Last night I led and preached at the Green Pastures church with the local farming folk. I preached on John 9:1-12. It was a lovely service. I saw 2 Pigmy Nightjars on the way and 2 Tree-Frogs there.
I have now completed the résumés of 30 chapters of Ezekiel so that leaves 18 chapters to go.
I see that England beat France by the unlikely margin of 6 x 4 to take 3rd spot in the World Cup. I didn't watch the game but Brazilian pundits say it was a really good game. Well done England!
Ezekiel 32 presents 2 laments for Pharoah and Egypt declaring its downfall to be a result of its pride. Pharoah is compared to a lion and sea monster... "but I will throw you on the land... and beasts will gorge on you... I will drench the land with your flowing blood... snuffing you out will darken the stars, sun and moon... when I bring about your destruction among the nations... the sword of Babylon will come against you... I will make Egypt desolate and all will know that I am the Lord". Then comes the second lament which points to how Egypt lies in Sheol with other nations judged by God... like Assyria, Elam, Meshech and Tubal, Edom, Sidon... so you too Pharoah will be broken and lie among the uncircumcised, and with those killed by the sword".
Ezekiel 31 prophesies against Egypt using a Lebanese cedar as an example. The text points to Assyria, "once a cedar in Lebanon... majestic... with beautiful branches... nourished by abundant water... and it towered higher than all the other trees... no tree in the garden of God could rival it... but it was filled with pride because of its height and splendour and foreign nations came and cut it down... and I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the grave... you too Egypt will be brought down as was the cedar of Lebanon... you will lie with the uncircumcised... this is what will happen to Pharoah and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord".
Ezekiel 30 continues the theme of God's judgement on Egypt and surrounding nations. "Wail... alas for that day... the day of the Lord is near... a time of doom for the nations... when the slain fall in Egypt her wealth will be carried away... the allies of Egypt will fall... I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt... Babylon will draw their swords against Egypt... I will destroy the idols... and I will spread fear... I will pour out my wrath... I will set fire to Egypt... she will be covered with clouds... So I will inflict punishment on Egypt... I am against Pharoah king of Egypt and will break both his arms so that he can't hold a sword... I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations... and I will put my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon... then they will know that I am the Lord".
Ezekiel 29 speaks against Egypt's Pharoah and nation because of its pride and because of its unreliability in its support for Israel. God says: "I am against you Pharoah... I will put hooks in your jaws... I will give you as food for the beasts and birds... I will bring a sword against you and kill your men and animals... I will make Egypt a desolate waste... no one will live there for 40 years... and it will never again rule over the nations". Finally God gives Egypt to Babylon to compensate for their hard work against Tyre. And God will restores Israel's strength (horn) and enable Ezekiel to speak out boldly".
Ezekiel 28 starts with a condemnation of the ruler of Tyre, then goes into a lament concerning the King of Tyre, this is followed by a prophecy against Sidon, and concludes promising a gathering from the nations of Israel. First then the ruler of Tyre was inflated by his pride as he even thought he was a god! Because of his arrogance God says he will judge him and he "will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners". Then in the next section a lament about the King of Tyre ensues saying how he was "the model of perfection... you were in Eden... blameless in your ways... but then wickedness was found in you... so I drove you from the mount of God... your heart become proud... so I reduced you to ashes... and you have come to a horrible end". Then God announces judgement on Sidon which is another Phoenician city: "I will send a plague on her and make blood flow in her streets". Then finally God promises the gathering of the Israelites from the nations... "and they will live in their own land... and they will live in safety".
I have now finished writing my summary of the first 24 chapters of Ezekiel which is half of the book. Chapter 23 is quite shocking being the most sensual chapter of the Bible, making the Song of Solomon like a children's book in kindergarten by comparison, only Ezekiel's sensual writing involves prostitution comparing Israel and Judah's sin with it. I was surprised how one commentary completely avoided reference to the sensual parts which are not few. It was like he was commenting on a different book! That it comes as quite a shock is true, but it's in the Bible as written by a certain priest and prophet called Ezekiel who lived in the 6th century BC. However it's not a chapter for children or adolescents.
Last night our son Philip, his wife Gylmara and their youngest son Luis, arrived in Brazil just after 9 pm at Recife airport, having left Heathrow at 6 am. They then drove up the coast to João Pessoa where they will spend the week with Gyl's parents prior to coming to Patos in the interior.
The death-toll in our neighbouring Venezuela's earthquakes has tragically passed the 5,000 mark at 5,069!
