Ezekiel

 

Ezekiel Chapter 31

 

  • Ezekiel 31:1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
  • 2 Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness? 
  • 3 Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of a high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs. 
  • 4 The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field. 
  • 5 Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth. 
  • 6 All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations. 
  • 7 Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters. 
  • 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty. 
  • 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.

The Assyrian was exalted above all and great, full of might and strength. It would seem as if mighty empires would last forever and that nothing could possibly defeat them. They would even get into that thinking themselves. 

All and I mean all empires, great and small that ever existed, fell at one time or another. Countries rise and fall. The more evil a nation is, determines the swiftness with which they fall. 

The king of Egypt was being warned here that as the king of Assyria became great but it was brought down, Egypt also would fall as they did. 

  • Ezekiel 31:10 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; 

Pride goes before a fall is one proverb that has proven itself to be true in every instance. 

In the book of Daniel we read of King Nebuchadnezzar thinking himself as great and that all Babylon's greatness was because of him (the king). For seven years he lost his kingdom and dwelled among the wild beats. It was restored to him before he died but it goes to show how pride goes before a fall. 

One of the Herod kings was sitting on his throne and the people chanted that he was God. Since Herod must have accepted their praise because he was struck down immediately. This account is found in Acts chapter 12.

The latter day antichrist will be lifted up in pride greater than any before him. He will exalt himself so high that no one can buy or sell without his mark. All people under his domain will have to worship his image. Yet this man also will be brought to nothing. 

We can name kingdoms that were once great and see what become of them. Egypt was an empire once but they are just a base country now with no power among world leaders. 

Empires that were mightly and strong were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Rome and other empires in the past. God only allows evil empires to have dominion so long and they must be broken. I notice that countries that have betrayed or persecuted Israel or the Jewish people end up being destroyed or becoming base kingdoms, not as they once were.

  • Ezekiel 31:11 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. 

Because the Assyrians were wicked, God raised up Babylon to defeat Assyria. This great Babylon also defeated Judah and then defeated Egypt later. 

We see here a picture of what it would take for a nation to survive a long time. Fear God and walk in His ways. 

America may have days that are numbered if they do not wake up and repent for their many sins the greatest of which is to have cast off God and substituted secular humanism. I'm not speaking of creating a theocracy for true conversions to Jesus Christ has to be by His spirit and not by the use of force. We need though to recognize God our creator and Jesus as our savior as a nation leaving the choice of whether to receive Jesus up to the individual.

  • Ezekiel 31:12 And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him. 

When a leader falls he usually falls alone. People are too busy trying to save themselves to worry about the leader. 

  • Ezekiel 31:13 Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches: 
  • 14 To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit. 
  • 15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. 
  • 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. 
  • 17 They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen. 
  • 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. 

Here it is. The end of evil kingdoms. We as countries or as individuals are not going to get by with evil. In the end righteousness will prevail. 

Here are a few verses that back that statement up:

  • Psalm 37:1 A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 
  • 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 
  • 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 

Another one in the Psalms

  • Psalm 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 
  • 10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. 

It may seem dark sometimes and that evil triumphs but those the believe in the Lord and wait upon Him with faith, will be those that will one day rule the earth.

  • Proverbs 24:19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; 
  • 20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. 

The evil will be cut off. Their candle will go out. The righteous will shine, not the wicked. Wicked are those that ignore, defy and refuse to obey the word of God or believe in Jesus that God sent to us to save us from sin. 

  • Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 
  • 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 
  • 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
  • 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 
  • 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 
  • 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. 

God has a better way for us if we would only walk in it. We rob ourselves of eternal life and blessings from God because we are stubborn. 

  • Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. 

God prefers to save, to heal and to bless. Judgment comes as a last resort to keep evil from continuing.

  • John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 

This is what God has for all who will receive His Son Jesus Christ.

-Dorna Chambers

Ezekiel Chapter 32

Ezekiel Index


 
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