Lessons From Ezekiel – Lesson 26
Last week we covered a large topic. God always does right. His nature insures that.
So if God uses the lost to do some service for Him, they will get paid. Not in eternity. And it is not a recurring blessing. It is not bestowing grace upon them. In no way does it get them out of reaping anything that they sowed. It is simply a onetime payment for services rendered.
Last week we saw in God’s word that The Lord gave the wealth of Egypt to Babylon for payment for Nebencanezzar’s army.
When God did that He used lost people to bring judgment on Tyrus and then used lost people (Egypt) to pay the lost army. He used the lost to pay the lost for judgment done on the lost.
It really does explain some of the things that you see in this world.
Ezekiel is almost done dealing with Egypt. I am not going to go thru it all but just quickly touch on a couple of things.
- What will happen to Pharaoh
- What will happen to those who choose the side of Pharaoh and help him.
Eze 30:4 And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.
Eze 30:5 Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.
4 countries are listed. And all the mingled people, and everyone that is in league with them. So if you were from somewhere else but now were a part of those countries in league with them. Woe unto you.
If you were there and in league with that evil, then there is no loop hole. Now this warning goes out with enough advanced notice that anyone could repent of that and get right. This is actually the love of God giving those who are doing wrong a chance to get right.
Eze 30:6 Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 30:7 And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted.
Eze 30:8 And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.
All her helpers shall be destroyed. Yes Egypt called the shots. Egypt set the policy. They set the tone, they made the laws, they gave the orders. Egypt is the one with the power.
But according to God the followers are going to get the judgment as well.
When it comes to doing right and standing for right or doing wrong, you can’t blame not standing for right and doing wrong on anyone else. Blaming it on the leaders does not get you anywhere with God.
Eze 30:9 In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.
Eze 30:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.
Eze 30:11 He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.
That of course is all talking about judgment that came upon them in this life on this earth.
Before God leaves this subject of Egypt He is going to make sure everyone knows there is a much worse judgment for them.
Eze 31:16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.
Eze 31:17 They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword; and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
Eze 31:18 To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 32:18 Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.
Eze 32:19 Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.
Eze 32:20 They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.
Eze 32:21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.
And this eternal judgment is not only for Pharaoh and those in league with him.
Eze 32:22 Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword:
Eze 32:23 Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.
Eze 32:24 There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.
Eze 32:25 They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain.
Eze 32:26 There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.
Eze 32:27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
Eze 32:28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.
Eze 32:29 There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.
Eze 32:30 There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.
Eze 32:31 Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 32:32 For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
So here we have another important principal that explains some things you see.
Pharaoh actually had two punishments. One on this earth. He lost everything. All his wealth, his power, and his health. He was broken and killed. He had to watch and see his kingdom taken away and destroyed.
And then came the worse punishment, the eternal one in hell.
Some wicked people get a lot of punishment from God in this life like Pharaoh did. And some wicked people do not get as much punishment in this life like Pharaoh did.
Our perfect God is the one who decides how much punishment is exercised on the wicked in this life and He decides the timing of that punishment and he decides how much is reserved for hell.
So you will see people in this life like Nancy Pelosi, one of the most wicked, greedy, untrustworthy, selfish, backstabbing people in all of America. I mean really wicked. And you will look and see that she is not getting the same treatment in this life as Pharaoh.
Don’t worry about that. God knows what He is doing and He always does right. She is not getting away with anything. She might still get some major punishment in this life, or she might not, but she sure has a whole bunch coming in eternity.
Our place is simply to trust God. He has reasons for things that are way above our ability to understand. God will judge all things in His way with His perfect knowledge in His perfect timing.