At the beginning of this scene, the Lord established Ezekiel as a “watchman” for the Israelites. “Ezekiel had already been commissioned as a ‘watchman’ (Ezek. 3:17), but God renewed this commission because Ezekiel’s message was being changed to one of future cleansing of the people and hope for their return…
Not quite two years after the previous section addressed to Pharaoh, the Lord called Ezekiel to write a lament for Pharaoh. The lament he wrote served as a song to mourn the death of Egypt and its people.1 Again, Ezekiel used several words to describe Egypt’s destruction to convey there…
Ezekiel wrote this prophecy against Egypt’s Pharaoh less than a year after his words against the ruler in chapter 29. He reflected on Egypt’s status before the Lord’s judgment to come and compared it to Assyria, also a major kingdom. This chapter is a contrast between being exalted and lifted…
In the previous chapter, God’s words turned toward Egypt. Within the prophesy, we read God would strike Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar’s hand. Ezekiel continued to emphasize that by God’s actions toward Egypt, they—the nations—would know I AM is the Lord. Read Ezekiel 30:1-5. The day of the Lord, a day of…
In chapter 29, Ezekiel returned to one of his favorite themes, then [they] will know I AM the Lord. This section refers to Egypt—if they knew their history, they would remember how I AM delivered his people hundreds of years earlier. Read Ezekiel 29:1-6. The Lord called Ezekiel to prophesy…
This week I attended a Christian writers conference. I emphasized “Christian” because this conference is like summer camp for writers. The people who attend all bring their experiences with God and his Word to the conversation. God’s Word informs our writing, and the conference included worship and devotion times. I…
It sounds simple, but a leader leads people in a certain direction or toward a specific outcome. Specifically, a ruler exercises dominion over a city or country. The people may have very little say in how their leader will manage affairs that affect their lives. In Ezekiel 28, the Lord’s…
If the Lord planned to destroy Tyre completely, it’s only fitting that the lament for the city continued for another chapter (and if we peek and look ahead, there’s also a prophecy specifically against the king of Tyre). Woe to those who incur God’s wrath and judgment! In the previous…
This whole prophecy is against Tyre, part of Phoenicia. An ancient city/state a dozen miles north of Israel’s border, Tyre had good commercial relations with Israel and Judah.1 The prophecy covers two separate historical events. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the mainland portion of Tyre in 573 BC. Alexander the Great destroyed the…
Earlier this week, I read an Old Testament story about Naaman, a commander in the Aramean army who had leprosy. He heard about Elisha, a prophet in Samaria, and asked if he could go to request healing. The king of Aram sent him to the king of Israel with a…