Ezekiel 32:17

Ezekiel 32:17 says, It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,  Once more, we are told the specific day that God’s word came to Ezekiel.  God’s word should come to us daily as we live our everyday life and not just on specific days of the week.   

Verse eighteen adds, Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.  God told Ezekiel to wail for the people of Egypt who were going to be be cast down into the ground and join those who had gone down into the pit or hell.  We should mourn for anyone today who dies without accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, because one day, they will be cast down into the pit of hell.  We should never look forward to or celebrate their destruction.  It is our commission to reach out to everyone with God’s love, no matter what it may cost us.   

Verse nineteen continues, Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.  God asked if Egypt thought that she was better than other nations that had been defeated before who thought that they were all powerful and would be exempt from falling.  The answer was no.  No matter how powerful a nation may believe itself to be, like other great nations before it, it can fall at God’s word.  No nation is more powerful than God.  The uncircumcised were those who were not a part of God’s kingdom and today would be those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.   

Verse twenty states, They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.  God said that Egypt was going to fall by the sword just like all other nations that had been defeated would.  They were nothing special, and no nation today is, especially those who deny God.   

Verse twenty-one adds, The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.  God said that the mighty among them would speak to them from the pit of hell along with all those who had helped them.  He said they would be like all the uncircumcised, those who were not a part of God’s kingdom, who had fallen before them.  Anyone or any nation that does not put its faith in God and accept His gift of salvation will one day go down to the pit of hell, just like all none believers before them have. 

Ezekiel 32:13

Ezekiel 32:13 says, I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them.  God said that He was also going to cause all the animals that walked by the great waters to be destroyed. Matthew Henry says this means the animals could have either been destroyed or taken away captive by the Babylonians, but either way, they would no longer disturb the river.  If we don’t repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ, one day everything we own and we ourselves will be cut off from the Living Water, and we will no longer disturb God.   

Verse fourteen adds, Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord God.  God said that when this happened that the waters would run deep and the rivers be like oil.  Matthew Henry says that this means that the rivers that had once flowed briskly would now flow slowly depicting a sadness even in nature at the fall of Egypt.   I do know that when God’s judgment comes, there will be a great sadness in the whole world for those who are not followers of Jesus Christ.   

Verse fifteen continues, When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the Lord.  God said that when He caused the destruction of Egypt that they would know that He is God.  Of course, for those who had been destroyed, it would be too late for it to do them any good, just as it will be too late for anyone who has not acknowledged that God is God and put their faith in Jesus Christ to do them any good to finally know this when He comes in judgment.   

Verse sixteen concludes, This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her: the daughters of the nations shall lament her: they shall lament for her, even for Egypt, and for all her multitude, saith the Lord God.  God said that other nations would lament the destruction of Egypt.  Egypt had been a great power in the world, and now was to be destroyed, so those around Egypt would be saddened by her fall.  This didn’t mean that they would now put their faith in God though, even if they saw this as being caused by Him.  If God causes a person or nation that is viewed as being powerful today to fall, other people or nations may lament their falling but still not put their faith in God. 

Ezekiel 32:9

Ezekiel 32:9 says, I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.  God said that He was going to vex the hearts of the people who heard about the destruction of Egypt.  He also said that many of these people were unknown to them.  If a powerful country or leader falls today, many people may be troubled by it, especially if they thought the country or person to be too great to fall.   

Verse ten adds, Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall.  God said that He was going to cause people to be amazed at the fall of Egypt.  God also said that when people of other countries heard what happened to the Pharaoh and Egypt that they would tremble before Him.  Even if it doesn't happen in this lifetime, one day all those who have refused to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will tremble before Him in fear.  If we do not accept God’s gracious gift of salvation, we will one day face His everlasting punishment, and this should cause us to tremble in fear.   

Verse eleven continues, For thus saith the Lord God; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee.  God then told the Pharaoh that he was to be destroyed by the king of Babylon and that God would be the One Who allowed this to happen.  We will ultimately be destroyed by our sins if we have not repented and accepted God’s forgiveness, but even in this lifetime, we may be defeated by other nations.   

Verse twelve concludes, By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed.  Once more, God said that He was the One causing the destruction of Egypt, even if He worked through Babylon to accomplish this destruction.  It is not whether we fall as a nation today or not, but it is whether or not we are sent away to everlasting punishment that should cause us to tremble if we have not accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. 

Ezekiel 32:5

Ezekiel 32:5 says, And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height.  God said that the people of Egypt were going to be killed on the mountains and in the valleys.  Their great army was not going to save them, and no matter what great force we put our faith in today rather than God it will one day be completely destroyed.   

Verse six adds, I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.  God said that the rivers were going to be filled with the blood of the Egyptians as well as the land all the way to the mountains. Matthew Henry says this could be referring to the analogy of the people of Egypt being like a great whale and it being cast on the land and filling the whole valley, but the prophecy was about Egypt being destroyed, even if it was an analogy.  We need to see the meaning behind analogies and parables in the Bible and not try to take them literally.   

Verse seven continues, And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.  God said that when His judgment came on the people of Egypt that the world would be in darkness.  The Pharoah had seen himself as the sun who bought light to his people, but he was going to see how wrong he was.  God is the only one who can bring light and darkness on the world, and Jesus Christ is the only true Light of the world.  Everything or everyone else that we put our faith in will leave us in darkness.   

Verse eight concludes, All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord God.  God said that He was going to make all the brightest lights in heaven dark before the Egyptians.  Everything that we look to for light other than Jesus Christ will one day be made dark.  That is why we need to come to the Light of Christ while we can.