This week,
we shall continue the study of the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
After the judgment is pronounced on the city of Tyre because of its pride, the oracle now turns to the king of the city which is made up of two parts:
28:1-10—Part I—The Indictment and Judgment
(1) The pride of the king (v. 2)
a. What are the implications of regarding oneself as a god?
b. What appeared to have made him so proud? (v. 2b)
c. In what way does he think he is comparable to a god? (v. 2c)
(2) The rebuke by God (vv. 3-5)
a. By what does the king of Tyre measure his wisdom? (vv. 4-5)
b. Daniel is obviously very famous in Babylon and beyond: In what way is the king of Tyre not comparable to Daniel? (v. 3; Dan. 5:10-12)
(3) The Judgment (vv. 6-10)
a. Who will God use to judge him? (v. 7; see 26:7)
b. What will happen to the things in which he takes pride? (v. 7)
c. What is the implication of him having to die “at the heart of the sea”? (vv. 8, 2)
d. Would he then insist that he is a god? Why or why not? (v. 9)
e. What is meant by “to die the death of the uncircumcised”? (v. 10)
28:11-19—Part II — The Person (or Spirit) behind the King of Tyre (see Note below)
(4) Who was made and put in the Garden of Eden? (Gen. 2)
(5) In what way is the king of Tyre compared to him? (v. 12)
(6) Ancient kings in the ANE were known to adorn themselves with precious stones, however in Israel it was the high priest whose chest piece was adorned with precisely the nine kinds of stones mentioned here (except that the high priest had an additional set of three precious stones not mentioned here). (Compare v. 13 with Exod. 28:17-20; 39:10-13.)
a. What does this say about Adam when he was created?
b. What does this say about the king of Tyre?
(7) Likened to a guardian cherub (vv. 14-16)
a. If Adam is the one spoken of, what do we know about him before the fall?
b. If Satan is the one spoken of, what do we know about him before his fall?
(8) The fall of the king of Tyre is now addressed and it is clear that his “widespread trade” only fits him, not Adam nor Satan (vv. 16-19)
a. Why does “widespread trade” seem to lead to violence? (v. 16)
b. What marks the disgrace of his fall? (v. 16b)
c. What led to his fall? (v. 17)
d. What impact do all his sins have on the “sanctuary”? (“The Chaldee, Syriac and Vulgate versions” have “sanctuary” in singular, referring to the mountain of God; see K&D, 237.) Why?
e. What is the most fitting judgment of such a sin of desecration? (v. 18)
f. In your opinion, is the king of Tyre likened to Adam or Satan? Why?
g. Does it really matter whom he is being likened to? Why?
(9) Why does the Lord set such a judgment of the king of Tyre as a lament? (v.11)
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
While who exactly this oracle is referring to has lent itself to many different interpretations through the history of biblical interpretation, conservative scholars in general see a comparison with the first man, Adam in the Garden of Eden and “vv. 15-16 draws a comparison between his fall and the fall of Adam” (K&D, 234). However, some see that “the description in verses 12-17 fits only Satan, though in this case Satan was indwelling a man: the king of Tyre” (Alexander, 89). I’ll leave to the readers to discern based on words used by Ezekiel in this oracle.
“You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.” (Ezek. 28:15)
The comparison of the king of Tyre to the one who was created in perfection and put in Eden, the Garden of God, has given rise to many differing opinions as to who is the one being referred to.
Those who see this as referring to the first created man, Adam, base their opinion on the following facts: (1) Adam was created by God as a sinless person (vv. 12, 15); (2) he was divinely authorized to rule over the garden (Gen. 1:28) and this was no different from being a king (v. 13); (3) he was not satisfied as Adam (the man) and desired to be like God (v. 2; Gen. 3:5); and (4) he was punished for his pride and disobedience by being driven out of the Garden of God (v. 16; Gen. 3:23)
Those who opine that this character referred to Satan have valid grounds in that Satan is a fallen angel and is here called a guardian cherub, and was thrown (from heaven) to the earth (v. 17). The language used by Ezekiel here is very similar to that used to describe the fall of Babylon which, again, is thought by many as referring to Satan by Isaiah (see Isa. 14:12ff). This view is said to have developed during the second temple period and has been adopted by many conservative Christians since the time of Origen (see NICOT, 118).
