Reflections on Ezekiel 30

Ezekiel 30 (Contemporary English Version)
1. The LORD said:
   
2. Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Egypt that I am saying: Cry out in despair,
   
3. because you will soon be punished! That will be a time of darkness and doom for all nations.
   
4. Your own nation of Egypt will be attacked, and Ethiopia will suffer. You will be killed in battle, and your land will be robbed and left in ruins.
   
5. Soldiers hired from Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, Arabia, Kub, as well as from Israel, will die in that battle.
   
6. All of your allies will be killed, and your proud strength will crumble. People will die from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south. I, the LORD, have spoken.
   
7. Your nation of Egypt will be the most deserted place on earth, and its cities will lie in complete ruin.
   
8. I will set fire to your land, and anyone who defended your nation will die. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
   
9. On the same day I destroy Egypt, I will send messengers to the Ethiopians to announce their coming destruction. They think they are safe, but they will be terrified.
   
10. Your Egyptian army is very strong, but I will send King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia to completely defeat that army.
    
11. He and his cruel troops will invade and destroy your land and leave your dead bodies piled everywhere.
    
12. I will dry up the Nile River, then sell the land to evil buyers. I will send foreigners to turn your entire nation into a barren desert. I, the LORD, have spoken.
    
13. All the idols and images you Egyptians worship in the city of Memphis will be smashed. No one will be left to rule your nation, and terror will fill the land.
    
14. The city of Pathros will be left in ruins, and Zoan will be burned to the ground. Thebes, your capital city, will also be destroyed!
    
15. The fortress city of Pelusium will feel my fierce anger, and all the troops stationed at Thebes will be slaughtered.
    
16. I will set fire to your nation of Egypt! The city of Pelusium will be in anguish. Thebes will fall, and the people of Memphis will live in constant fear.
    
17. The young soldiers in the cities of Heliopolis and Bubastis will die in battle, and the rest of the people will be taken prisoner.
    
18. You were so proud of your nation's power, but when I crush that power and kill that pride, darkness will fall over the city of Tahpanhes. A dark, gloomy cloud will cover the land as you are being led away into captivity.
    
19. When I'm through punishing Egypt, you will know that I am the LORD.
    
20. Eleven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the LORD spoke to me on the seventh day of the first month. He said:
    
21. Ezekiel, son of man, I, the LORD, have defeated the king of Egypt! I broke his arm, and no one has wrapped it or put it in a sling, so that it could heal and get strong enough to hold a sword.
    
22. So tell him that I am now his worst enemy. I will break both his arms--the good one and the broken one! His sword will drop from his hand forever,
    
23. and I will scatter the Egyptians all over the world.
    
24. I will strengthen the power of Babylonia's king and give him my sword to use against Egypt. I will also make the wounded king of Egypt powerless, and he will moan in pain and die in front of the Babylonian king. Then everyone on earth will know that I am the LORD.
    
25. (SEE 30:24)
    
26. I will force the Egyptians to live as prisoners in foreign nations, and they will know that I, the LORD, have punished them.
    
    

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    If people do not acknowledge God through His creation and blessings, they will come to acknowledge Him through His judgment. Repeatedly through these judgment prophecies it is stated, "They will know that I am the LORD when . . ." Regarding Egypt, it is stated that "They will know that I am the LORD when I set fire to Egypt and all its allies are shattered. (30:8 ) How much better it is to acknowledge God by following Him and worshipping Him. When obedience to God's purposes are joined with our knowledge of Him, life is much better.
    
    This proclamation of judgment against Egypt in chapter 30 includes her neighboring allies who made up many of the mercenary soldiers in Egypt's army. As mentioned in the previous chapter, Babylon was the instrument of God's judgment against Egypt, as it was for Judah. Beginning with verse 20, the latter part of the chapter uses figurative language to describe what will happen to Egypt. First, Babylon will break "the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt." (30:21) Egypt's "arm" was broken when she made a feeble attempt to defend Judah when Babylon retaliated following King Zedekiah's rebellion. The damage done to Egypt in "breaking her arm" was not repaired, and thus Egypt was left weakened for future defensive action. Later, God would enable Nebuchadnezzar to rebreak the broken arm and also break the other arm, leaving her defenseless to ward off Babylon's onslaught. Then Egypt would be dispersed "among the nations."
    
    Again, it is stated that Egypt will know that "I am the Lord," because of the Lord's judgment. "When I disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them among the countries, they will know that I am the LORD." (30:26)