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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Ezekiel Chapter 29

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Ezekiel
Date Penned: BC 571
Overview: Messages Against Seven Nations (c 25-32)
Theme: The Reality of Punishment (c 12-32)
Message: A Prophecy Against Egypt (v 1-21) 
 
Ezekiel: Chapter 29 Commentary
 
 (29:1) There are seven prophecies in chapters 29 through 32, all dealing with judgment on Egypt. This is probably the first prophecy which was given by Ezekiel in 587 BC. The Kings of Judah, Hezekiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah Had all sought help from Egypt despite God's warnings. There are three key reasons for this prophecy: first, Egypt was an ancient enemy of the Jews, having once enslaved them for 400 years. Second, Egypt worshiped many gods. Third, Egypt’s wealth and power made it seem like a good Ally. Egypt offered to help Judah only because of the benefits it hoped to receive from such an alliance. When the Egyptians didn’t get what they hoped for, they bailed out of their agreement without regard to any promises they had made.

(29:2) Egypt had a great artistic treasure, a flourishing civilization, and world renowned military power. Unfortunately, it was also evil, egotistical, idolatrous, and it treated slaves cruelly. And for those sins, God condemned Egypt. At the battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, Babylon crushed Egypt along with Assyria, it’s rivals for the position of world power.

(29:9,10) The Nike was Egypt’s pride and joy, a life-giving river cutting through the middle of the desert. Rather than Thanking God however, Egypt declared, “the river is mine”. We do the same when we say, “this house is mine”. “I built it”, or “I have brought myself to this place where I am today”, or “I have built this church, business, or reputation, from the ground up”. These statements reveal our pride and we sometimes take for granted what God has given us, thinking we have made it for ourselves. Of course, we have put forth a lot of hard effort, but God supplied the resources, gave us the abilities, and provided us with the opportunities to make it happen. Instead of claiming our own greatness, as The Egyptians did, we should proclaim god's greatness and give him the credit.

(29:11-15) this 40 year period of desolation in Egypt is hard to pinpoint. Nebuchadnezzar attacked Egypt around 572 BC and carried many people off to Babylon, while others fled for safety to surrounding nations. Approximately 33 years later, Cyrus, king of the Persian empire, conquered Babylon and allowed the nations which Babylon had conquered to return to their homelands. Adding a possible seven-year regrouping and travel period, This could then make up the 40 year time period. Since that time, Egypt has never returned to its previous dominance as a world power.

(29:17,18) This prophecy was given in 571 BC, and is actually the latest prophecy in Ezekiel. Nebuchadnezzar had finally conquered Tyre after a long, costly 13 year siege. He had not counted out such an expense, so he went south and conquered Egypt to make up for all he had lost in taking Tyre. Ezekiel placed this prophecy here to describe who would bring this punishment to Egypt. God was using Nebuchadnezzar, an evil man, as an instrument of his judgment on Tyre, Judah, and Egypt (Evil nations themselves). When Babylon didn’t recognize god's help, he judged it too.

 


Dave Burnette's Life Application


Enemies of God

 

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue the Book of Ezekiel with Chapter 29. In our text today we see prophecy against Egypt as they face judgment due to their treatment against the people of God and their paganism. In making application we see that today many are treating the people of God unfairly with malice as they worship their false gods. How about you? Have you made "gods" out of the things in your life? Let us learn from our text today to see the example Egypt and how judgment will come to us when we make the things in our lives gods, lifting them up verses the Lord, causing the judgement of the Lord to visit them.

 

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Ezekiel 29

Ezekiel 29

 1In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

 2Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:

 3Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.

 4But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.

 5And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.

 6And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

 7When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.

 8Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.

 9And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the LORD: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it.

 10Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.

 11No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.

 12And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

 13Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:

 14And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.

 15It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.

 16And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

 17And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

 18Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:

 19Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.

 20I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD.

 21In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.