In any case, it is obvious that the image of both Babylon and Tyre by the prophets suggest that much more than historical Babylon and Tyre are being referred to. In both cases, human pride that seeks to usurp the role of the Creator God is being condemned and judged. However, the oracle against the king of Tyre is set in the form of a lament and that reveals the bleeding heart of the Creator who laments over the disobedience of His creations, whether it be Adam, Satan, the king of Babylon or the king of Tyre, and for that matter, you or I.
The Lord ends His oracles against Tyre with a word against Sidon, which was really part and parcel of Tyre. To understand why the Lord cares to deal with Sidon, it is helpful to read the entire section from v. 20–26.
28:20-24—Purpose of Judging Sidon
(1) The Lord expresses His purposes in dealing with Sidon. Refer to the following verses and identify His purpose(s).
a. v. 22a
b. v. 22b
c. v. 23
(2) In v. 24 the last purpose is being repeated:
a. To whom is this repeated message directed against?
b. In this case, the message against Sidon is really a message to all Israel’s neighbors. Would you agree? Why or why not?
(3) To Sidon and all neighbors who are hurtful to Israel, what judgment would they receive in order that God’s purpose will be achieved? (v. 23)
(4) What message does this serve to all Israel’s neighbors today? (see v. 26 as well)
28:25-26—Restoration of Israel
(5) The promised gathering of the people from the scattering:
a. How will the gathering of the people from all nations enable the Lord “to show myself holy among them in the sight of the nations"? (v. 25)
b. How would the Lord show Himself holy through the following?
- The gathering of them back into their land in 1948
- The salvation through His Son to bring those Jews (like the Apostles) who would believe in Him back to the spiritual kingdom of God
- Delivering from their enemies in the Last Day (see Zech. 14)
(6) Is Israel now dwelling in safety? Why not?
(7) What can the people of Israel look forward to with this promise?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezek. 28:24)
The oracle against Sidon, on the surface, seems so unnecessary, as it is really part and parcel of the great empire of Tyre and the description of her demise is far less vivid and dramatic than that of Tyre or most of the nations previously addressed by Ezekiel. Furthermore, no specific sin is mentioned of Sidon except that which is common to all Israel’s neighbors, and that is they “are painful briers and sharp horns” to Israel (28:24).
Daniel Block is right in pointing out that
“herein lies the key to its significance in the present context. The general pronouncements in vv. 22-23 and the specific concern for the fate of Israel in vv. 24-26 summarize Yahweh’s purpose in dealing with the nations (the display of Yahweh’s glory and holiness)”.
(NICOT, Ezekiel, 121)
As much as Israel, to these days, has continued on the path of disobedience and in particular in rejecting their Messiah, Jesus Christ, the promise of restoration to Israel continues to serve as a warning to “all their neighbors who maligned them” (28:26). Just as this promise points to the “future fate of Israel" (K&D, 242), the warning to the nations is an integral of this promise.
We, the church, the spiritual Israel, can also be assured that as much as the world is like “malicious neighbors” to us “who are painful briers and sharp thorns”, they will learn of God’s glory and holiness upon the return of our Lord Jesus Christ who is not only the Messiah of Israel, but our Savior and King.
Chapters 29-32 are basically 7 oracles (or words) of God against Egypt.
The first 5 are pronouncements of judgment:
29:1-16 — upon Pharaoh and his people and the land in general terms
29:17-21 — with specifics of Nebuchadnezzar’s attack
30:1-19 — upon Egypt and its allies
30:20-26 — using the analogy of the arm of Nebuchadnezzar versus that of Pharaoh
31:1-18 — using Assyria’s fall as a warning to Pharaoh and his people
The last 2 oracles in chapter 32 are given in the form of lamentations for Pharaoh and his army.
Today, we shall consider the first two oracles.
