of Israel.  But no more.  Through His judgment upon them, God will reveal His glory and His holiness.  The goal: "they will know that I am the LORD."

4. To Israel. (vv.25-26)
There remains a future hope for the Jews.  God promised that He would gather them and that they would live on their own land.  In that day, they will live in peace and abundance.

Tyre is gone.  Sidon is no more.  Satan's demise is written down for us in advance in the last chapters of the Bible.  And, true to the nature and character of God, He has a hope-filled future for His own.

 

A word to the Wealthy

 Read Ezekiel 27

If not checked by strong spiritual and moral principles, wealth and prosperity can result in personal ruin, both now and in eternity.

Tyre brokered the seaport trade for the Middle East.  Nations from Africa and Arabia brought their wares for sale and shipping throughout the Mediterranean.  Twenty-three nations are mentioned in this chapter.  Tyre's fleet was the best, traveling all the way to Spain to deliver goods.  Being such a commercial hub made the merchants of Tyre incredibly wealthy.

Then, when they received word that Jerusalem had been destroyed, they saw it as opportunity for themselves.  Greed and selfishness became their final undoing.  The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel in the previous chapter condemning Tyre.  Next, He had the prophet write this dirge for the once famous city.

The poem depicts Tyre as a beautifully crafted ship that everyone admired.  But, the ship sank and everyone mourned.  Even the protection of an elite military proved useless when God brought His judgment upon them.

1. Wealth is a gift from God.
Solomon, the wealthiest man in the world, wrote: "Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil--this is a gift from God." (Ecclesiastes 5:19)  The amount and definition of wealth is relative.  That is why the Apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthians not to worry about what they did not have but to focus the use of what God had given them. (2 Corinthians 8:12) 

2. Wealth brings accountability to God.
"You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth." (Deuteronomy 8:18).  Since our resources belong to God and are on loan to us only for a time in this life, we must one day give an account to the Owner for how we managed His property.  "So then each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12)

3. Wealth gives opportunity to impact the lives of others.

The instruction given to Pastor Timothy concerning wealthy church members was this: "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.  They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19)  This, then, is a normal part of church discipleship.  It is the cure for greed.  The greater the resources the greater the opportunity for reaching others with the good news of Jesus.

 

 

When God makes a Promise

 Read Ezekiel 26.

After prophesying judgment against the neighbors to the east and west, the next three chapters are devoted to Tyre in the coastal north.  Like Ammon and Moab in chapter 25, Tyre celebrated the downfall Jerusalem.  They saw this as their opportunity to enrich themselves.  "Aha, the gate of the people is broken; it has swung open for me.  I shall be replenished now that she is laid waste." (v.2)

But God's response was the same to Tyre as it was to the others.  He promised to reduce this wealthy fishing and seaport trade area to nothing more than a place to dry fishing nets.  It would no longer be the prosperous and power-brokering city of the Mediterranean. 

Tyre thought they were safe and that the Babylonians only wanted to put down the rebellion in Judah.  What they did not realize was that the same destructive fate awaited them.  To this day, the site of the city of Tyre lies in ruin, just as God predicted.

As Isaiah recorded the words of the LORD, "so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)  "Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.  Your faithfulness to all generations..." (Psalm 119:89-90a)

When God makes a promise, He keeps it.  Know the promises of God.  Depend upon the promises of God.  He will be faithful.

 

How to respond to a hurting Enemy

 Read Ezekiel 25.

Having delivered the prophecy concerning Jerusalem, God next turned His messages to the neighboring nations.  For nearly a thousand years, the four mentioned in this chapter had been enemies of Israel.  Every leader of Israel since the Exodus dealt with them militarily.  When Israel was strong, these four fell under its rule.  When Israel was weak, these same four rebelled and often sided with Israel's enemies. 

The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, including the Temple.  God addressed each of these four neighbors according to their individual response to Jerusalem's demise.  But these were more than neighboring people groups.  Three had a family relationship with Israel.  Ammon and Moab were the sons of Lot, Abraham's nephew (Genesis 19).  The Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother (Genesis 25).  They fell into two categories.

1. Those who rejoiced while others wept. (vv.1-11)
The LORD executed judgment against Ammon and Moab because they celebrated when they heard of the Temple's destruction.  "You have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul."  But Israel was God's people and the Temple was God's sanctuary.  Therefore, their celebration proved to be against God Himself.  He promised to have them overrun by an enemy and lose their national identities.

2. Those who took revenge while others suffered. (vv.12-17)
The Edomites lived to the south and east of Israel.  The Philistines occupied much of the west.  Instead of coming to the aid of Israel, or rejoicing over Israel's downfall, these two took an active role in helping the enemy.  They saw Israel's weakness as an opportunity for their own revenge.  For this God promised His own vengeance against them.

We must be careful how we respond those who are suffering, especially an enemy.  God has a word for believers concerning this very thing.  In the same chapter that urges us to "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep,” the Apostle Paul wrote: "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'  To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:19-21)

 

God's purpose in a time of great Loss

 Read Ezekiel 24.

Ezekiel, Daniel and many others had already been taken captive.  Living in and around the city of Babylon, the exiled Jews were dependent upon messengers for news from Jerusalem.  Here, before the fugitive messenger arrived (v.26), God gave the prophet a parable and a sign to let the people know in advance what was taking place.

The date was January 15, 588 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem.  This day is so important it is mentioned in this chapter and three other times (2 Kings 25:1, Jeremiah 39:1 and 52:4). 

The Parable of the Pot
To describe what was happening in Jerusalem, the LORD used a parable of cooking with a rusty pot.

Scene One. (vv.3-8)
Jerusalem was like a pot with rust and build-up inside.  Choice meat had been placed in it for cooking.  When the heat was applied and the water boiled, all the impurities rose to the surface.   Predictably, the meal was ruined. Nothing could be done, except to dump it out.  God placed His best in that city, but their rebellion against Him corrupted all that was good.  The time had come for cleansing.  The LORD used the Babylonians to empty the city.

Scene Two. (vv.9-14)
Starting over with an empty pot, the hot fire of God's judgment will cleanse Jerusalem of all that corrupted it.  His judgment was a certainty.

The Sign of Sorrow (vv.15-27)
To prepare the people for this great loss, the LORD used a tragedy in Ezekiel's own life.  God gave the prophet his sobering message for the people, but that evening his wife died.  The impact and explanation of the sign proved true on multiple levels.
-For Ezekiel, his wife had been the delight of his eyes and now she was gone. (v.15)
-For the Jews, Jerusalem had been "the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul..." (v.21).  But now she was gone.
-For God, Jerusalem was His "sanctuary", His holy place.  Now, for a time, it will be destroyed.

In order to gain attention, Ezekiel was instructed not to grieve as would be normal and expected.  When the people asked why, then he was to deliver the message.  The response that God desired was not for the people to mourn their loss but to realize that God is the Sovereign LORD and there is no other.  When the LORD is all you have, He is all you need.