Ezekiel Chapters 31-33

31:3ff - Egypt is described as Assyria was once described, like a great tree. The tree is beautiful and strong...the roots run deep and offer nourishment and support...Ezekiel says that this tree - Egypt - is even more beautiful than the trees in the garden of Eden. How is that possible? Probably because the kingdom of Egypt is made up of human beings - the crown of creation. Egypt stands as this incredibly awesome example of what humans created in the image of God can do when they work together and use their God-given wisdom. Yet, int he midst of their success they set themselves up as greater than God and it all comes crashing down! The great tree is chopped down and scattered across the world...the thunderous sound of the crash is a warning to other nations and to the Israelite people, "This is what happens when you set yourself against the one and only God."

31:16 - Sheol is the place of shadows...the place of the unworthy dead...it is separation from God...it is an OT picture of hell. Egypt in its arrogance and rebellion is headed towards Sheol and they will be joined their by those who followed them in defiance against God (Like the Israelites who would often put their trust and hope in Egyptian strength and technology rather than trusting God).

32:4 - Again Egypt is described as the great dragon or crocodile that sits in the middle of the Nile river stirring up trouble and believing in its own invincibility. And yet again we see in very graphic language that the great beast will be destroyed - the vivid language (carcasses covering the earth and blood flowing through the valleys) speaks to the great fall of Egypt from world power to nothingness. After the fall the waters of the Nile will once again become calm and the people of Egypt will know that God is the Lord of all.

32:22ff - Ezekiel makes a list of all the prideful and rebellious nations that Egypt will meet when they descend into Sheol. It is a dark and terrible place. Just as the kingdoms listed here terrorized the earth, they will now terrorize one another in Sheol. This reminds me of C.S. Lewis' book "The Great Divorce." He writes of hell as a Greytown where the citizens cannot stand one another and are driven further and further into bleak loneliness by their own selfishness and vile behavior. Don't live out the traits of hell on earth - start living in eternal life now...in communion with God - it is so much better.

32:31 - Egypt will not be alone as they go down in Sheol - there is plenty of vile company there for them. Strangely, they are so twisted that they find comfort in the demise of others who are like them...they find joy in the fact that others will suffer alongside them in Sheol. That is sick!

33:2ff - When the people refuse to listen to the watchmen who says that war and death is coming on the horizon...their blood is on their own hands. The same goes for those who refuse to listen to the prophet when he calls them to turn back to God...they are without excuse...they were warned and would not listen - their judgment is their own doing.

33:7 - Ezekiel is the watchmen who has been talked about in this passage...he is the prophet who is supposed to be bringing God's message of repentance to the people. But we also have to remember from back in chapter 24 that Ezekiel has been made mute by God. He currently cannot speak...the people have lived in corruption for so long that the judgment of God is inevitable. But after the butt-kicking comes hope as Ezekiel is once again able to speak and call the people back to God. (v.22 - mouth opens up again)

33:11 - God takes no pleasure in punishing even the most wicked people of the world - all people are His children. He wants people to turn from their wickedness, no matter how evil they are - He is willing to show mercy. Isn't it a beautiful thing to be loved by a God like this?

33:18-19 - God is not to blame for the judgment the people of Judah are facing...God is not unjust. He shows mercy to those who repent and judgment to those who rebel - He is ultimately just.

33:24-27 - The people of Judah cry out to God saying that it is unfair that they are in exile...that they cannot have their own land again. They say, "God, come one, you gave Abraham the land and he was just one man! We are a whole nation and you will not give us the land back!" Ezekiel reminds them that Abraham was faithful - he did not defile the Promised Land and turn from God. Again we see that God is always just.

33:31-32 - Many preachers face this same issue every week. People come to church to hear a good story...to get warm-fuzzy feelings...to listen to well thought out words...but if they hear God's Word and refuse to do what it says in their lives, then it is all meaningless. In fact it is actually sinful to hear the words of God as they apply to your life and refuse to do anything about it. That doesn't make church quite the comfortable experience that it usually is, does it?