Read Ezekiel 30:20-26
What’s broken? The LORD broke Pharoah’s arms and told Ezekiel about it. This fourth prophecy about Egypt has a date placing it about four months before the fall of Jerusalem. Could this signify Egypt’s unsuccessful attempt to help the people in Jerusalem fight against Babylon? From other Bible texts (2 Kings 24), we know Judah had rebelled against Babylon and made an alliance with Egypt. Ezekiel’s prophecy confirms the LORD wanted no intervention to thwart his plans.
What do you think Ezekiel was thinking as he was receiving this message? God was going to do something big against Egypt and it was going to happen sooner rather than later. The broken arm is thought to be the LORD shutting down Pharoah when he tried to intervene with the Babylonians in Judah, even if it was a “half-hearted” attempt in the first place. But two arms?
Have you ever had a broken arm? I fractured my right arm at the shoulder after falling off a galloping horse when I was ten. I still remember the pain all these years later. I couldn’t move that arm. It was powerless. Imagine the Pharoah having both arms broken! He would have been incapable of rescuing anyone or standing strong for his own people. He would have felt helpless against God’s coming judgment.
Feeling helpless is another common emotion for us these days. We can look around at the state of things in the world and wonder where to start! Each of us will have a different passion project that helps the kingdom of God. We will all join with God in his disappointment over the continued disobedience we see today. The disobedience has never gone away, even though we have God’s word that shows us how God doesn’t like that behavior.
For those who don’t read the Bible, they don’t know any better. They don’t understand how God’s heart must break when his people continually look the other way, worshipping all the wrong idols. It happened then. It’s happening now, and I’m pretty sure every year in between.
That’s what makes is hard at times to stand on our Biblical values. The world would say we’re cray-cray (i.e. crazy). I’ve always wanted to use that slang in my writing sometime. Do we care what the world thinks? Our answer can waver sometimes. We can buckle under peer pressure or a desire to keep the peace with friends and family. I know the struggle to stay firm on Scripture. I’m still a work in progress but doing so much better the more time I spend reading God’s messages to us in the Bible.
Our lives can feel broken when we don’t have Jesus ruling in our hearts. That’s where he wants to be. Knowing he’s creator and savior and guide, the one true God of three persons, is an incredible honor and blessing for us. Do you treasure your relationship with Jesus as much as you would like? Think on that today.
Let’s pray. LORD, sometimes I feel broken and weary. That’s when I know I’ve been acting too much on my own power again. Help me to trust in you and call on you when I am feeling weak. I love how your cleansing power feels as it rejuvenates my soul. I am set free. Thank you for how you continue to challenge me. I want to grow closer still. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
