Our WORLD will KNOW that JEHOVAH alone is GOD!
September
4 Bible Reading: Ezekiel Chapters 28-30
Our WORLD will KNOW that JEHOVAH alone is GOD!
"Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the
arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; they
shall know that I am the Lord, when I put My sword into the hand of the
king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. I will
scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the
countries. Then they shall know that I
am the Lord." (Ezek. 30:25-26)
Ezekiel chapters 25-32 describe the judgment of Jehovah God
against foreign nations. In particular, God’s judgment against Egypt and her
ruler Pharaoh is highlighted in chapters 29-32. The fact that Egypt will be
gifted to Nebuchadnezzar (29:17-21) as the grandeur of Egypt will be shattered (30:1-26)
has an implied objective – that the whole world should know that Jehovah
alone is God!
Egypt was a prosperous nation situated just south of Israel. As
always, Egypt had looked upon the land of Canaan as being part of her own
territory. It was reluctantly that Egypt had ceded this land to other nations
temporarily until she could at some time reclaim it. From their recorded
history we know that the Israelites lived in Egypt as slaves for over 400
years. It was during this time that the Israelites were greatly influenced by
the Egyptian culture!
On the other hand, Egypt never learned its lessons from the
pain it received during the period of Exodus when the angel of death passed
through their land and killed all their firstborn sons. The sin of Egypt was pride and its actions of leading the
Israelites away from Jehovah God into much of the idol worship. Also, like
other nations, the king of Egypt – Pharaoh – saw himself as a god who tried to
intimidate the Israelites into passive submission.
In fact, time and again the Israelites rebelled against God
to seek help from Egypt. God’s frustration is this matter is clearly revealed
through prophet Isaiah as follows: "Woe
to the rebellious children," says the Lord, "who take counsel, but
not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to
sin; who walk to go down to Egypt, and have not asked My advice, to strengthen
themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of
Egypt!" (Isaiah 30:1-2)
In order for His elect to finally be free from the shackles
of Egypt, it was time for Jehovah God to enact retribution. What we read is the
next four chapters (29-32) is how God dealt with the Egyptians through seven
prophecies (or, oracles) listed against them. At the end, the whole world
should know that Jehovah is God alone. It is interesting to note that the
phrase: “then they shall know that I am
the Lord” is repeated 60-70 times in the book of Ezekiel, and in
particular, 9 times in chapters 28-30 (28:24, 26; 29:6, 16, 21; 30:8, 19, 25
& 26).
We will either know the
Lord in His grace and mercy, or in His wrath and fury. The choice is ours! However, regardless
of our response, God wants us to know that He alone is the Lord. Jehovah God is
determined to be heard throughout the entire world that He alone is God. He is
the Lord—and sooner or later we will know that He is. One day "every tongue will confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:11)
"O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth." (Isaiah 37:16) "For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God." (Psalms 86:10)