29:1-16—Judgment against Pharaoh, his people and his land
(1) When is this oracle given? (v. 1)
(2) Has Jerusalem been overthrown yet? (see 2 Ki. 25:1-3)
(3) Nile has long been a symbol of Egypt whose national survival depends much on it:
a. What is the first particular sin of Pharaoh mentioned by this oracle? (v. 3)
b. What analogy does the Lord use to foretell His judgment upon him? (vv. 4-5)
(4) What is the other sin of Pharaoh? (v. 7; see Note 1 below)
(5) What will the judgment of Egypt include? (vv. 9-12; it is helpful to list them out one by one. See Jer. 43-44 for detailed foretelling of Nebuchadnezzar’s attack of Egypt.)
(6) What is the time limit imposed on their judgment? (v. 11)
(7) What will happen after 40 years? (vv. 13-16)
(8) How does the present-day Egypt speak to the validity of this prophecy?
29:17-21—Nebuchadnezzar—the Tool of God’s Judgment
(9) When is this oracle given? (v. 17; note that this is the latest of all Ezekiel’s datable prophecies and is given shortly after the defeat of Tyre, which concluded eventually after 13 years of resistance)
(10) How does Ezekiel describe Nebuchadnezzar’s campaign against Tyre? (v. 18; you may want to reread the Meditative Article of Ezekiel 26:1-21, Day 257 in Week 37 Year 5)
(11) What is the reason given by the Lord for “giving Egypt” to Nebuchadnezzar? (vv. 19-20)
(12) Why would God reward a pagan king like Nebuchadnezzar? (v. 20)
(13) “On that day” (presumably referring to the punishment of Egypt) what will happen? (v. 21; see Note 2 below)
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note 1:
“Ezekiel never identifies the Pharaoh by name, but from Jer. 44:30 we learn that Hophra is in view. At the turn of the century (i.e. 6th century B.C.) the restrained policy of his predecessor, Psammetichus II, had enabled Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jerusalem unmolested. But Hophra’s foreign policy was opportunistic and ambitious. Responding to Zedekiah’s call for aid, he challenged the Babylonians by sending troops into Palestine, which forced Nebuchadnezzar to lift briefly the siege of Jerusalem (Jer. 37:5-11). But his efforts proved futile for Zedekiah, as the Egyptians were quickly driven from Judean soil.”
(NICOT, Ezekiel, 134)
Note 2:
Scholars, based on Josephus’ account, in general opine that the siege of Tyre (which Ezekiel now speaks of in the past tense) likely began shortly after the fall of Jerusalem in 587/6 B.C. and Tyre’s fall was complete in 13 years around 574/3 B.C. Ezekiel dates this oracle on New Year’s Day of 27th year, making it about 571 B.C. Therefore, the opening of the prophet’s mouth cannot be referring to what actually happened at the time a fugitive reached him from Jerusalem (as foretold in 24:27, and realized in 33:21 which is dated on the 5th day, 10th month of the 12th year, i.e. 585 B.C.) As a result, I agree with those scholars who see that this horn (v. 21, which always denotes a mighty king or deliverer in the OT) refers to the Messiah and that the prophet’s mouth stands as a symbol of the propagation of the gospel upon the arrival of the Messiah/Christ.
“It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations.” (Ezek. 29:15)
I had the opportunity of traveling along the River Nile some years ago and it remains one of the most memorable trips I have ever taken.
The three-day journey on a relatively small cruise ship along the Nile from Cairo to its southern end, Aswan, was such a tranquil and peaceful journey that brought me back to biblical times, as if nothing had changed in the last 5,000 years. Along the cities we visited, things were still very primitive.
The visits to the pyramids were of course very memorable as well. But the lasting impression for me was the unfinished yet occupied buildings I visited that dotted my journey from Cairo all the way to the Suez Canal, a reflection of the abject poverty of many of its residents.
Indeed, all the former glories of Egypt remain only on the pages of history books and relics like the pyramids. A reading of the history of Egypt since the time of Ezekiel, on the one hand, serves to prove the inerrancy of the words of God: “It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations” (29:15); on the other hand, it serves to remind us of the fate of all who think their success is self-made, nations and people alike.
