A Word for Egypt Part 1

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:05.240 Our heavenly father. We do thank you that you and keep your promises to 2 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:09.880 us and that your steadfast love is steadfast, that you bring us into a 3 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:16.120 salvation according to your promise, and in that salvation we find great strength, 4 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:25.280 we find your love for us, we find your word in our mouths, 5 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:31.079 mind's change, hearts changed, a hope on that is according to your word. 6 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:35.520 And as we meditate on these things and as we consider the things that 7 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:41.039 you say in are in your word, we come to buy your grace, 8 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:46.320 a better a better understanding and trust in you. We asked that you would 9 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:50.200 do that for us this evening, as we come to your word and Ezekiel, 10 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:54.920 help us to remember your strength and your supremacy in all things, the 11 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:59.719 salvation that we have in King Jesus. We pray this in his name. 12 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:04.959 Amen. But if you're able to remain standing, please do and let's turn 13 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:15.840 our attention to Ezekiel, chapter twenty nine. Ezekiel Chapter Twenty Nine, beginning 14 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:23.319 of verse one, and I'll read through thirty verse nineteen. So, Ezekiel 15 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:30.959 Chapter Twenty Nine, verse one through Thirty Nineteen. The Lord has has been 16 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:38.200 giving oracles against through his equal against various neighbors of Israel. He comes now 17 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:45.840 to Egypt, which completes this cycle on this last one is actually comprised of 18 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:51.719 seven different sections. I'm we're going to cover the first three of those tonight. 19 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:57.599 You'll find similarities, perhaps, if you're looking for them, between this 20 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:02.400 and the Oracle against tire that we considered a little bit a go. Let's 21 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:09.639 hear God's Word Now, Ezekiel, twenty nine, in the tenth year and 22 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:13.280 the ten month, on the twelve day of the month, the word of 23 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:16.479 the Lord came to me, son of man, set your face against Pharaoh, 24 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:22.479 King of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. Speak 25 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:28.560 and say, thus says the Lord, God behold, I am against you, 26 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:31.919 Pharaoh, King of Egypt, the Great Dragon that lies in the midst 27 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:37.840 of his streams. That says, my Nile is my own, I made 28 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:43.639 it for myself. I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish 29 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:47.120 of your streams stick to your scales, and I will draw you up out 30 00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:52.199 of the midst of your streams with all the fish of your streams that stick 31 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:55.159 to your scales, and I will cast you out into the Wilderness, you 32 00:02:55.199 --> 00:03:00.719 and all the fish of your streams and you shall fall on the open field 33 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:05.719 and not be brought together or gathered to the beasts of the earth and the 34 00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:10.560 birds of the heavens. I give you as food. Then all the inhabitants 35 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:15.879 of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because you have been a 36 00:03:15.960 --> 00:03:22.439 staff of excuse me, because you have been a staff of read to the 37 00:03:22.439 --> 00:03:25.400 House of Israel. When they grasped you with the hand, you broken tore 38 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:30.080 all their shoulders, and when they leaned on you, you broke and made 39 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:35.319 all their loins to shake. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, behold, 40 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:38.240 I will bring a sword upon you and will cut off from you man 41 00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:44.159 and beast, and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. 