Category: Ezekiel

Ezekiel 26:7 – “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: From the north I will bring King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon against Tyre. He is king of kings and brings his horses, chariots, charioteers, and great army. “

Read the full chapter here.

In case you thought the prophetic life was full of daily excitement, notice that over three years have passed between chapter 24 and chapter 26. Sometimes we expect God to speak to us directly and daily, when in reality there is a lot of down time (even for prophets).

Today’s chapter contains warnings to Tyre, an enemy nation that showed great delight when Jerusalem was captured. They are getting God’s revenge for their mocking of his people. The great King Nebuchadnezzar will be used as God’s pawn to destroy these enemies of Tyre. You can read more about what happened in 2 Kings 24-25 and you can also read more about him in the books of Ezra and Daniel.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God will go after your enemies.

God has certainly had a lot to say through Ezekiel about the punishment that will be brought upon his own people for their evil and idolatry. But he’s also quite defensive of them. All the nations that have opposed them and mocked them are headed for destruction. When we head down the wrong path, God steers us back to himself — sometimes by destroying some things in our lives to remind us of our dependence on him. God also goes after the people who have harmed us. They will be brought to justice for the evil they have done. His protection means that we can move on and ignore those who mock us and step away from those who harm us. God’s vengeance is more powerful than any effort of our own, so it’s better to let him handle it.

Ezekiel 27:1-4 – “Then this message came to me from the Lord: ‘Son of man, sing a funeral song for Tyre, that mighty gateway to the sea, the trading center of the world. Give Tyre this message from the Sovereign Lord: ‘You boasted, O Tyre, ‘My beauty is perfect!’ You extended your boundaries into the sea. Your builders made your beauty perfect.'”

Read the full chapter here.

Ezekiel is singing another funeral dirge, this time for the city of Tyre. It’s going down, and it’s a sad song. Think of a nation that was the “trading center of the world,” both beautiful and strong. Throughout human history, nations have risen and fallen. Some have seen America through the lens of these words — are we at our peak but so caught up in materialism and worldliness that God may bring judgment on us as well?

I would encourage us to let God do the talking on that one. Too often, we see parts of the world or even America as “other” than ourselves. We may heap on judgments or warnings that feel a lot like Old Testament prophecy, yet we miss our own failings. Let us ask: how am I living like the people of Tyre? How can I use my sphere of influence to turn people to the heart of God?

Here’s your freedom for today:

Eternal beauty lasts forever.

Nations with strong economies and beautiful shores will all someday fall in one way or another. That is just historically true. It is a reminder to focus on the things that will never fade: faith, hope, and love. The Bible says that these are the three things that will remain when everything else fades away. Jesus said in Matthew 6:18-20, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” Let us learn from Tyre’s destruction and position ourselves right in the heart of eternity.

Ezekiel 28:17 – “Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.”

Read the full chapter here.

In the 90’s we used to say, “You’re not all that.” God, who had a message in yesterday’s chapter for the people of Tyre, is now coming for their king. He thinks he’s “all that,” but he isn’t. Kings used to claim god-like status, and God is prepared to demonstrate that he alone is God.

I found verse 17 to be challenging. I continue to see parallels between the things happening in these enemy-states and modern American culture. As a people, we are proud in ways that alienate us from God. We are corrupted by our love of splendor. We think we’re “all that.” What will it take to get our hearts to turn completely over to God? Will we have to hit a collective rock bottom, or could we see the error of our ways before we have to experience that?

Here’s your freedom for today:

You can become a positive leader.

The king of Tyre gets a special message from God because he was at the top. He had power and thought that power was divine. It is amazing how the impact of one person can guide a whole nation, for good or for evil. Don’t underestimate the power you can have to shift a culture or change a nation. When the Holy Spirit calls and equips you, you can have a global reach. I doubt even Paul could imagine how significantly his letters from prison would impact the entire world. Become an influence and help others see the love and power of God.

Ezekiel 29:9-10 – “The land of Egypt will become a desolate wasteland, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. Because you said, ‘The Nile River is mine; I made it,’ I am now the enemy of both you and your river. I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate wasteland, from Migdol to Aswan, as far south as the border of Ethiopia.”

Read the full chapter here.

Israel and Egypt have had a complicated history. If you have read the book of Exodus, you know that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years and Pharaoh wouldn’t let them go. God sent plagues and after ten ugly episodes, God’s people were set free.

God’s angry with a new Pharaoh in today’s passage because once again the king thinks he’s a god. Have you ever made something or done a project that someone else ended up taking credit for? Here Pharaoh is claiming he made the Nile River, and God’s understandably upset about it. God will oppose this Pharaoh and his silly river. Then the world will know the real truth.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Destruction isn’t the end of the story.

Even with all of the trouble with all of the Pharaohs, God’s still willing to restore them. If you read verses 13 and 14, God promises to bring the Egyptians back to their land. However, he will not restore them to dominance, lest the Israelites trust them once again. In the end, God isn’t really all about destroying things. He’s about protecting. He doesn’t want his Israelites to be harmed anymore, and he wants the world to turn to him. What’s your story right now? In what ways is God tearing apart pieces of your life and restoring others?

Ezekiel 30: 10-11 – “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: By the power of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, I will destroy the hordes of Egypt. He and his armies—the most ruthless of all— will be sent to demolish the land. They will make war against Egypt until slaughtered Egyptians cover the ground.”

Read the full chapter here.

Do you feel in charge of your life? Do your decisions feel like your own? Or do you feel like a mere pawn? In some ways, no matter which way you think, you are right and wrong. Kings tend to think of themselves as powerful, but we see in today’s highlighted verses that God is using them to accomplish his purposes. And he often does that with us as well. My life is not about me. In the end, it’s about what God wants to do with it.

On the other hand, if you simply feel like a pawn, you have not grasped how to view yourself in the image of God. He is creative, strategic, and active. We are made in his likeness because we possess these traits as well and are meant to use them. There is a fuzzy line between God’s action and our own.

Here’s your freedom for today:

You are most free when working in tandem with God.

If you oppose God, he may just end up using you for his own purposes and then destroy you as well. God is not a respecter of persons, meaning that he doesn’t take your social status into account. If you work in tandem with God, you are both useful and powerful. You are given supernatural authority to accomplish eternal purposes, and also God is using your life to accomplish his eternal purposes. When those are one and the same, your life is exactly how it was meant to be.