Apart from the arrogance of their Pharaohs (as represented by Hophra at the time) who said, “The Nile is mine, I made it for myself” (29:3), the fate of Egypt had to do with their betrayal and let-down of the people of Israel (29:6-7). While they, for the most part of the last century, continued to adopt a less-than-friendly relationship with Israel, the Camp David Accords in 1978 spearheaded by the then president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, has helped turned the tide. But more importantly, the Lord has seen fit to cause a remnant of Coptic Christians to survive these days, making up roughly 10% of Egypt’s population. This is, of course, a direct result of the fulfillment of the promise that marks the end of this chapter, “On that day, I will make a horn grow for the house of Israel” (29:21). As much as the political situation in Egypt remains very unstable and Egypt will remain a weak kingdom as prophesied by Ezekiel, their future is bright because of this horn — Christ Jesus, and one day, another prophecy concerning them will also be fulfilled in that, “In that day, Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord will bless them saying, ‘blessed be Egypt my people…’” (Isa. 19:24-25). I cannot wait to see the fulfillment of this last prophecy!
30:1-19—Judgment against Egypt and Its Allies (Scholars differ in their opinion as to the date of this oracle. Some believe it follows that in 29:1; others consider it an extension of the one in 29:17-21.)
(1) “Day of the Lord” (vv. 1-5)
a. In what way(s) does Ezekiel’s “Day of the Lord” resemble that of Joel 2:1-2; Obadiah 15?
b. More specifically, upon whom does this slaughter on this “Day of the Lord” in Ezekiel fall upon? (vv. 4-5; see note 1 below)
(2) Impact of the “Day of the Lord” (vv. 6-9)
a. What will happen to Egypt? (see 29:10 as well)
b. What will happen to her allies?
c. What is this day also called? (v. 9b)
(3) God’s agent for this “Day” (vv. 10-12)
a. By pointing out Nebuchadnezzar as God’s agent for this “Day”, how does this Day of the Lord differ from Joel’s?
b. How terrifying will Nebuchadnezzar and his allies be?
c. Do you notice the interchange of pronouns in these verses? What does such an interchange serve to illustrate?
(4) The scope of Judgment (vv. 13-19)
a. What will happen to Memphis, the capital and principal residence of most of the Pharaohs and the center of the cult of Ptah, one of the two principal deities of Egypt? (v. 13)
b. Upper Egypt (or Pathros), Zoan, Thebes, Pelusium, Heliopolis, Bubastis and Tahpanhes were major cities and/or fortresses of Egypt:
- Collectively, what will happen to them?
- What is the total picture painted of the fate of Egypt? (vv. 18-19)
30:20-26—Breaking the Arms of Pharaoh
(5) When is this oracle given to Ezekiel? (v. 20)
(6) How close is it to the destruction to Jerusalem? (see 2 Ki. 25:1-3)
(7) What analogy does the Lord use to depict the defeat of Pharaoh? (see Note 2 below)
(8) The Lord says that one of the arms of Pharaoh has already been broken (v. 21: see Jer. 37:5-11, the final outcome of which saw Hophra’s partial defeat by Nebuchadnezzar in 588 B.C. [Alexander, 98])
a. What will happen to his other arm? (v. 22)
b. Who will God use as His agent to break Pharaoh’s arm? (v. 24)
c. What is the purpose of this judgment? (v. 26)
(9) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note 1:
Cush is Ethiopia, Put is Libya, and Lud is Lydia in Asia Minor and together they were either allies or mercenaries of Egypt. “The people of the covenant land” are believed to be those Jews who fled to Egypt along with Jeremiah after the destruction of Jerusalem (according to LXX, the Greek version of the OT).
