Ezekiel Chapter 29

Distributed by: KJV Bible Studies

Website: www.KjvBibleStudies.net

Introduction: In last week's lesson, we studied about he judgment of the king of Tyre and then later the judgment of Zidon. As the prophet had pronounced judgment against various gentile nations, the focus now turns against Egypt. In this chapter is the foretold destruction of Egypt in verses 1-16 and a promise of mercy for Israel at end of the chapter.

I. God Directs Ezekiel To Set His Face Against Egypt's King Pharaoh

Eze 29:1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Eze 29:2 Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:

Eze 29:3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.

Again, the God spoke to Ezekiel; this time concerning Egypt and Pharaoh himself. The tenth year again references the tenth year since Jehoiachin was taken captive. The tenth month likely is the tenth Hebrew month and corresponds roughly to December and into January. On the twelfth day of that month, God spoke to Ezekiel. As God had pronounced prophesies against other gentile nations of the region, so now the prophecy is against Egypt in general and the pharaoh specifically.

God announced that He was against Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt. What a profound announcement—God is against someone! Evidently, one of the titles Hophra had taken to himself was that of the great dragon in the midst of the Nile River and the fingers of its delta. Moreover, Hophra had the audacity to proclaim that he had created the Nile himself for his own purposes.

Eze 29:4 But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.

Eze 29:5 And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.

With an allegorical parable, God described the downfall of Pharaoh Hophra. Like a crocodile being caught with a large hook and rope and dragged out of the river, so Hophra would be neutralized. The fish of the river ‘sticking’ (i.e., clinging) to him undoubtedly refers to subordinates and common people who would be caught also.

The actual battle was between Pharaoh Hophra and a coalition of Cyrenian, Libyan, and Greek forces under one Amasis. The battle between Hophra and Amasis was in the western deserts toward Lybia. There, the Egyptian crocodile would be defeated and left to die in the desert sands.

Eze 29:6 And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

Eze 29:7 When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.

Egypt would also come to learn the hard way that Jehovah was God Almighty and God alone. Egypt had been a fair-weather ally to Judah in its final years. Yet, Egypt would prove to be no better than a reed along the banks of the Nile. When one leaned upon it for support, it would promptly break. The point is that Egypt was a worthless ally for Judah. The thought is graphic. When one leans upon a reed pole (i.e., like a thin bamboo rod), it will break and the splinters thereof would pierce into the shoulder.

The application is how that Zedekiah had ‘leaned’ on Egypt for support when Babylon made its final incursion against Judah. Yet, Egypt proved no help and only served to infuriate the Babylonians more. The point is that Judah had turned to Egypt for help and they proved less than worthless. Rather than seeking God for help, Judah and Zedekiah sought to the world for help and it turned to their hurt.

Eze 29:8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.

Eze 29:9 And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the LORD: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it.

God warned how that He would bring a sword of destruction against Egypt. First, Egypt was defeated by Amasis at Cyrene. Then, Babylon seeing Egypt greatly weakened swept in and further took advantage of the situation. The utter defeat and destruction of Egypt clearly was judgment from God.

Though its fall might be explained away by geopolitical events, the end result clearly was judgment from God. God judges wicked nations. That lesson remains and should be made clear to America.

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