42 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:49.240 Then they will know that I am the Lord, because you said the 43 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:53.360 Nile is mine and I made it. Therefore, behold, I am against 44 00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:55.479 you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt and 45 00:03:55.599 --> 00:04:00.439 utter waste and desolation. From migdol to Syene, as far as the border 46 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:05.000 of Cush, no foot of man shall pass through it and no foot of 47 00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:11.039 beast shall pass through it. It shall be uninhabited forty years, and I 48 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:15.680 will make the land of Egypt desolation in the midst of a desolated countries, 49 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:19.240 of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation. Forty years, 50 00:04:19.319 --> 00:04:25.480 among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations 51 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:30.680 and disperse them through the countries, for thus says the Lord God. At 52 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:33.600 the end of forty years, I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among 53 00:04:33.639 --> 00:04:39.000 whom they were scattered and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them 54 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:44.240 back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there 55 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:47.560 they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the most lowly of the 56 00:04:47.639 --> 00:04:53.439 Kingdoms and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them 57 00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:57.879 so small that they will never again rule over the nations, and it shall 58 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:02.639 never again be the reliance of the House of Israel recalling their iniquity when they 59 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:08.800 would return to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the 60 00:05:08.839 --> 00:05:13.360 Lord God. In the twenty seventh year and the first month, on the 61 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:15.839 first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, 62 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:21.519 son of Man Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon made his army labor hard against tire. 63 00:05:21.560 --> 00:05:26.600 Every head was made bald and every shoulder rub is rubbed bare. Yet 64 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:30.920 neither he nor his army got anything from tire to pay for the Labor that 65 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:34.199 he had performed against her. Therefore, thus, as the Lord God behold, 66 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:38.360 I will give the land of Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, 67 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:42.480 and he shall carry off its wealth and despoil it and plunder it, and 68 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:46.319 it shall be the wages for his army. I have given him the land 69 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:49.360 of Egypt as his payment, for which he labored, because they worked for 70 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:55.519 me, declares the Lord God. On that day, I will cause a 71 00:05:55.600 --> 00:06:00.000 horn to spring up for the House of Israel and I will open your lips 72 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:04.680 among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord. The word 73 00:06:04.680 --> 00:06:09.000 of the Lord came to me, son of man, prophesy and say. 74 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:14.519 Thus says the Lord God. Wail Alas, for the day. The day 75 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:16.720 is near, the day of the Lord is near. It will be a 76 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:21.079 day of clouds, a time of doom for the nation's a sword shall come 77 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:26.639 upon Egypt and anguish shall be in cush when the slain fall in Egypt, 78 00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:31.000 and her wealth is carried away and her foundations are torn down. Cush and 79 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:35.399 put and blood and all Arabia and Libya and the people of the land that 80 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:42.639 is in League shall fall with them by the sword, thus says the Lord 81 00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:46.160 those who support Egypt shall fall, and her proud might shall come down from 82 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:50.439 migdols to Siyheene. They shall fall within her by the sword, declares the 83 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:55.879 Lord God. They shall be desolated in the midst of the desolated countries, 84 00:06:56.079 --> 00:06:59.759 and their cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid bare. 85 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:02.680 Then they will know that I am the Lord when I have set fire 86 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:08.920 to Egypt and all her helpers are broken. On that day, messengers shall 87 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:15.759 go out from me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting be people of Cush and 88 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:19.759 anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt's doom, for behold it 89 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:24.800 comes. Thus says the Lord God, I will put an end to the 90 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:28.959 wealth of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. He and 91 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:31.920 his people with him, the most ruthless of nations, shall be brought in 92 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:36.800 to destroy the land, and they shall daw draw their swords against Egypt and 93 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:41.199 fill the land with the slain. And I will dry up the Nile and 94 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:46.120 I will sell the land into the hand of evildoers. I will bring desolation 95 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:49.240 upon the land and everything in it by the hand of foreigners. I am 96 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:54.720 the Lord. I Have Spoken, thus says the Lord God. I will 97 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:58.519 destroy the idols, I will put an end to the images in Memphis. 