Note 2:
The Pharaoh in view here is Hophra
who
“took as his title the Egyptian phrase meaning ‘possessed of a muscular arm — a strong armed man’”
(Alexander, 98)
“I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.” (Ezek. 30:24)
The apparent lack of reference in secular history to this attack prophesied by Ezekiel has caused many to shed doubts on this oracle concerning Egypt. Allow me to share the comments by Alexander in this respect:
“A problem with this prophecy is the lack of extrabiblical historical reference to this forty-year period in Egyptian history. The sources for Egyptian history during this period are scarce, and most information comes from Herodotus. He drew upon secondary sources and it had been demonstrated that his historical data at times can be faulty. Also the kings of the ancient Near East seldom admitted or recounted their defeats. To expect to find records of such a judgment upon Egypt as described above would be most unlikely. Likewise, Babylonian records are sparse for this period. Therefore it must be concluded that Ezekiel was recounting a destruction of Egypt for forty years which was not necessarily seen in this sparse extrabiblical data, but the judgment was nevertheless accurate.
“Babylonian records do imply that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt shortly after 570 B.C. (cf. 29:17-30:19), while Berossus, the historian of Babylon, declares that Nebuchadnezzar did take great numbers of Egyptian captive to Babylon after he conquered Egypt. Both of these factors are in harmony with the prophecy of Ezekiel in this section.”
(Alexander, 93)
Two
months after the last oracle which foretold the destruction of Egypt and her
proud allies, Ezekiel now receives another oracle that uses Assyria as an example
to warn Egypt. Assyria was the world’s
dominant power from approximately 860-612 B.C.
(1) What is Assyria likened to in this oracle? (v. 3)
(2) How does the Lord describe its beauty and its majesty? (vv. 3-5)
(3) What has caused it to become what it is? (v. 5b)
(4) What does the image in vv. 6-7 seek to portray of Assyria as in reality?
(5) In v. 5, it is compared to the “all the trees of the field” and in v. 8, it is compared to the cedars, the pine and the plane trees “in the garden of God”, meaning “all trees of Eden" (v. 9).
a. What might these trees in Eden stand for?
b. Why can they not even rival Assyria — the mighty cedar?
c. Who has made Assyria so mighty and abundant (v.9)? [i and ii]
- Assyria herself?
- The Lord?
- Would such a mighty cedar ever fall? Why or why not?
- Which nation comes to mind today that can be compared to Assyria?
(6) What sin has Assyria committed? (vv. 10-11)
(7) Who will God use to cut it down? (vv. 11-12)
(8) What impact would its fall have on other nations and peoples of the world? (vv. 12-13)
(9) As great as this cedar tree, Assyria, is, what does it share in common with all other trees? (v. 14)
(10) The scene of mourning is depicted with the netherworld image (vv. 15-17).
a. How would the deep springs and the trees of Lebanon mourn over the death of Assyria? (v.15)
b. While the nations which witness her fall tremble, what does this oracle depict about those have gone before Assyria “in the earth below”? (v. 16)
c. What will happen to all the allies of Assyria? (v. 17)
(11) What lesson should Egypt learn from the fall of the mighty cedar, Assyria? (v. 18)
(12) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth below, among mortal men, with those who go down to the pit.” (Ezek. 31:14)
While many commentators “cannot accept MT’s reference to Assyria directed against Egypt” and seek to mend the text to read “cypress”, the using of Assyria to warn Egypt is most appropriate, especially at the time of the siege of Jerusalem whose fall was only a few months away (see 31:1 and 2 Ki. 25:1-3). The eventual fall of Jerusalem would definitely undermine the name and power of the God of Israel in the eyes of the nations, especially Egypt. Therefore it is most appropriate for Ezekiel to point out at this very important historical juncture that Egypt should think twice in seizing the opportunity of the fall of Jerusalem to feed his own pride and ambition, because as great and seemingly invincible as Assyria was, it had fallen exactly because of her pride, and it was all the doing of the God of human history—the God of Israel.
Furthermore, v. 14 points out that whether
it was the great cedar of Assyria, or any other trees big and small—referring
to all nations in the world and for that matter all mortal men—they share a
common fate, they are all destined for death.
