PROCLAMATIONS AGAINST THE PHARAOH OF EGYPT THE FOUR CHAPTERS (29 to 32) The prophet left the Pharaoh of Egypt to the end, and dedicated four chapters for prophecies and lamentations for the Pharaoh of Egypt, in great abundance, for two reasons: The first was because Egypt has been at that time of huge authority; the prophecy against the Pharaoh of Egypt, carried a prophecy against the pagan world as a whole. The second was because Judah leaned upon the Pharaoh of Egypt, to save him from the hands of the king of Babylon, to end up destroyed. The Pharaoh of Egypt, thus became a symbol of leaning upon human arm, instead of repentance and return to God. In chapter 29, he spoke about the sin of Pharaoh, that of pride. In chapter 30, he prophesied against the Pharaoh of Egypt; his defeat before Babylon. In chapter 31, he likened the Pharaoh of Egypt to the haughty cedar that will be cut off and cast into the abyss. And in chapter 32, he took up a lamentation for the Pharaoh, the monster (the crocodile) that was destroyed by the king of Babylon. Chapter 29 spoke about: 1- Pharaoh, the great monster (crocodile) 1-7. 2- A temporary chastisement 8-12. 3- A return and a reform for Egypt 13-16. 4- He will be delivered to the king of Babylon 17-21. 1- PHARAOH THE GREAT MONSTER (CROCODILE) The prophet Ezekiel fixes the date of this prophecy by the tenth year of captivity; when Pharaoh came with his armies toward Jerusalem to save it from siege. The men of Judah did not listen to the warnings of Jeremiah and Ezekiel; and leaned upon the Pharaoh of Egypt against Babylon; rebelled against Babylon. The Pharaoh of Egypt came to save them... This led later to the destruction of the city, and to the killing of many. God gave a convenient analogy: Tyre, the island that was rich by its trade, proud of its traders. He likened it to a ship, precious in its construction and cargo, and perfect in its crew and men of war. While the Pharaoh of Egypt, together with his men, who depended upon the River Nile that gave Egypt fertility; He likened him to a great monster (a crocodile) who lies in the midst of his rivers (Ez 29:3); as the River Nile was then famous for its crocodiles. God called Pharaoh ‘the great monster or crocodile,’ probably because the Egyptians worshipped the crocodiles; so became themselves crocodiles; and their king was called ‘the great crocodile.’ Whoever worships stones, will become a stone; whoever worships vanity, will become vanity; And whoever worships the true God, will become ‘truth,’ and will enjoy the fellowship of the divine nature. The sin of Tyre was, greedily trying to benefit from the fall of Judah; while the sin of Pharaoh was pride; as, with his mighty army, he thought that he could do anything he wants; he who said: “My River is my own; I have made it for myself” (Ez 29:3). It was Pharaoh king of Egypt, Apries or Hophra, of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (588-569), who used to boast that, by his own hands, he realized for himself the power and security. He 5 set the ‘ego’ a god, that made the river, the source of Egypt’s fertility and greatness; made it for her own sake. The Historian Herodotus wrote that this king reigned with great prosperity for 25 years; his success made his heart lifted up, to say that even God Himself could not take him away from his kingdom. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of that pride, saying: “Who is coming up like a flood, whose waters move like the rivers? Egypt rises up like a flood, and its waters move like rivers. And he says, ‘I will go up and cover the earth; I will destroy the city and its inhabitants’” (Jer 46:7, 8). How will God deal with such a great monster, which claims that he is the creator of the river on his own account?! He says: “I will put hooks in your jaws, and cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales. I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, and all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales. I will leave you in the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You shall fall on the open field. You shall not be picked up or gathered. I have given you as food to the beasts of the field and to the birds of the heaven” (Ez 29:4, 5). Having thought with the pride of his heart, that the power and prosperity he is enjoying are his own making, God will deprive him of those gifts, will bring him out of the midst of his rivers, to let him die like a fish out of the water. And having assumed that everything have been created to serve him, He will cast him out in the wilderness, to die on the open field with no one to care for him, or even to bury him; to become a prey for the wild beasts and to the birds of heaven! And having gathered together around him many people to fight with him or to be under his protection, they will be like fish of the rivers that stick to his scales; whether they are nations, princes, chariots, or armies; all will face the same destiny. So, pride will cause him to lose his riches, his dignity, and even his life; and will humiliate those attached to him and leaning upon him. It is said, that when that Pharaoh came out to fight the people of Libya, who drove out his friend king Aricius, to get him his throne back, the Egyptians rebelled against him in his absence; and prevented him and his princes from returning to his kingdom; So he was cast our with them in the wilderness. That was the work of pride in Satan, who used to be referred to the highest heavenly rank; who lost heaven through his pride, to fall down to the abyss. Instead of the friendship with God, he entered into animosity against Him; and instead of the heavenly glory, he entered into permanent humiliation; he was destroyed, together with many of his angels, as well as of humans! That was how, our fore parents fell from Paradise, were deprived of their permanent existence in the divine presence; and gave their descendents an inheritance of labor and suffering! We were driven out of the River of life; and cast away to the wilderness of this life, to die spiritually, and to become a spoil to the beasts of the field (the devils of oppression and fierceness), and to the birds of heaven (the devil of pride). Again He likened the Pharaoh of Egypt to a staff of reed to the house of Israel (Ez 29:6). He is like a staff, yet of reed, that if someone leans on it, it will break, and tear his shoulder. Instead of supporting him, it would destroy his energies; according to the words of the prophet Isaiah: “For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose. Therefore I have called her, ‘Rahab-Hem-Shebeth (Rahab the do-nothing)” (Is 30:7). The Pharaoh of Egypt encouraged king Zedekiah to rebel against Babylon, to betray the covenant, and break the oath; that led to the fall of Zedekiah, the destruction of Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah, together with the defeat of Pharaoh himself. 