The Landover Baptist Church Forum - Day 252. Ezekiel 31-33

Ezekiel 31-33

Ezekiel 31

2Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

Ok, We are going to hear about the greatness of the place that is Egypt, and how they are going to be brought low.

3 Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.

Well, nevermind, we are going to hear about how Assyria was great, and that'll be the warning to Egypt.

4 The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.

Assyria WAS great... not so much anymore.

9 I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.

Not that anyone knows what the Eden trees look like.

11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.

But Assyria took the credit for itself, and then you get the bad word "therefore". Therefore is never a good word.

16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

The tree that was Assyria was deforested like the trees in the Amazon.

18 To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.

Remember, similes use "like" or "as"; this is a metaphor, since it uses IS.

Ezekiel 32

2 Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.

More about Egypt.

Do you find it odd, that Ezekiel, who is in exile in Babylon, is writing all these lamentations about foreign countries? Do you find it odd, that he just so happens to lament these nations moments before they are attacked and overrun by Babylon and the army of Nebuchadnezzar?

Did Ezekiel have an in at the court of Nebuchadnezzar? Soon, we may find that out with Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; but now, we are just to believe that Ezekiel happens to have visions that Babylon is going to go out and attack people, because of their sins against God.

3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in my net.

There's that "therefore".

9 I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.

Egypt is studied by Americans, there's no way they could have known us.

10 Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall.

For the longest time, people thought Egypt could never lose, then they thought that about Babylon, then about Persia, then about Alexander... but that'll never happen to the U.S.

11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee.

It almost sounds as though Ezekiel is making a prophecy FOR Nebuchadnezzar. As though Ezekiel is telling him good things. Granted they came true, because Ezekiel is a prophet. But it seems like Ezekiel is just blowing Nebuchadnezzar. Why would he? What is different?

Remember, the northern kingdom was taken away into captivity in Babylon. Babylon was famous for taking the best of nations, and wiping out the rest. They destroyed cultures by a simple method of procreating it out of existence. For example, they would take a nation of black people, carry them back to Babylon, then mix the races and come up with a brown baby. Then that child would mingle more, and they would have a child even lighter skinned. After a few generations, a great grandparent would look nothing like a great grandchild.

Somehow, Ezekiel and so many of the Hebrews taken into captivity (from Jerusalem and Judah, managed to not be mingled out of history. Why?

Either God managed to preserve his people, or Nebuchadnezzar saw something in them that he liked. Perhaps it was their ability to prophecy the things that he wanted to hear, and then have it come true.

Next is a list of other nations that have been destroyed.

31 Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.

Why will pharoah be comforted by seeing destroyed nations? Because he wasn't the first, he won't be the last, and he'll have company for all time in hell with them.

Ezekiel 33

God tells Ezekiel that he is the guy who blows the trumpet to warn of incoming danger. If Ezekiel blows the trumpet, and the people don't respond, it's not the fault of the trumpeter.

9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

So long as you tell people that there's danger, if people don't heed your warning, it's not your fault.

11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

God isn't happy about sending people to hell. He does it, but he's not happy about it. I feel sorry for God. Being an omnipotent, all powerful, all knowing being, it must really suck to have to do a job that you don't like. I know people who are unhappy with where they work, they don't like their co-workers, they don't feel appreciated in what they do. I can't imagine not having job satisfaction for all eternity. Especially if I was the person who created the company, the job, the co-workers, and the eternity.

21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten.

Remember, Jerusalem was a slutty whore, who liked the guys with the big dicks (Ezekiel 23:20). Now she got her ass slapped, almost like the bitch who LT had non-consensual underage sex with.

29 Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

Yes, nothing show's that a god has ultimate power, than when he destroys his people. Although, if that were the case, then all those other countries that no longer exist would have even better gods.

33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

It already happened.

So what have we learned today?

1. Egypt will be destroyed like Assyria.

2. Egypt will be thrown into hell, like so many other countries before it.

3. God has no job satisfaction; he probably has road rage too.

YIC
V