Quote for Saturday 02 August 2025   ^#63

Faithful shepherds will not please everyone. They are responsible to God to maintain His truth.

When Jesus sought his sheep they complained that he ate with sinners. The heart of God is revealed in the Lost Coin, Lost Sheep, and Prodigal Son parables.

A steward looks after something that does not belong to him.

We do not want to spiritualise these promises. The scattering was literal and the gathering will also be literal.

Since the days of Rhoboam there has not been a single shepherd over them. God is going to save his flock and then set a shepherd over them.

This chapter presents the visible downfall of Egypt followed by the his entrance into Sheol. Sheol is translated as "the grave" and "hell". In Sheol the dead are alive and conscious, either in Upper Sheol (Paradise) or Lower Sheol, the place of the wicked dead.

Some small comfort would come to Pharaoh when he entered into Sheol, knowing he was not the only one to suffer such shame and judgment.

Chapter 33 is a turning point. We have come to an end of the judgment of surrounding nations, and now read again of the watchman, first presented in chapter 3; a re-commissioning of Ezekiel in this role.

Chapter 33 has four sections:
1. God's manner of dealing with watchmen (v1-6)
2. The function of the watchmen, and Ezekiel's task (v7-9)
3. The fall of Jerusalem (v21-22)
4. God's encouragement to Ezekiel in spite of the lack of response to his message.

This chapter concludes the section of judgment on the foreign nations.

No other book in the O.T. is so clearly dated as the book of Ezekiel. The first oracle is 1 March 585 B.C., two months after the news of the fall of Jerusalem reached the captives. Two weeks later Ezekiel received and gave the second oracle.

God is making known the reason for Pharaoh's humiliation and shame. When people fall, it is never without reason.

The sword usually stands for war. God's sword will be in the hand of the king of Babylon. For so many centuries Egypt had prospered, but it would soon end. We can see similar pride in nations today. To God it is inconsequential. He is able to humble the greatest.

The final lamentation brings us to the nether parts of the Earth, in which the unrighteous dead find themselves. This is the last of the seven prophecies against Egypt, in which they are cast into hell. The rich man in hell wanted a drop of water on his tongue. A spirit does not have a tongue or need water, so he must have had some kind of body.

Elam was situated 320km east of Babylon, west of the Tigress, now part of Iran. In the last days it seems that Israel will destroy Elam. Right now all of Iran's nuclear weapons are in what was once known as Elam.

In verses 1-8 Jesus gives a prediction that was prompted by the comment of the disciples about the temple buildings. He speaks of how things would be in the world, then he issues a caution, and finally a clarification.

The question that arises is, how are things going to be in and for the church? He predicts future difficulties. There will be three levels of opposition: religious, political, and domestic. The Christian age is an age of suffering. He also predicts future progress for the church: general progress (v10), individual (v11), and a universal promise (v13). This brings us to today's section, verses 14-18.

As God weakened Egypt and made Pharaoh defenceless, he would strengthen Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. Pharaoh would be left with the groans of death.

Two months later Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord with a message for Pharaoh.

The rise and demise of Assyria is a forewarning to Pharaoh of his own impending doom. If God can do such to Assyria, he can also do it to Egypt.

Ezekiel is helping Judah to see that part of their fate and devine judgment also cannot be escaped.

Pride and arrogance, in nations or individuals, are an offence to God. It made devils of angels and makes fiends out of men.

The lesson for us is in Micah 6:8: Let us walk humbly with our God.