“The rendering of the Berleburg Bible (of v. 14) is very good: ‘and no trees abounding in water stand upon themselves (rely upon themselves) on account of their height’”
Keil goes on to quote from Starck:
“As a tree grows through the moisture of the water, so men are accustomed to become proud through their abundance, not reflecting that these waters have been supplied to them by God.”
(K&D, 263)
Indeed, any nation or any mortal man who forgets that the height of their success depends entirely on the provisions of God, forgets that we all share a common fate which is death, and the fact that they will fall like the great cedar of Assyria.
(Note: MT stands for Masoretic Text)
Ezekiel’s continued oracle against Egypt is in the form of a lament directed at Pharaoh, six months after the fall of Jerusalem:
(1) The news of the fall of Jerusalem has reached the exile “In the 12th year, in the 10th month on the 5th day” (33:21):
a. What is the mood among the exiles at the giving of this oracle? (v. 1)
b. What might a song (or chant) of lament for Egypt mean to them?
(2) As dominant a world power as Babylon is, how does Egypt compare? (v. 2)
(3) What will God do to this monster of the Nile? (v. 3)
(4) Who will God use as His instruments?
(5) How devastating will Pharaoh’s end be? (vv. 4-6)
(6) What does the analogy of the darkening of the heavens reveal about the greatness and the fate of Pharaoh? (vv. 7-8)
(7) What impact will his fall have on peoples far and near? Why? (vv. 9-10)
(8) The destruction in the hands of Nebuchadnezzar is foretold (vv. 12-14).
a. How does the Lord describe the army of the Babylonians? (v. 12)
b. At the shattering of Egypt’s pride, the killing of her hordes and the destruction of her cattle, what does it mean that “I will let her waters settle and make her streams flow like oil”? (v. 14)
(9) Why does the Lord frame the fate of Egypt in the form of a lament and who will be the ones chanting it?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Then I will let her waters settle and make her streams flow like oil.” (Ezek. 32:14)
We are so far removed from the time of the 7th century B.C. that we cannot imagine how powerful and fearsome world powers like the Assyrians, the Babylonians and the Egyptians were. However, the images of a lion and a sea monster do give us an idea of how powerful and fearsome Egypt once was (32:2).
As powerful and fearsome as these world powers were, their pride and sin against the Lord had a direct impact on creation. For Egypt, like a sea monster, had churned and muddied the streams, referring undoubtedly to the River Nile (32:2); as a result, at her destruction, her waters will settle and her streams flow like oil (so smooth and tranquil, without any ripples).
The same is said of Israel and her sin, and at her destruction, “The land enjoyed its Sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested…” (2 Chr. 36:21; cf. Lev. 26:34-35).
We tend to blame God for all the natural disasters we have these days — tsunamis, earthquakes, famines etc. The truth of the matter is, our sins, not just our irresponsible actions against the environment, but our sins of pride and rejection against the Creator God, have contributed directly or indirectly to all these mishaps in nature. It is only when the sins of the world are dealt with that God’s creation can be restored to enjoy its rest, harmony and beauty.
The final oracle against Egypt is still framed like the previous one as a lament. Although the month is missing, the arrangement of this oracle immediately following the previous one makes it logical to assume that it is still in the 12th month of the 12th year, making it two weeks after the last oracle.
32:17-21—Egypt to be Consigned to Sheol
(1) Whom does Ezekiel consign to Sheol? (v. 18)
(2) Knowing that the Egyptians perform circumcision (vv. 19-21), consider the following:
a. How does the biblical circumcision differ from all other circumcisions of the nations? (see Gen. 17:9-14)?
b. What is meant, therefore, for the Egyptians to be consigned to the same place in Sheol as the uncircumcised?
c. What will mighty leaders of the past speak of this fate of the Egyptians? (v. 21)
d. What does it mean?
32:22-32—The Dishonor Roll in Sheol—A list of noted nations of the past is used as examples:
(3) Assyria (vv. 22-23)—the joint Egyptian-Assyrian force was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C. at Carchemish, effectively putting an end to the Assyrian empire:
a. What were the Assyrians known for in their prime? (v. 23)
b. Where are they now?
