Dear Pharaoh of Egypt. Let’s do a little story time about Assyria.
So basically that’s how ch 31 begins. The LORD has Ezekiel tell the Pharaoh and to his hoarders the story of Assyria, although I’m sure they knew of it.
Assyria had been the highest of heights as a nation. It was like a beautiful cedar so tall and glorious that it poked through the clouds. The other nations were sheltered underneath its bows.
“The cedars in God’s garden could not rival it” (v. 8).
(This was another way of saying it was greater than the kings and land of Israel at the time who had become corrupt and impotent.)
But there was a problem. God had raised them up. He said, “I made it beautiful with its many limbs” (v. 9). But once again as we said before, a nation can handle anything, no matter how severe the hardship, but the one thing it can’t seem to handle is prosperity.
“Since it became great in height and set its top among the clouds, and it grew proud on account of its height, I determined to hand it over to a ruler of nations; he would surely deal with it. I banished it because of its wickedness” (v. 12).
When judgment came against Assyria, it fell, and it fell hard.
“I made the nations quake at the sounds of its downfall, when I threw it down to Sheol to be with those who descend to the Pit” (v. 16).
The world around was horrified and grieved. If Assyria could fall, then anyone could fall. Anyone could be at the mercy of God’s judgment. The nation they looked to for shelter was decimated. And that was terrifying.
Nebuchadnezzar’s father was instrumental along with a collation of other nations in the fall of Assyria. And now Nebuchadnezzar himself was going to be used of God to bring judgment upon Egypt. And others as well
“You will lie among the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword” (v. 18).
This was the ultimate humiliation. The Egyptians were fastidious about circumcision and proper burial. Thus the pyramids. But the judgment of God said they would like with the uncircumcised in undignified death.
Their many sins had caught up to them when God said no more.
