It was my observation that chapter 32 of Ezekiel is a strong statement about the fate of the enemies of the church—those who would tear and bite at the fabric of the church and its people. They would cut a thousand times the heart and soul of the tender people who have yielded to a power far greater than anything on the face of the earth. For those people who bring harm to the church, we weep.
The oppressors of God’s people are no better off than a beast of prey that will never be quite at the top of the food chain. There will always be something stronger to crush the beast of prey. We are wise to avoid admiration for the pomp of this world. Why? Its pageantry is fleeting at best. We are to weep for those enthralled by the pomp that power and wealth provide. Weep for them, because we know it is just a breath away from us. We could be them. They are in trouble and do not know they are in trouble.
The water of Egypt running like oil builds a picture of sadness for the whole nation. Make no mistake, God controls the wealth of a nation; if they use this wealth for goodness, then the wealth is continued. If they abuse this gift, it is soon diminished. We weep for those who exalt themselves. They know not what they are doing; they know not what the eventual outcome will be. Trouble is coming!
Ezekiel 32:11-16 says — The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you. I will cause your hordes to fall by the swords of mighty men—the most ruthless of all nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt, and all her hordes will be overthrown. I will destroy all her cattle from beside abundant waters no longer to be stirred by the foot of man or muddied by the hooves of cattle. Then I will let her water settle and make her streams flow like oil, declares the Sovereign Lord. When I make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the Lord. This is the lament they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it, declares the Sovereign Lord. [NIV]
This chapter addresses the demise of Egypt’s cattle, water, and agriculture. It continues and evaluates the destruction of their protector, the commander of their armies. We see policy implementation and protection—the core value of any monarch for its people—destroyed!
Do not lose sight that the great enemy of the church in the book of Revelation, the dark one that makes war with the lamb, the one who tries to kill the two prophets, this one is called the Spirit of Egypt (see Revelation 11:8). If this passage is a partial reference to that evil cited in Revelation (I think it is), then we can say that the destruction of Egypt is justified (see Revelation 11:3-14).
The message in this chapter is full of wrath for the Pharaohs who would make themselves out to be God. They claim to be a source of light for their nation. They even carve pictures of themselves worshiping themselves. What an amazing display of haughtiness—self-adoration. God tells them that He will snuff them out, He will place a cover on the sun and heavens, and He will extinguish the stars. They will never be able to see light again (see Ezekiel 32:7-8). They will have no light to radiate. Utter darkness.
Sometimes, we feel a little pinch of cold weather in the mornings. The mountains I can see from my window are not a pleasant place to be when it is bitter cold; the absence of light and pure darkness brings a cold that we cannot begin to describe. This is what Pharaoh will feel, and then he will face Lucifer, who will walk past him like trash on the street. “Who are you?” Lucifer asks. Pharaoh responds, “I worked for you.” Lucifer replies, “So what? That was then, this is now. I used you as a mere toy for my pleasure.”
Therefore, after listening to this sad conversation, I am grateful God allows me to say, I choose Jesus.