Year 2, Week 20, Day 5 Bible Reading Observations

Year 2, Week 20, Day 5

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Ezekiel 32.

Today’s reading continues the Book of Ezekiel as it completes the second segment of Ezekiel (chapters 25-32). This second segment is a series of prophecies of judgment against seven nations surrounding Israel and Judah. The oracle of judgment against is covered in Ezekiel 29-32 as seven subunits comprise the judgment against the seventh nation. Each subunit begins with the statement, “the word of the LORD came to me” (Ezekiel 29:1;30:1;30:20;31:1;32:1;32:17). Ezekiel 32 contains the sixth and seventh subunit emphasizing the destruction of Egypt: “In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Ezekiel 32:1-2a). This sixth statement of judgment against Egypt occurred shortly after the fall of Jerusalem. The seven statement of judgment against Egypt occurred less than a month after the sixth statement: “In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and send them down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, to the world below, to those who have gone down to the pit” (Ezekiel 32:17-18). Egypt was the seventh nation whose judgment was declared, and it was stated in seven parts.

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading is the language of the final statement of judgment against Egypt: “They shall fall amid those who are slain by the sword. Egypt is delivered to the sword; drag her away, and all her multitudes. The mighty chiefs shall speak of them, with their helpers, out of the midst of Sheol: ‘They have come down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’ “Assyria is there, and all her company, its graves all around it, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit; and her company is all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living” (Ezekiel 32:20-23). The language used to describe Egypt’s judgment is far more than the temporal destruction of their cities and governmental arrangements. The very people of Egypt would experience a judgment that would follow them to the grave. Ezekiel is describing a judgment that unfolds in “Sheol,” and “in the uttermost parts of the pit,” and pertaining to their placement in the “grave.” In other words, the judgment stressed in the seventh statement of judgment is a judgment after their present life.

What’s more, while the focus is on Egypt, as Ezekiel worded this seventh statement of judgment to include judgment in the afterlife, other nations are brought back into the conversation as sharing in the same nature of judgment. Assyrian is already referenced, but Ezekiel adds more: “Elam is there, and all her multitude around her grave…Meshech-Tubal is there, and all her multitude, her graves all around it…Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are laid with those who are killed by the sword…with those who go down to the pit…The princes of the north are there, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, for all the terror that they caused by their might…and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit” (Ezekiel 32:24a,26a,29,30). Interestingly, most of these nations slated for everlasting judgment are noted as uncircumcised: “who went down uncircumcised into the world below…all of them uncircumcised…all of them uncircumcised…the fallen from among the uncircumcised…and lie among the uncircumcised…they lie with the uncircumcised…they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword…and he shall be laid to rest among the uncircumcised” (Ezekiel 32:24,25,26,27,28,29,30,32). As uncircumcised, they were outside the covenant and therefore cut off from the promises of God.

However, the promises of God today are no longer tied to circumcision: “Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-12). Now the blessings of God’s promises are rooted in Jesus: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). As a result, the outward mark of circumcision has no bearing on this life or the next: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). Now the saving benefits of Christ are received through trusting in Christ; and such trust evidences itself outwardly, not through circumcision, but through love.

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe