Egypt and Pharaoh

Ezekiel 28:20-30:26
 

In a Bible study that I was a part of this past week we were looking at Psalm 46, an excellent passage to take courage from in times of turmoil. It begins with that comforting and familiar verse, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Verse 6, we noted, seems particularly appropriate to these days: “Nations are in an uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.” You have probably been following the news concerning the fall of the Afghan government and the subsequent worldwide uproar regarding America’s response. I had a personal interest in the evacuation effort as I tracked friends trying to leave. One young couple with their toddler had to spend a night outside at the Kabul airport, and after finally getting on a military flight to Qatar had further delays and hardship getting back to the US. They made it safely to Minnesota, but they grieve for all that they have had to leave behind, especially local brothers and sisters who now expect to face incredible persecution and perhaps martyrdom.
 
Amidst all the pain and confusion and outrage, we can take comfort in verse 10 of the same psalm: “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” This is the ultimate message of Ezekiel, too, isn’t it? God will bring judgment on all the nations, including his own people, but his intent is more than just to exert his power or satisfy his justice. God will be glorified; he will be known. Key phrases, repeated more than 70 times in this book, are “They will know that I am the Lord,” and “You will know that I am the Lord.” God’s goal is to be known and acknowledged and worshiped. We need to keep that in mind when we read about his judgment and when we hear of all the terrible things happening in our world. Let’s pray as we begin.

We are getting toward the end of the middle section of Ezekiel, with its messages of judgment: on Israel in chapters 12-24 and on the nations in chapters 25-32. Two of these nations highlighted in particular are Tyre and Egypt, power centers of the region which had both done well politically and economically. Their rulers had claimed divinity for themselves, in defiance of the one true God. Israel had turned to them for help at various times and had been led astray by their idols. Their rulers were strong and arrogant now, but God would use Babylon to bring them down. Last Sunday’s message covered Tyre, God’s judgment on this wealthy city, reflecting his eventual and complete victory over “the king behind the king,” namely Satan himself. Today we will begin the series of messages concerning Egypt and Pharaoh. They continue in fact until the end of chapter 32. Even just this half contains 53 verses to look at, so we will need to move quickly.
 
Before we get to Egypt, however, there is a short section here at the end of chapter 28 that contains a brief prophecy against the Phoenician city of Sidon and then three verses of hope for Israel.
 
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Sidon; prophesy against her and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I am against you, Sidon,
    and among you I will display my glory.
You will know that I am the Lord,
    when I inflict punishment on you
    and within you am proved to be holy.
I will send a plague upon you
    and make blood flow in your streets.
The slain will fall within you,
    with the sword against you on every side.
Then you will know that I am the Lord. – Ezekiel 28:20-23

You will know that I am the Lord. There’s that statement again, twice in this short passage. This is God’s purpose in every interaction with people. God says he is against Sidon, a sister city to Tyre. The two competed for power and significance within Phoenicia, part of what is now the country of Lebanon, with Sidon eventually winning out in modern times as John mentioned in his message last Sunday. In its heyday, Sidon was an important center for glass manufacturing and the production of a special purple dye, so precious and rare that it became a mark of royalty throughout the region. Here God says he will be displaying his glory to Sidon by inflicting punishment on them for their pride and idolatry. They would be taken down in the same way as Tyre, and they would know that God is holy and supreme.
 
Then, in contrast, we have the brief message of comfort to Israel that I mentioned. If we looked at the chiastic structure surrounding this, we would see that it is preceded by 97 verses of judgment on six nations and followed by (again) 97 verses of judgment on Egypt. What is this bright spot at the center of the doom and gloom?
 
“‘No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’” – Ezekiel 28:24-26
 
God will be proved holy – both in his judgment of sin, as we have just read again regarding Sidon, and in his redemption and restoration of Israel. He will gather his people and establish them again in safety in their own land. Then they – as well as all their neighbors – will know that the Lord is sovereign, that the great “I am” is who he says he is. These words therefore act as the “hinge” for this whole section of 22 chapters of judgment: “I will be proved holy through them in the sight of the nations.” This is God’s intention for us as his people, too: that because of us everyone would know him as he really is. What an amazing calling for all of us, individually and collectively! Because of us, everyone on earth will be able to come to know the true God.
 
Now we get into God’s words against Egypt and against Pharaoh in particular. This is Ezekiel chapter 29.
 
In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
 
“‘I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
    you great monster lying among your streams.
You say, “The Nile belongs to me;
    I made it for myself.”
But I will put hooks in your jaws
    and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.
I will pull you out from among your streams,
    with all the fish sticking to your scales.
I will leave you in the desert,
    you and all the fish of your streams.
You will fall on the open field
    and not be gathered or picked up.
I will give you as food
    to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky.
Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord. – Ezekiel 29:1-6
 
If you were carefully tracking the dates mentioned, you would notice that our narrative is not in chronological order. This prophecy came to Ezekiel in the tenth year of his exile, while the prophecy against Tyre in previous chapters came one or two years later. It doesn’t matter to our understanding of the message – the author is just trying to structure it in a particular way. Another aspect of the structure to notice is the phrase, “the word of the Lord came to me.” This is used like a marker to divide the prophecy against Egypt into seven distinct sections, with seven being the number of completeness in the Bible.
 
In these first few verses, God begins to confront the pride of Pharaoh as the ruler of Egypt. Pharaoh is compared to a crocodile basking in the Nile river, thinking that he owns it. But Pharaoh’s claim goes beyond ownership. Could he have indeed made the Nile? This represents as well all the wealth and prosperity that flows from the vital river. He is setting himself up in the place of God the Creator. God will show his infinitely greater power by hauling him out and laying him and the land waste. Then the Egyptians will know that God is supreme.
 
“‘You have been a staff of reed for the people of Israel. When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.
“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast. Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
“‘Because you said, “The Nile is mine; I made it,” therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush.  The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years. I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. – Ezekiel 29:7-12
 
Egypt was famous for its papyrus, the reeds that grew along the rivers. Papyrus was more useful for making paper than walking sticks! Israel had been leaning on Egypt, trusting in this alliance for protection against invaders. God is saying that Egypt is a useless ally, causing more harm than good. Israel was foolish to rely on this relationship, rather than on God her provider and savior. God will bring destruction on the entire land of Egypt and scatter her people.
 
“‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered.  I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt, the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom. It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’” – Ezekiel 29:13-16
 
So we see that the Egyptians will not be permanently destroyed, as with most of the other nations that God was pronouncing judgment over. Their 40 years of captivity represents a complete period of testing, like Noah’s 40 days in the ark or Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. At the right time, they would be restored as a nation. They will never regain their former splendor, but they will remain as a reminder to Israel that they should never have replaced the Lord as a source of hope and confidence.
 
In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army. I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.
“On that day I will make a horn grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” – Ezekiel 29:17-21
 
“The word of the Lord came to me,” marking the beginning of a new oracle. Judging from the date given here, this is the final prophecy of Ezekiel, later even than his visions toward the end of the book. The army of Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Tyre, for somewhere between 13 to 15 years as it turned out. It was a brutal, exhausting effort. The city did eventually surrender, but for some reason it was not plundered by the Babylonian army. This was not to be the destruction predicted in Ezekiel’s earlier prophecy. That would come later, in a different way – by Alexander the Great, actually. Nebuchadnezzar would instead turn his attention to Egypt and be more successful in his conquest there. There his army would be rewarded, as it served the purposes of the Sovereign Lord. The horn growing for the Israelites, mentioned here in verse 21, means that their strength and status would be restored. The Lord opening Ezekiel’s mouth also seems to be a figure of speech indicating that he would be respected as a mouthpiece for God, as his prophecies came to be fulfilled. Now we continue on into chapter 30 and the third oracle against Egypt:
 
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Wail and say,
    “Alas for that day!”
For the day is near,
    the day of the Lord is near—
a day of clouds,
    a time of doom for the nations.
A sword will come against Egypt,
    and anguish will come upon Cush.
When the slain fall in Egypt,
    her wealth will be carried away
    and her foundations torn down.
Cush and Libya, Lydia and all Arabia, Kub and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt. – Ezekiel 30:1-5
 
Egypt is faced by “the day of the Lord.” This is an expression used in both the Old and New Testament to represent a specific time when God dramatically intervenes in human history. It is often said to be “near,” though many times it can be understood to mark the last judgment at the end of the age. Christ’s second coming, for example, will occur on the final day of the Lord. As with many prophetic elements in the Bible the coming of the day of the Lord may have a near-term fulfillment and one still to come. In this case, Egypt is facing God’s judgment on the day of the Lord, along with all the nations surrounding her in Africa and the Middle East: Cush to the south, Libya to the west, and Lydia to the north (in Asia Minor), and Arabia to the east. No one is quite sure where Kub refers to, but the sense in this verse is that all the surrounding people groups will be caught up in Egypt’s destruction.
 
“‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘The allies of Egypt will fall
    and her proud strength will fail.
From Migdol to Aswan
    they will fall by the sword within her,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
“‘They will be desolate
    among desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
    among ruined cities.
Then they will know that I am the Lord,
    when I set fire to Egypt
    and all her helpers are crushed.
“‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come. – Ezekiel 30:6-9
 
Cush thought she was safe because of Egypt’s power. All the allies of Egypt would be shaken by her defeat. Then they will know that I am the Lord, says God Almighty.
 