98 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:01.600 There shall no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt. So I 99 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:07.040 will put fear in the land of Egypt. I will make pathross a desolation. 100 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:13.800 I will set fire to zoon and will execute judgments on Thebes. I 101 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:18.439 will pour out my wrath on Pellucium, the stronghold of Egypt. I will 102 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:22.519 cut off the multitude of theves and I will set fire to Egypt. PELLUCIUM 103 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:28.759 shall be in great agony, themes shall be repro or shall be breached and 104 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:33.799 Memphis shall face enemies by day. The young men of on and of Pie 105 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:39.919 beshef shall fall by the sword and the women shall go into captivity at Tea 106 00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:46.559 Paus the the day shall be dark when I break there. The yoke bars 107 00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:50.480 of Egypt and her proud might shall come to an end. In her, 108 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:54.879 she shall be covered by a cloud and her daughter shall go into captivity. 109 00:08:54.159 --> 00:09:01.159 Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt. Then they will know that I am 110 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:18.360 the Lord, maybe seated well. This passage we see several sections. We 111 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:24.720 came to three of them. The first is in twenty nine one through sixteen, 112 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:30.639 the second is seventeen through twenty one, and the third is thirty one 113 00:09:30.679 --> 00:09:37.919 through nineteen. There are four more after these for a complete seven, a 114 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:46.360 number often signifying completion in the scriptures. These seven oracles hold together and bring 115 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:54.879 Pharaoh and the people of Egypt under the wrath of God. And in this 116 00:09:54.919 --> 00:10:01.080 prophecy we see the strength of our Lord. We see his supremacy in all 117 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:07.639 creation, his supremacy in Providence, his authority over every kingdom, over every 118 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:16.559 power and over every false god. It's a judgment in which Egypt is prophesied 119 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:24.000 against and a reminder to Israel and to us to trust only in the Lord, 120 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:28.240 to trust only in the Lord, to not trust ourselves, to not 121 00:10:28.279 --> 00:10:33.919 trust others, but all and always look to God, our King, who 122 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:37.679 has, of course, in these last times, revealed himself through his son, 123 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:43.679 this Messiah, this anointed one, who is promised from the very beginning, 124 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:50.080 one who has promised to conquer, to crush the head of the serpent 125 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:58.559 and to be the true image bear of God. This king, are King 126 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:05.399 Jesus, has crushed the Great Dragon, the Great Monster. He has crushed 127 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:11.279 Satan himself. He has brought all of Satan's pride and boasting to nothing, 128 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:16.360 and one day all the nations and all the peoples of the world will give 129 00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:22.440 Jesus the praise that is due his name and a Zeke. He'll prophesies of 130 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:26.720 these things, both against Egypt now and in the things to come. We 131 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:33.720 hear are the strength of the Lord God as he subdues Egypt and also, 132 00:11:33.399 --> 00:11:41.960 hopefully, our own hearts. So let's begin with a short exposition of these 133 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:48.080 three oracles. Well, I'm just a quick explanation and reminder of what we 134 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:58.080 just heard. So First, God speaks to us and versus one through sixteen. 