Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

Tyre was an incredible place. It was an island fortress with extensive holdings on the mainland. It had the best fleet in the world – with prosperity unheard of by anyone else. They had the best soldiers. They were impregnable and unbeatable. They traded with the whole world. Their influence was known throughout all known places. They were the mighty of the mighty of the mighty. But it would do them no good. They would be torn down, given into the hands of Babylon (and later to Alexander the great). It would take 250 years for this to fully take place, but parts were happening even then. They would be conquered (but not yet destroyed) by Nebuchadnezzar. It would happen while they were going about their business. It would not be avoided. God was bringing it to pass.

First, Ezekiel lamented about the prince of Tyre. An arrogant man who thought of himself as a god – someone who spoke something and it came to pass. But no matter how rich, successful, or beautiful, it all comes crashing down when it is built on self-serving and not God. He would be torn down and die like any other mortal. Second, Ezekiel lamented the king of Tyre. An arrogant man full of his own beauty and position. One whose success turned to violence, whose wisdom was corrupted by sin, and who would also fall for failure to found his life upon God. Next came Sidon, often mentioned together with Tyre – some believe Tyre was a colony of Sidon who became greater than its master. Pestilence would come upon Sidon and blood would run in the streets. Each of these three people and places would know God was God when the judgments came about. Finally, God had Ezekiel sing with joy about the future restoration of Israel – their return to the Land and their safe dwelling in it.

“Speak, and you must say, ‘thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great sea monster, the one lying down in the midst of his Nile streams, who says to me, “It is my Nile, and I made it for myself.” (Ezekiel 29:3)

In another time jump, we go to a word from the Lord that came to Ezekiel in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign – when he was dealing with Egypt instead of Babylon as his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar declared. The Lord told Zedekiah NOT to look to Egypt. That Egypt was NOT going to be able to help him. Egypt was heading for a judgment because it was saying IT was the cause of its success. That the king had even created and provided the Nile. The Lord was going to judge them for it. Babylon would totally destroy the Pharaoh and all the armies of Egypt and completely plunder the nation. God would show them the Nile was not in their control – it has two sources (the Blue Nile from Lake Tana in Ethiopia and the While Nile from the Great Lakes Region, probably Lake Victoria) and God controlled them. He would dry it up, drive the Egyptians out of Egypt (they rely on the Nile for ALL their drinking water even today). They would lose the Nile from the Mediterranean right up to the borders of Ethiopia. For forty years Egypt would be uninhabitable, but after that the Lord would bring them back – although they would be a lowly kingdom and never again a world player.

Summary

Key Players: God, Ezekiel

Key Verse(s): Ezekiel 27:1-2, 28-36; 28:1-7, 11-12, 1719, 22-23, 25-26; 29:1-5, 17-21