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt
    by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
He and his army—the most ruthless of nations—
    will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
    and fill the land with the slain.
I will dry up the waters of the Nile
    and sell the land to an evil nation;
by the hand of foreigners
   I will lay waste the land and everything in it.
I the Lord have spoken. – Ezekiel 30:10-12
 
Drying up the waters of the Nile represents the end of all of Egypt’s resources and wealth. You may have seen on the news recently that Ethiopia (where the Kingdom of Cush used to be) is beginning to impound Nile water behind a large hydroelectric dam. Egypt is irate, even today seeing this as an existential threat. The entire country is still almost completely dependent on the Nile for its water supply. Drying up the Nile represents the destruction of the Egyptian civilization.
 
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I will destroy the idols
    and put an end to the images in Memphis.
No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,
    and I will spread fear throughout the land.
I will lay waste Upper Egypt,
    set fire to Zoan
    and inflict punishment on Thebes.
I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
    the stronghold of Egypt,
    and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.
I will set fire to Egypt;
    Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
    Memphis will be in constant distress.
The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis
    will fall by the sword,
    and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes
    when I break the yoke of Egypt;
    there her proud strength will come to an end.
She will be covered with clouds,
    and her villages will go into captivity.
So I will inflict punishment on Egypt,
    and they will know that I am the Lord.’” – Ezekiel 30:13-19
 
These cities of Egypt do not seem to be listed in any particular order. God’s judgment for her pride and idolatry will cover the entire country.
 
In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand. I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” – Ezekiel 30:20-26
 
In this fourth oracle, Ezekiel speaks of the arms of Pharaoh, referring to his political power and the strength of the Egyptian army. The first broken arm refers to the defeat of Pharaoh Hophra when he marched out of Egypt to confront Nebuchadnezzar at the request of King Zedekiah of Judah who was determined to revolt against Babylon. Hophra withdrew when he realized how disastrous it would be to take on the full force of the Babylonian army. Here God is saying that his eventual destruction by Babylon would be like breaking both his arms. In ancient inscriptions Pharaoh Hophra reportedly described himself as “Possessor of a Strong Arm,” but he would not have the power to resist God’s judgment of Egypt.
 
Fred will take up the other three oracles concerning Egypt next time in chapters 31 and 32. This is a very extensive and detailed pronouncement of judgment perhaps because Egypt was such an important player in the history of Israel. The relationship between the two nations had ebbed and flowed from the time of Abraham. He had found refuge there during a famine, and his descendants lived in Egypt for over 400 years, becoming more and more oppressed, until they were rescued by Moses. Later, King Solomon took Pharaoh’s daughter to be one of his 700 wives to strengthen his alliance with Egypt. She was one of the foreign wives responsible for leading him – and therefore the people of Israel – into idolatry. God clearly used the people of Egypt to accomplish his purposes, but he also holds them accountable for their sin. We see once again at the end of this chapter that his purpose in punishing them was that they would know that he was the Lord, more powerful than Pharaoh or any of their multitude of gods.
 
I would like to wrap this up with just a few more thoughts about that statement, “Then they will know that I am the Lord.” A reasonable question might be, How? Bad things happen to people all the time without bringing them to a knowledge of God. Would Pharaoh and the Egyptians necessarily interpret their destruction as God’s righteous judgment? How does God get through to people? You may have wondered this in praying for a loved one to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Suffering may or may not make them more open to the gospel.
 
I don’t claim to have this all figured out. The Holy Spirit reveals God in ways we may not understand. However, it is clear from Scripture that God has always intended that his people acknowledge him before others, helping to reveal who he is and what he wants to do. We who know the Lord need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in this. I am reminded of this passage from Romans 11:
 
As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” – Romans 11:11-15
 
This seems to make it quite straightforward. Someone (like us) is sent to preach so that people can hear and believe and call on the name of the Lord and be saved. But Romans 11 continues,
 
But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.” – Romans 11:16-18
 
This is actually a quote from Psalm 19 which begins, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” This is therefore speaking of a revelation of God through creation, that doesn’t even involve human words. It echoes what Paul says earlier, in Romans 1:
 
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. – Romans 1:18-20
 
Therefore, I am happy to bow to the sovereignty of God on this. He has his own ways of revealing himself to people. At the same time, I accept that he has made us responsible as well for doing what we can to make him known. This is his purpose for each of us, to display his glory to a world so desperately in need of him. We have this promise from Isaiah 40: “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.”