135 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:03.000 You remember when the prophecy came against tire and against her king, that 136 00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:09.519 city was compared to a boat. You might remember I mentioned the titanic as 137 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:16.120 a possible close analogy, this great boat, which symbolize their her power on 138 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:22.600 her wealth, her influence and her pride. is she goes and sails out 139 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:31.240 onto the waters, undefeatable, unsinkable, and then, of course, sunk. 140 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:37.000 Tire was brought low. And in a similar way, I'm God speaks 141 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:43.080 to Egypt. I'm in her king in particular, the King of Egypt, 142 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:50.399 like the king of tire, was trusting in his wealth, his power, 143 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:56.200 and he styles himself even as the king of tire did and as Nebuchadnezzar does 144 00:12:56.240 --> 00:13:03.039 and as many great kings do, after God himself. Verse Twenty Nine, 145 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:07.279 verse two, or rather three, says God says, behold, I am 146 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:13.360 against you, Pharaoh, King of Egypt, the Great Dragon that lies in 147 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:18.399 the midst of his streams, this dragon that says, my Nile is my 148 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:26.799 own, I made it for myself. But who made the Nile? Not 149 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:33.320 Pharaoh. Pharaoh is no God to Pharaoh is not able to control the waters, 150 00:13:33.320 --> 00:13:37.360 he's not able to give the land it's prosperity. Only God. Yeah, 151 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:41.240 way, King of Israel does these things. This, of course, 152 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:48.120 was made very plain on all kinds of ways, but we remember particularly when 153 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:54.000 God set his people free out of Egypt on a long time ago. Pharaoh 154 00:13:54.200 --> 00:13:58.720 said he would not obey the Lord, he would not let God's people go, 155 00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:05.519 and God came against him and came against him hard, proving himself victorious 156 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:11.200 over Pharaoh and over all the false gods that were there. Bringing plague after 157 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:16.919 plague upon Egypt. God showed that he alone was creator of Heaven and earth 158 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:24.000 and not the false gods, most of all Pharaoh himself, taking Pharaoh's own 159 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:28.679 son, bringing death into Pharaoh's own household and eventually pharaoh's life as well. 160 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:35.200 As he and is supposedly great army is drowned in the sea. Is God 161 00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:43.440 rescued his people? Here Pharaoh is again another Pharaoh, having seemingly learn learned 162 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:52.080 nothing of God of Yahwey. Pharaoh here is described as a great dragon, 163 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:58.960 or perhaps a crocodile, a monster living in the Nile, this great creature, 164 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:05.279 he that sees it itself as the true ruler of this land. The 165 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:09.519 Nile, of course, kind of like the waters and the sea. Trade 166 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:15.879 for tie or the Nile was Egypt prosperity right during the Roman Empire and in 167 00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:20.559 other times and places, Egypt was this breadbasket of the world. They produced 168 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:26.840 all kinds of resources, I'm not only for themselves but for other places as 169 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:33.440 well. The Nile is it flooded and provided a very fertile land. It's 170 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:41.000 been for a very long time the wealth and and and hope of Egypt, 171 00:15:41.080 --> 00:15:46.799 and so that's why the Nile here is seen as the strength of Pharaoh. 172 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:52.480 He says it is my own, I made it for myself. Well, 173 00:15:52.519 --> 00:16:00.720 this boast of being God and creator of the source of prosperity for this land 174 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:03.639 is a false boast, because God alone is, of course the creator. 175 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:08.000 And so he says, I will put hooks in your jaws and make the 176 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:14.399 fish of your streams, referring to other nations that put their hope in Egypt. 