(4) Elam (vv. 24-25; see Note 1 below)
a. What did they do that was the same as the Assyrians?
b. What is the common fate they share with the Assyrians?
c. In emphasizing their common fate with the Assyrians and those who go down to the pit:
- What are the two things being emphatically repeated in this section?
- What do they mean?
(5) Meshech and Tubal (vv. 26-27: These ancients between the Black and Caspian Seas were mentioned in 27:13 as slave traders.)
a. What do they share in common with both Assyria and Elam? (vv. 26-27)
b. In addition, it is mentioned that they went down to the grave with their weapons of wars (which is likely a metaphor). What does it mean in terms of their punishment? (v. 27)
(6) Edom (v. 29; see Note 2 below)
a. Edom was a far smaller nation compared to the above. Why are they included in this “Dishonor Roll”?
b. What fate do they share in common with the rest of the nations?
(7) Princes of the north and the
Sidonians (v. 30; these princes likely refer to the Phoenicians,
Arameans and other smaller nations north of Israel)—The list is now completed
and their commonalities with all the other nations include the following:
a. They are treated as uncircumcised
b. They are ruthless powers—those who live by the sword shall die by the sword
c. Their fate is in Sheol
(8) What should this message mean to the persons below?
a. Pharaoh and his people (vv. 28, 31-32)
b. The exiles
c. All nations of the world today
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note 1:
Elam lay to the east of Babylon, in the southwest of modern Iran. In ancient times, it was a significant nation in the politics of lower Mesopotamia. Ashurbanipal destroyed the capital Susa and Nebuchadnezzar defeated Elam in 596/4 B.C. and it was eventually absorbed into the Persian Empire after 539 B.C.
(see NICOT, Jeremiah, 728-9)K&D opines that,
“Elam is not considered in its historical relationship with Israel, but as the representative of the heathen world lying beyond…in order that through the judgment, it may be led to the knowledge of the true God, and share in His salvation.”
(K&D, Jeremiah, 420)
Note
2:
Edom
was also a long-term adversary of Israel (see Num. 20:14-21; Jdg. 11:17; 2 Sam.
8:13-14; 1 Ki. 11:14-22; 2 Ki. 8:20-22; 14:22; 16:5-6; 2 Chr. 25:14).
“The devastation of the land of Edom was brought about by the Chaldeans, as is clear from Mal. 1:3; but the annihilation of the people was commenced by the Maccabeans, and completed by the Romans, about the time of the Jewish War.”
(K&D, Jeremiah, 412-3).
“You too, O Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those who killed by the sword.” (Ezek. 32:28)
In his final oracle against Egypt, Ezekiel’s message goes beyond the destruction of Pharaoh and his army, and points to the ultimate eternal fate in Sheol. Such an eternal fate is not only a result of their ruthlessness in the spreading of “terror in the land of the living”, but with the fact that they belong to the “uncircumcised” (32:27-28). This is the repeated emphasis not only for Egypt but all the other nations mentioned in this oracle.
It is particularly important to note that among these nations, the Egyptians along with the Sidonians and the Edomites did practice circumcision (NICOT, Ezekiel, 218), and yet they too, are considered as the “uncircumcised”. The reason is clear in that Ezekiel is talking about the circumcision that God commanded Abraham to perform on all of his descendants and foreigners in his household as a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his people (Gen. 17:9-14). As a result, to be called the “uncircumcised’ is to be excluded from the Abrahamic Covenant, and will not be considered as God’s people, and their fate is in “the pit”—Sheol of eternal separation from God.
Therefore, the circumcisions of the Egyptians, the Sidonians and the Edomites have nothing to do with the Abrahamic Covenant, and, are purely “circumcisions of the flesh” in the truest sense (Gal. 6:13). However, with the dawn of the Messianic era, even they can be included with the Abrahamic Covenant, because by repentance and trust in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, we all have received the circumcision of the heart, done by Christ (Rom. 2:29; Col. 2:11). As a result, our fate is not in Sheol; our future lies in our resurrection with Christ.