Read Ezekiel 32:1-16
It’s been nearly a year since Ezekiel was given a message about Egypt’s fate. This one was for Pharaoh himself, whom Ezekiel was asked to mourn for. The LORD’s fury against the Pharaoh is obvious, yet he asked Ezekiel, and presumably others, to mourn for the Pharaoh. That’s a compassionate God despite his fury!
Pharaoh would not be pleased that his judgment would cause him to set such an example. His legacy would be God’s victory. Would Pharaoh be paying attention to Ezekiel’s words from the Sovereign LORD?
The demise of Pharaoh would not go unnoticed. God himself would bring the breaking news to other nations. No indication is given how such communication will be made long before the days of newspapers and the internet.
God was setting up the Pharaoh to be an example to elicit fear from other pagan nations. Even God’s own people in exile have been hearing about Egypt’s upcoming fate. Whether they believed it or not is another story, and we can only speculate. Because these messages appear in Scripture, we can have confidence and trust God’s actions had a purpose.
Being the example. Have you ever been singled out in a group as the one to watch or learn from? Being the oldest sibling, I can remember always being told I had to set a good example for my little brother. I remember really wishing I could be a little naughty occasionally instead of always trying to be perfect. I put myself under a lot of pressure when I was little, so I know being the “example” is exhausting.
But for Pharaoh, the example he was setting was not to be good but to be dead for angering God. I’m glad the example I was setting as a good kid is much better than being a dead Pharaoh. Pharaoh wasn’t given a choice to try and be good.
It was as if God was going for the “shock factor” with his actions against Pharaoh and his land, Egypt. It even says that in verses 9 and 10. “I will disturb many hearts when I bring news of your downfall to distant nations you have never seen. Yes, I will shock many lands, and their kings will be terrified at your fate. They will shudder in fear for their lives as I brandish my sword before them on the day of your fall.”
Sometimes the shock and awe tactics of God are what speak to us the loudest. God gets our attention any way he can. Just looking around at creation, we marvel at its beauty and intricacy. Yet, when we imagine the vastness of the heavens and all universes beyond our minds are blown. God can also use the “shock” of any tragedy to draw us in. Not saying God causes the tragedy, only that he can use the moment for his glory, too. Many times that’s when we turn him away.
No matter our circumstance, we can set a good example as followers of Christ. I know, that’s a lot of pressure these days. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that God is still alive and well in this world. His created world. There are many forces at work in this world, but the Creator’s light will shine when all else fades. We want to be in that army of lights shining for Christ.
As an army of lights for Christ, we can claim the promise of eternal life. Reflect on John’s words from 1 John 2:15-17, which say:
“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
Can I get an Amen!
Let’s pray. Father, I am in awe of you. Shocking things are happening in this world, but I feel like I am drawing closer to you because of them. I am drifting father away from the things of this world and want to be more like you every day. There is such peace in knowing I am following you and setting a good example for those who may be checking out how I live my life. I always want to reflect your love well. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