6 It is to be noticed here, that chastening Pharaoh and the fish sticking to his scales, was by leaving them in the wilderness, to be eaten by the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven; the worst way to die, as far as the Egyptians are concerned, who used to keep the corpses of the dead in secure tombs and tunnels, so that when the spirits return, they would again enter their bodies! 2- A TEMPORARY CHASTISEMENT When Pharaoh, in the pride of his heart, assumed that he is the maker of the great River, and the protector of the surrounding nations; God brought a sword against him, to uproot men and beasts. Through pride, man would lose his humanity ‘his intellectual life,’ as well as his animality ‘his earthly life;’ he would lose what relate to both his body and mind. As to the limit of this loss, it is an utter waste and desolation, that extends from ‘Migdol’ in the north, to ‘Syene’ in the south (Esswan), as far as the border of ‘Cush’ (Ez 29:9). ‘Migdol’ is a Semite name meaning “tower;” probably a fortified city on the north-east border of Egypt, toward Palestine; which is nowadays ‘Tell-El-Her,’ 12 miles west of Pelusium; on the way crossed by the Hebrews as they came out of Egypt. ‘Aswan’ (Sewen, or Syene), is on the east bank of the River, on the southern border of Egypt; faced on the west bank by the island of Elephantine, that was a source of Granite for sculpturing the Egyptian statutes; as well as a stronghold on the southern border of Egypt. ‘Cush,’ on the other hand, is ‘Ethiopia;’ but here, it is most probably the ‘Nubian’ land. Thus the chastisement of the Pharaoh of Egypt was an utter one, his land will become desolate, with no inhabitant, man or beast; from north to south. Yet it was, at the same time, of temporary nature (40 years), contrary to those of other nations, whose chastisements were to be eternal. He scatters the Egyptians, yet for a certain time; probably a reference to the special place that the land of Egypt would eventually occupy in the heart of God; when it comes to believe in the Lord Christ; according to the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come to Egypt... Then the Lord will be known to Egypt; and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day; and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it” (Is 19). Egypt will spend the days of its idolatry as though lost in the wilderness; then to return to faith in God, and to worship of its Savior. 3- A RETURN AND A REFORM FOR EGYPT God gave a lesson to the Pharaoh of Egypt, who provoked the king of Judah to disregard the voice of prophets; to end up together with his people, scattered for a period of 40 years; after which, God brought back the captives of Egypt, and caused them to return to the land of ‘Pathros,’ to the land of their origin; and they shall be a lowly kingdom” (Ez 29:14). ‘Pathros’ is an Egyptian word that means “the land of the south” - Upper Egypt - that was of less importance and fame than Lower or Middle Egypt. It is to be noticed that, after Nebuchadnezzar took over Jerusalem, some Hebrews came to dwell in Pathros (Jer 44:1, 2, 15). By the kingdom’s return to Pathros, he probably implied its weakness and 7 helplessness to fight or to help others any more; it would not resume its pride; or its deception of the people of God, pretending to be their support against Babylon. 4- HE IS DELIVERED TO THE KING OF BABYLON Finally, instead of defending Judah, the Pharaoh of Egypt fell into the hand of the king of Babylon, who confiscated his riches; and took him a spoil. God delivered him to the king of Babylon, as a reward for what the latter did to Tyre. When Tyre came to benefit from the tribulation of Jerusalem; God provoked Babylon to destroy it, and then rewarded it by the riches of Pharaoh. Nebuchadnezzar attacked the land of Egypt in the thirty-seventh year of his reign (568-567 B C); and got much of its wealth; yet did not affiliate it to his kingdom. The main issue for which God cared, was not to reward the king of Babylon for destroying Tyre that rejoiced for the tribulation of Jerusalem; but to “cause the horn (namely the strength) of the house of Israel to spring forth “ (Ez 29:21); and to open the mouth of His prophet to speak in the midst of His people, to proclaim that salvation, with the spirit of hope and joy; saying: “I will open your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am their Lord” (Ez 29:21). 8 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF E ZEKIEL 29 MY RIVER IS MY OWN I HAVE MADE IT FOR MYSELF! The Pharaoh of Egypt is proud of the River Nile; He counts it as his own; made by his hands for himself! How ridiculous for man to refer to himself what is actually God’s. Instead of offering thanksgiving and praise to God, for creating the world for him; he thinks of being a god himself! You have chastened Egypt, yet for a certain time; Then came to it over a swift cloud! You devastated its idols, and set Your altar in its midst! Hasten to my soul, O Savior! Let the idols of my soul tremble before Your presence! Set Your divine altar inside me! Cast away my ingratitude; and teach me thanksgiving! The River Nile is of the making of Your own hands! Your gifts are uncountable! How shall I pay You back, O Lord, for the abundance of Your gifts?!
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