177 00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:18.519 I'll make the fish of your stream stick to your scales. I'll draw 178 00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:22.639 out this huge beast out of the Nile and I'll put you out in the 179 00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:27.159 wasteland and the desert and the Wilderness, where the birds and the beasts will 180 00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:37.799 feed upon you. No burial, no great mummification, no placement in the 181 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:44.639 the treasuries and in the holy places in Egypt. No, just exposed an 182 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:49.759 open, ashamed and dishonored as the beasts of the earth and the birds of 183 00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:59.440 the heaven just eat her up as food. God will simply pull out the 184 00:16:59.559 --> 00:17:06.720 great monster the Great Dragon out of the Nile and will bring her, bring 185 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:14.480 him and this country to an end. Why? What is the reasoning behind 186 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:18.039 this? God says in verses six and seven. Why he compares Egypt to 187 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:27.759 a failed staff. I've had the unfortunate opportunity of sitting in a broken chair 188 00:17:29.079 --> 00:17:34.000 a few times in my life or seeing somebody said in a broken share or 189 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:38.640 lean on something that proved not to be reliable, and it's it's quite a 190 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:45.640 dramatic scene, right. It's often scary and sometimes brings injury. If you 191 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:48.880 if you sit down into a chair where the leg is broken, their back 192 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:52.960 or it's the ground isn't stable and you just fall backwards right in, your 193 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:56.880 heart rate goes up and everything goes goes wrong. It's it's kind of a 194 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:03.599 similar image here. Each is compared to a staff, a staff of read, 195 00:18:03.880 --> 00:18:07.680 not a strong staff, not a powerful staff, not a staff that 196 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:15.359 rules and a staff that is trustworthy can be depended upon, but a read 197 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:22.240 that breaks. Israel trusts in Egypt. Israel looks at Egypt and her wealth 198 00:18:22.279 --> 00:18:29.359 and her chariots and her power and says, Oh, we can trust Israel, 199 00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:33.119 she can be our salvation, that king will save us from Nebuchadnezzar or 200 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:37.720 whomever. It depends different times and different places. And instead of trusting in 201 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:44.880 the Lord, she trusts Israel, trusts in Egypt. But Egypt is a 202 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:52.559 daff of read. And what happens? It breaks. You broke, God 203 00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:56.759 says, to Egypt, and tore their shoulders, break and make their loins 204 00:18:56.880 --> 00:19:03.039 to shake. Egypt was not dependable. Egypt, and all her boasting says, 205 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:07.519 rely on us, depend on us, give tribute to us, be 206 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:15.559 our vassal, and Israel obliged, and Israel fell into ruin because of it. 207 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:18.920 Egypt was, in some ways a false God for Israel herself. And 208 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:22.400 therefore, Verse Eight, thus says the Lord, God, behold, I 209 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:29.039 will bring sword upon you and I will cut you off, cut off from 210 00:19:29.079 --> 00:19:33.400 you, man and beast. The land of Egypt shall be a desolation and 211 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:37.480 waste. Then they will know that I am the Lord, because you said 212 00:19:37.640 --> 00:19:44.599 the Nihil is mine and I made it so. God will bring them low. 213 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:49.799 He does talk later about bringing them back, and there's language there that, 214 00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:55.200 if you've been going through this book with with me, you go ah, 215 00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:59.640 I know this language about scattering out and bringing them back. That sounds 216 00:19:59.759 --> 00:20:04.000 very familiar things that God has promised to Israel, but it ends up twisting 217 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:08.880 and being different than we've heard before. Instead of bringing back the people into 218 00:20:08.920 --> 00:20:15.680 a country and re establishing them and securing them in gun under God's grace, 219 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:18.240 it says I will bring them back into the land of their origin, and 220 00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:22.559 then in verse fourteen, it says and they shall be a lowly kingdom. 221 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:30.400 The contrast is to help us to see God's continued favor on Israel, help 222 00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:36.400 us to see a God that God and his covenant promises for them. Are 223 00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:41.440 Sure God's not going to bring back Israel so that she can rise again and 224 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:44.960 you once again rule the nations? Know he will bring them back so that 225 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:52.039 they will never again exalt themselves above the nation's never again will they rule like 226 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:59.519 they had in the next expisode or in the next oracle and versus seventeen through 227 00:20:59.559 --> 00:21:06.119 twenty one. God. Then he speaks particularly of why this is happening. 