Eze 29-32: Outline, re Egypt: (a) Prophecies (Eze 29); (b)
Nebuchadnezzar (Eze 30:1-19); (c) Pharaoh's broken arm (Eze 30:20-26); (d)
Lesson for Pharaoh (Eze 31); and (e) Lamentation (Eze 32).
Eze 29:3
YOU GREAT MONSTER: Like the king of Tyre and his
people, Pharaoh and Egypt had also been guilty of pride. He had become like a
great river monster (Heb "tannim", probably a crocodile of which there were many
in the Nile) because he had taken credit for the Nile River, the lifeblood of
the nation. Rather than giving God thanks for this resource, the king had
proudly claimed responsibility for it. "This was [Pharaoh] Hophra's [Gr
'Apries'] arrogant self-image. Herodotus implied that Pharaoh Apries was so
strong in his position that he felt no god could dislodge him. In his reign he
sent an expedition against Cyprus, besieged and took Gaza (cf Jer 47:1) and the
city of Sidon, was victorious against Tyre by sea, and considered himself master
over Palestine and Phoenicia... This arrogance had also shown itself in an
attempt to interrupt Babylonia's siege of Jerusalem -- an attempt thwarted by
God" (EB).
I WILL PUT HOOKS IN YOUR JAWS AND MAKE THE FISH OF YOUR
STREAMS STICK TO YOUR SCALES. The LORD promised to remove Pharaoh and his
lieutenants and subordinate princes (the lesser "fish" clinging to him) from
their land, as a fisherman pulls a crocodile out of the water with hooks.
Normally people caught crocodiles by placing hooks in their jaws and then
dragging them onto land where they killed them. In the delta region of Egypt,
the Egyptians worshipped the crocodile as a god, Sebek, which they believed
protected their nation (cf Eze 32:2; Psa 74:13; Isa 27:1; 51:9). Thus God
promised to destroy Pharaoh, Egypt, and the god supposedly responsible for their
protection.
Eze 29:6
YOU HAVE BEEN A STAFF OF REED FOR THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL:
"Friends are people who can be relied on whatever the circumstances. Friends are
there to laugh with us, to cry with us, to share our company and to support us.
A true friend is always there when we need him, and has our needs at heart as
much as his own.
"When Israel rejected God, they considered Pharaoh, King of
Egypt, to be their friend. While things were going good, he was probably a very
good friend to have, but he turned out to be unreliable. He broke trust with
Israel and Judah and let them down. He was described here as a staff of a reed
to the house of Israel. The staff is what supports our steps when we are
walking. We have to rely on it, that it will support our weight when we lean on
it and put our faith in it. But the staff of Egypt was bent and splintered,
letting Israel fall and causing injury.
"We all have friends that will support us in our times of need
and we have friends who will break and let us down. But we must aim to be a true
friend to our friends. We must be reliable and supportive just as the Lord Jesus
Christ is a best friend to us" (RP).
Eze 29:11
Vv 11-13: Invasion by Nebuchadnezzar in 37th year of reign: Xd
37:5.
Eze 29:12
FORTY YEARS: That is, until the early years of Cyrus'
reign.