Ezekiel 32
COMMENTARY:
: 8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you, and set darkness on you land, says the Lord GOD. (3974 “bright lights” [mo’owr] means luminary, source of light, any object that serves as a source of illumination, lamp, or sun and moon.)
DEVOTION: The people of Egypt worshiped a sun god. It was a false god but they were a nation that worshiped many gods. The LORD here is stating that HE is the one who allows the sun and moon and stars to light up the sky during the day and night. HE was the one who created them and HE is in control of when they will shine.
We know from the New Testament that at the end of time there will be no need for the heavenly lights as the LORD HIMSELF will be the light.
We have to realize that we are not here to worship creation but the Creator of the Universe. HE is in control. HE has a plan that HE is working each day here on this earth. HE knows what is going on and HE will judge accordingly any nation that disobeys HIM. The people of Egypt thought that they could count on the sun to always be their light during the day and the moon and stars would always be there to light the night. They were wrong. The LORD can take either one away at any time.
Today our nations of the world are worshiping other gods. There will be a time coming when the LORD will deal with those who are not truly worshiping HIM in spirit and in truth. What they were counting on by way of created things will no longer be counted on.
What are we counting on each day? Is the LORD the source of our inner light or are we looking at other things or people to light up our life?
CHALLENGE: Realize that Jesus is the light of the world. HE was sent to give us light in a very dark world. Look to HIM for guidance each day.
: 18 Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit. (953 “pit” [bowr] means cistern, dungeon, well, prison, sepulcher, abode of the dead, or grave.)
DEVOTION: The LORD orders Ezekiel to sing a funeral song or lamentation over the nation of Egypt. They were going into the lowest part of the earth. They are going to the grave.
Famous nations have been destroyed before Egypt. The LORD wants everyone to understand that HE is the one who is judging Egypt through the nation of Babylon. HE wants all the people to realize that HE is sovereign over all the nations of the earth.
We read that even the celestial creation listen to the LORD. The sun, moon and stars are part of the reaction to the fall of Egypt. Remember that the Egyptians worshiped the heavenly bodies as gods. The LORD was making a statement that they are not gods but obedient creations of HIS.
Why does the LORD repeat HIMSELF so often in this book? The reason is that HIS people just don’t get it the first or second or third time HE says something. HE keeps repeating HIMSELF because HE wants them to learn the truth regarding who is the ONLY TRUE GOD of the universe.
We know that the New Testament teaches that it is appointed unto man once to die and then judgment. There is no second chance. There is no reincarnation. There is only one death and one judgment according to the Word of God. All other teaching is FALSE.
Some may think that those who are against the LORD are going to have a good time in the grave. They are wrong. There is going to be weeping and gnashing of teeth for those without a relationship with the LORD.
The New Testament gives an illustration of this in Luke 16: 24 “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
Once a choice is made in this life it lasts for eternity. Our responsibility is to warn those around us in our world of the coming judgment. They need to know their choice. No one will be able to give an excuse once they stand before the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Death is final. Warning is essential while alive. The command is given to followers of Christ to warn those around them. We need to do our job.
: 21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword. (6189 “uncircumcised” [‘arel] means having foreskin, considered a foreigner to Israel, considered an enemy of Israel, unbelieving, unrepentant, unhearing, or referring to a person that is unresponsive in obedience to God.)
DEVOTION: In the Old Testament there were two types of people. One type was the Israelites who were given a sign of a covenant. The sign was circumcision. Each Israelite male was to be circumcised as a baby. This sign started with Abraham. It is being practiced to this day.
The second type of person were all those who were not circumcised. That represented the rest of the world. In the Old Testament there were individuals who converted to the Jewish religion and were circumcised but they were few.
In this passage the Egyptians had their final message. There were seven messages from the LORD to Ezekiel regarding the downfall of Egypt. They were going to be defeated because of their treatment of Israel. They were going down into the midst of hades or Sheol. This represented the place where all those who died would go after death.
In the New Testament we find that it was divided into two compartments. Those who were followers of the LORD would go into Abraham’s bosom. Those who were not followers of the LORD would go into a place of torment.
Here we find that the Egyptians were going to a place for all those who were out of a covenant relationship with the LORD.
This word is used ten times in this chapter. The prophet is trying to get across the point that the people being judged were not hearing the message of the LORD. They wanted nothing to do with the LORD. They were going to go down to the pit.
They were going to be judged with all those who didn’t believe on the LORD. There is a judgment coming in the future for all those who are outside of Christ. The choice is made in this life and lasts throughout eternity.
What choice have we made in our relationship to the LORD? Are we going to follow HIM from this day forward? Or are we going to be part of the uncircumcised crowd that is going to spend eternity in a literal place called hell?
CHALLENGE: Remember that it is not just saying a prayer that saves you, it is a life change. Our life should be different once me make a true commitment to the LORD. We will not be sinless or without sin but we can sin less with the help of the Holy Spirit. We are to bring glory to the LORD.
: 32 For I have caused MY terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord GOD. (2851 “terror” [chittiyth] means an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety, estreme fear and alarm, as a state of great distress, destruction or ruin.)
DEVOTION: This is a description of what the LORD is going to send over the land of Egypt. HE was the one who uses judgment to get the attention of the world to help them realize that HE is in control of the world and not any nation or any man.
Too often we are more concerned about what man or even a nation can do to us but our real concern and the concern of any nation that is not honoring the LORD should be that HIS judgment is coming and with it most are sent into an eternity out of HIS presence.
Our thoughts should be to honor the LORD so that HE can bless us as HE tried to bless the nation of Israel in the Old Testament.
The problem was that they looked to other nations and their false gods instead of the LORD. They liked the way the world worshiped their false gods instead of worshiping the ONE TRUE GOD of the Bible that had save them from many nations throughout their history.
Too often even today those who attend even good Bible believing churches are looking at what those who don’t love the LORD are doing and think they are having fun that they are not having and so they think they deserve a life of having fun instead of worshiping the LORD in Spirit and in truth where there is great joy when it is done right.
CHALLENGE: We have to ask ourselves a question after reading about what happens to those who don’t worship the LORD: “Are we really understanding what is going to happen to those who don’t honor the LORD?”
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