228 00:21:06.359 --> 00:21:10.240 Another reason, I guess, he gives for why this is happening, and 229 00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:15.559 the reason he gives that as Nebuchadnezzar, as God prophets, as God spoke 230 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:18.680 through his equal in this prophecy, nebuchadnezzar was to come against tire. You 231 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:22.480 remember, that was going to stripper bear down to the Rock, so there 232 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:29.279 was absolutely nothing left. Well, this is exactly what Nebuchadnezzar did. Thirteen 233 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:33.160 years and from five hundred and eighty six to five hundred and seventy three BC, 234 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:41.720 nebuchadnezzar raged against tire and was successful. However, God says that the 235 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:48.519 work didn't produce much results for Nebuchadnezzar and for the people of Babylon. All 236 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:52.359 of that work, all of that war, all of that conquering was relatively 237 00:21:52.519 --> 00:21:59.200 fruitless. And God, and so God says that the land of Egypt will 238 00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:03.160 be given to Nebuchadnezzar, will be given to Babylon, and he will carry 239 00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:07.319 off this is verse nineteen its wealth, to spoil it and plunder it, 240 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:14.000 and it shall be the wages for his army. There's all kinds of really 241 00:22:14.039 --> 00:22:18.599 important lessons in this. One is, of course, the supremacy of God 242 00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:25.319 over nation's God. Nebuchadnezzar seems, and he will think in due time, 243 00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:27.480 that he is the one who is in control, that he is the one 244 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:33.200 who is powerful, but know he is simply a worker on behalf of the 245 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:38.319 Lord. This is what wages imply right. God gives him his wages because 246 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:45.200 God is his employer. God is the sovereign one here, not Nebuchadnezzar, 247 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:49.440 as strong as he may be, conquering this kingdom and that kingdom. Ultimately, 248 00:22:49.480 --> 00:22:55.720 it is God who pays him and does so according to his work. 249 00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:59.640 It is a reminder to Egypt, it is a reminder to Babylon, it 250 00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:06.240 is a remindered Israel and a reminder to us that God alone is king. 251 00:23:07.720 --> 00:23:11.680 And then we come, finally, to the third Oracle, Chapter Thirty, 252 00:23:11.799 --> 00:23:17.480 verses one through nineteen, and in some ways it's a repetition of the first 253 00:23:17.559 --> 00:23:22.640 oracle, but it comes in the form of a of a lament, and 254 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:27.480 some more specificity is given as well. So, for example, the fish 255 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:33.319 of the streams are named, in verse five, Cush and put Lud and 256 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:37.839 all of Arabia and Libya and the people of the land that is in league. 257 00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:42.640 They shall fall with them by the sword, these fish that have a 258 00:23:42.759 --> 00:23:48.559 trusted in the Nile, that have trusted in the one who styled himself as 259 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:55.839 God. They will all fall with him. Egypt, her rulers and her 260 00:23:55.880 --> 00:24:00.759 gods as well. M He will put God, the True God, will 261 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:06.240 put an end to Egypt and, as he says in verse thirteen, I 262 00:24:06.279 --> 00:24:11.480 will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis. There 263 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:15.680 shall no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt. So I will 264 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:22.720 put fear into the land of Egypt. God removes the King and puts in 265 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:30.079 fear, fear of him, so that they might see that he alone is 266 00:24:30.119 --> 00:24:36.160 the one true God, he alone is king, and not only so that 267 00:24:36.359 --> 00:24:41.839 is our Egypt would see these things, but so that Israel would as well. 268 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:48.480 So what do we learn from these passages? What is Jesus? What 269 00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:53.599 does King Jesus want us to know as we live our lives out in him? 270 00:24:55.759 --> 00:25:00.319 One thing is that no power in the world should be depended upon or 271 00:25:00.359 --> 00:25:07.680 feared more than him. None. God speaks to us in his strength, 272 00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:11.240 doesn't he? He speaks to you and his power. He speaks to you 273 00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:18.240 in his supreme ability to move armies, remove kings, set up, take 274 00:25:18.359 --> 00:25:23.960 down, do whatever he wants to do, according to his wisdom, according 275 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:33.440 to his justice. Despite Egypt's apparent it power, wealth boasting abundance and security. 