08 September

Bible In 365 Days

Ezekiel 28-30

Ezekiel 28

The prophecy concerning Tyre ended with a message to its prince and a lamentation for its king. A distinction must be drawn between these two. Most evidently the prince was the then reigning king, Ithobal. Great difficulty has been felt with regard to the remarkable description of the king which follows. It is most likely that from his height of inspired vision the prophet saw behind the actually reigning prince the awful personality of Satan, whose instrument Ithobal was. All the language used in reference to the king perfectly falls in with this interpretation of the prophet's meaning. Ezekiel declared that the sin of the prince was pride of heart, expressing itself finally in that he thought of himself as a god, and boasted accordingly. That he was a remarkable person is revealed by Ezekiel's declaration that he was wiser than Daniel. By this wisdom he had achieved the successes already described, and on account of it his heart had become lifted up. His judgment was to be that by humiliation and destruction, even to the pit, he would learn that he was a "man, and not God."

The prophet then took up his lamentation over the king of Tyre, of whom he declared that he sealed up the sum, being full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. He described his original appointment by God in poetic language full of suggestiveness. He then declared that his sin began in the day when unrighteousness was found in him, and violence became his method. On account of this unrighteousness he was cast out of the mountain of God. Because of his pride he was cast down in the presence of kings. For the multitude of his iniquities a fire devoured him, and he was burnt to ashes.

In this passage we have the prophet's message to Satan, and a brief parenthesis in which he declared the ultimate restoration of Israel. Satan would be involved in the overthrow of Tyre, and in the midst of her Jehovah would be glorified. All this was in order that there should be no more "a pricking brier" to the house of Israel.

This final declaration led the prophet to utter the brief word concerning the ultimate restoration of Israel. He declared in the name of Jehovah that the scattered ones would be gathered and set apart in the midst of the nations, dwelling securely there, and that in order that the people should know that Jehovah was their God.

Ezekiel 29

Ezekiel then uttered the doom of one. Egypt had been the principal foe of the people of God, and against her were uttered seven prophecies, which are placed here in an order of purpose rather than in the order of delivery. Again the prophet constantly insisted that the purpose of judgment was to make Jehovah known.

The first prophecy was against Pharaoh and all Egypt. The sin of Pharaoh was inclusively and poetically described pride, which claimed the river as his own creation. This description included the thought of Pharaoh as a great fish living in the river, and at once the folly of his claim is manifest. Ezekiel then foretold Pharaoh's doom. This monster would be taken from his river, and cast on the land, where his flesh would become meat for the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the heaven. In this day of humiliation Egypt would know the folly of Israel when leaning on her for strength. Ezekiel then proceeded to describe the judgment as the coming of a sword on the land of Egypt, and the scattering of its people among the nations. After forty days he declared that Jehovah would gather them again, and in their own land make them a degraded people, no more to rule over the nations.

The second prophecy was brief, foretelling that the instrument of judgment would be Nebuchadnezzar, and that the capture of Egypt would be his wage for the defeat of Tyre.

Ezekiel 30

The third prophecy described the process by which Nebuchadnezzar would accomplish the purpose of Jehovah. It opens with an introductory word announcing the nearness of the day of the Lord, and foretelling the anguish which would fall on all the peoples in the hour of Egypt's overthrow. This anguish would be caused by the fact that all who had helped her would be made desolate, thus sharing in her judgment. As for Egypt itself, the stroke of Jehovah would fall on the land, whose rivers would be dried as it passed under the domination of evil men. The stroke would also fall on the idols, and finally on all the great cities of the land.

The fourth prophecy was directed against the power of Pharaoh. Judgment against him was described as the breaking of his arm, for which breaking there would be no healing, and therefore he would have no power to hold the sword. This would be accomplished by the king of Babylon, and Ezekiel contrasted his power with the weakness of Pharaoh by declaring that Jehovah would strengthen his arms, so that he might hold the sword and execute His judgment on the land of Egypt. Thus the Egyptians would be scattered among the nations, and dispersed through the countries. Again, each of these prophecies concludes with the clear declaration of purpose, "They shall know that I am Jehovah."