Humbly Submit to the Sovereign Lord

DAY 238
5-27-10
EZEKIEL 29-32


Good Morning!

I struggle to find positive messages in much of the prophet’s writings. However, if we are going to get the message from text, we’ll just have to witness continual, chapter after chapter, pronouncements of judgment by God. There is something to be said about this – that there is so much prophetic judgment in this section of the Bible because there is so much sin and rebellion. God is not making this happen, sinful people are; and not just Israel, but all nations.

Egypt now gets God’s attention. Egypt and Pharaoh are great and proud and have long been a persecutor of God’s people. God has already shown his power over them once before – during the exodus. Remember, God’s plan among the nations is bring glory to himself; to help and teach Israel to be faithful; and to judge the sinful nations.

Exodus 14:17-18 “I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

Many years later God decides to bring Egypt low for good; then bring them back to Egypt as a weak nation. What has always been God’s goal? That they know that God is the sovereign Lord.

Ezekiel 29:13-16 “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt, the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom. It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”

As great as our country is; as successful as our lives are; and as confident as we are in our future – never forget that God is the Sovereign LORD! His will and his plans are more important than ours; his calling is more important than anything we can ever do; and his word is supreme. Therefore we must do what Egypt and even the majority of Israel would never do – humbly submit to the Sovereign Lord.

Barry