276 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:40.200 None of it will save them, none of it will save the king, 277 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:45.279 and we must take this and apply this to our own lives. What 278 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:49.640 do you place your trust in? What do you place your strengthen and your 279 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:56.480 identity, and that's other than King Jesus? Do you find your safety in 280 00:25:56.519 --> 00:26:03.599 your security, in your obedience, in your family history? You find it 281 00:26:03.640 --> 00:26:10.119 in your marriage or your kids? Do you look for strength and security in 282 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:17.759 your knowledge or your work, or maybe your ability to hide and deceive and 283 00:26:17.880 --> 00:26:22.440 keep things from people? Where do you find your safety and where do you 284 00:26:22.519 --> 00:26:30.519 find your strengthen know that if it is anything other than in the Lord Jesus, 285 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:36.680 it will fall, it will fail. The Lord can tear up, 286 00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:44.240 remove and pull out with hooks all that he desires and he sees everything. 287 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:51.880 He sees on can move great armies, he can move nations to accomplish his 288 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:56.960 will. Though someone see though, someone can say that he is a God, 289 00:26:57.000 --> 00:27:02.160 and it would seem that he may be given all his strength, he 290 00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:07.440 is nothing compared to the Lord. Nothing. We have to always, always 291 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:15.599 keep this in mind, that God alone is King, God alone is strong, 292 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:23.400 he alone is supreme. Why does Jesus want us to know these things 293 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:27.519 so that we can put all of our faith and hope and in so that 294 00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:32.039 we would let go of our idols, so that we could let go of 295 00:27:32.039 --> 00:27:37.440 our false pretenses, so that we can let go of our hiding and simply 296 00:27:37.559 --> 00:27:42.759 trust ourselves to him. When we read passages like this, it forces us 297 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:48.640 is ask this question. Who are you going to trust? Are you going 298 00:27:48.680 --> 00:27:52.359 to trust the one who is strong, the one who is supreme, the 299 00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:56.720 one who from does all that he says he will do, the one who 300 00:27:56.759 --> 00:28:03.400 has promised to be steadfast in his love for Israel, or will you trust 301 00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:07.640 the things of this world? We can't trust the things of this world. 302 00:28:07.720 --> 00:28:12.000 They fall apart. It's like building our house on sand. It just falls 303 00:28:12.119 --> 00:28:18.000 right through. It's like trusting a staff that just breaks on us. It 304 00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:22.000 all might, you could cover it and gold and fancy pictures and all kinds 305 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:26.960 of things, but when it breaks, breaks and it can ruin us. 306 00:28:27.640 --> 00:28:32.920 But would we hear the Lord and his strength, when we hear his going 307 00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:37.440 out before his people and for his people to show us and to show the 308 00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:42.000 world that he alone is God in the stories and the songs and the laments 309 00:28:42.119 --> 00:28:47.720 and the prophecies and all that is here, God is saying these things to 310 00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:53.000 you to impress it on your heart who he is, so that you can 311 00:28:53.119 --> 00:29:02.960 look out at this world and fear nothing. Poverty, HAH, death, 312 00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:11.799 no problem, sickness, loneliness, despair, things that get into our minds 313 00:29:11.960 --> 00:29:17.359 and our hearts that bring us much trouble, troubles and our bodies, troubles 314 00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:22.799 and our societies. It doesn't matter when we compare it to the strength of 315 00:29:22.839 --> 00:29:33.759 our king. Jesus wants us to know who he is so that we would 316 00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:38.839 trust him, so that we would trust him above all things. The Lord 317 00:29:38.839 --> 00:29:45.920 brought all these things to pass and more. The Lord eventually did come, 318 00:29:45.079 --> 00:29:52.319 that Great Messiah King, and he proved himself to be a king worth following. 319 00:29:52.200 --> 00:29:59.079 The Lord Jesus and his defeat over death itself, when he rose victorious 320 00:29:59.079 --> 00:30:03.440 out of the Tomb and then a rose into the heavenly places to sit enthroned 321 00:30:03.640 --> 00:30:10.480 at the right hand of God. Visions which we have given to us in 322 00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:15.480 revelation, of the Lord Jesus ruling and reigning and the whole host of Heavens, 323 00:30:15.519 --> 00:30:21.319 of the heavens, millions upon millions of angels calling out his name and 324 00:30:21.400 --> 00:30:26.400 saying worthy is the lamb who is slain. That's your King, king who 325 00:30:26.400 --> 00:30:33.000 loves you, a King Who protects you, a king who knows your difficulties, 326 00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:37.440 in your struggles, who knows when you are afflicted, and promises that 327 00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:42.880 he is working in the midst of those every single day, every single moment, 328 00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:48.119 and will one day bring all of those troubles to an end, one 329 00:30:48.200 --> 00:30:52.960 day bring all suffering to an end, one day bring complete defeat on all 330 00:30:53.039 --> 00:31:00.839 of his and our enemies, so that we can reign with him forever and 331 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:07.839 ever, without fear, without worry. The powers of this world are always 332 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:14.240 puffing themselves up, always pretending to be something more than they really are. 333 00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:18.519 We do this in our own lives as well. We puff ourselves up, 334 00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:25.400 we build these false pretenses and little many kingdoms, but there's only one true 335 00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:33.000 king and his kingdom is forever. The question is, will you follow him? 336 00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:37.319 Will you trust? Will you put your faith in yourself or in the 337 00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:41.599 Egypts or in the babylons of this world, or will you put your trust 338 00:31:41.640 --> 00:31:48.559 in Jesus and the kingdom, the unshakable Kingdom of God? Let's pray, 339 00:31:52.079 --> 00:31:57.599 Oh Lord, God Almighty, we bow ourselves before you at the revelation of 340 00:31:57.640 --> 00:32:04.160 your strength and your power. What King, what person, what idol, 341 00:32:04.200 --> 00:32:10.559 what building, what river, what creation or cultural institution of man can stand 342 00:32:10.599 --> 00:32:16.480 against you? Nothing. Nothing, nothing, indeed, Satan himself, that 343 00:32:16.640 --> 00:32:22.680 great enemy, that Great Dragon, that murderer and the liar, who has 344 00:32:22.759 --> 00:32:28.400 deceived US and brought all kinds of wickedness into the world and even now desires 345 00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:37.279 to devour us and prey upon us. Even he could not withstand the strength 346 00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:45.920 of your arm undone, so quickly chained and bound even now, is the 347 00:32:45.960 --> 00:32:52.160 gospel of Jesus. Christ goes out into the world his victory over Satan, 348 00:32:52.279 --> 00:32:58.480 his victory over the world, his victory over death and over sin. Lord, 349 00:32:58.519 --> 00:33:04.519 as we see your great length and how puny and weak we are before 350 00:33:04.680 --> 00:33:08.799 you, we asked that you would strip us bare of all of our all 351 00:33:08.839 --> 00:33:15.279 of our pretenses, all of the lies and which we prop ourselves up, 352 00:33:15.400 --> 00:33:21.279 all of our false gods, the false reads that we lean upon, strip 353 00:33:21.400 --> 00:33:27.960 US bear and expose us and expose our hearts, so that we might no 354 00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:34.200 longer trust and false things, so that we would no longer trust and stabs 355 00:33:34.279 --> 00:33:40.400 of read and foundations of sand, the fleeting things of this world, but 356 00:33:40.519 --> 00:33:47.559 so that we can clearly see you and trust in you alone, in your 357 00:33:47.680 --> 00:33:53.359 great strength and might, in your salvation that is revealed to us, promises 358 00:33:53.480 --> 00:34:00.960 kept from long ago and brought into fulfillment in the Messiah, Great Son. 359 00:34:01.599 --> 00:34:08.519 Lord, in these things we we desire to bring you praise, to worship 360 00:34:08.559 --> 00:34:15.679 you and bless you are most powerful and awesome name. Indeed, you have 361 00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:22.519 spoken and we have heard. Let us put our faith in you and in 362 00:34:22.599 --> 00:34:27.079 you alone. We desire no other king, we desire no other hope, 363 00:34:27.079 --> 00:34:32.199 we want only you and your kingdom that is forever. Help us to receive 364 00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:37.800 these things through faith alone, in Christ alone. As we receive them, 365 00:34:37.840 --> 00:34:42.880 Lord, we ask that you would strengthen our hearts. This world is a 366 00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:47.639 hard place. Our hearts are so often a deceitful and trick us. The 367 00:34:47.719 --> 00:34:54.519 world and its lies are so tempting beguiling. GIVE US CLARITY OF MIND, 368 00:34:54.639 --> 00:35:02.000 give US clarity of heart, give us a faith that rests in you alone. 369 00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:07.119 Whatever our situations are, Lord, whatever our struggles are, whatever the 370 00:35:07.159 --> 00:35:10.440 things that we are in need of, help us to turn to you as 371 00:35:10.440 --> 00:35:17.679 our king, as our father, as our Savior, as our shepherd that 372 00:35:17.800 --> 00:35:25.800 leads us by your staff, even through the darkest of places and brings us 373 00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:34.119 to still waters and a table set before our enemies. Lord, strengthen us 374 00:35:34.119 --> 00:35:38.000 in these things we pray, and we pray them in Jesus name an