JUDGMENT FOR EGYPT

“It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore” (Ezek. 29:15 NKJV).

Ezekiel 29 is all about judgment for the nation of Egypt. Our verse sums up the reason and outcome of the judgment. It speaks of the demotion of Egypt, the defilement of Egypt, and the debilitation of Egypt.

Demotion of Egypt - “It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms.” For many centuries, Egypt was one of the greatest nations of the earth. Further, Egypt was not only a great power, but they were also great producers of food. They exported much wheat to the world. But no more. Egypt today is listed among the “third” world powers which is a figure of speech for those nations who are not major powers. That is part of their judgment.

Defilement of Egypt - “It shall never again exalt itself above the nations.” When Egypt was a great power, they exalted themselves. In exalting themselves, they oppressed other nations - most notable was their oppression of Israel in the days of Moses. Not only was Egypt cruel in oppressing other nations but they were also corrupt in their worship. The king of Egypt often exalted himself as God. Furthermore, their heathen worship was foul and immoral. Defilement led to their judgment.

Debilitation of Egypt - “They will not rule over the nations anymore.” In judgment, God made Egypt so weak that they will not have the power to rule over nations again. They will always be too weak to rule over nations - God has decreed it.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Those who will not deliver themselves into the hand of God’s mercy cannot be delivered out of the hand of His justice!”

Matthew Henry (1662 – 1714)

Welsh Nonconformist Minister and Author

Word Study

Earthquakes

In Luke 21:11 we read, “And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven!” (NKJV).

Earthquakes is the Greek word seismos (σεισμός =sice-mos'). It means an agitation or shaking. In classical Greek seismos meant to quake or to shake. In the Septuagintseismos is used to describe rattling or great shaking. In the New Testament seismos was also used to describe great shakings. Earthquakes in the Bible are often seen as divine acts with theological significance. An earthquake shook the foundation of the prison holding Paul and Silas (Acts 16:26). An earthquake also occurred in connection with the death of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 27:54) and with His resurrection (Matt. 28:2). In Revelation, an earthquake announces the opening of sixth seal by the Lord Jesus (Rev. 6:12) and the opening of God’s heavenly sanctuary (Rev 11:19). Earthquakes are among the cataclysmic events that will occur in the days of judgment accompanying the last days (Matt. 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11; Rev 8:5; 11:13; 16:18).

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake” (Gen. 21:17 KJV).

Did You Know…

In Matt. 27:26, Pontius Pilate released Barabbas, whose name means ‘Son of the Father’ (bar Abbas). The Lord Jesus, the real Son of the Father, was put to death in his place.

Bible Quiz

According to the Book of Acts, what happened to Bar-Jesus (Elymas) when he opposed Paul and Barnabas?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: The Lord Jesus gave James and John the surname “Boanerges.” What does this term mean? “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“El Roi - God Who Sees Me”

"Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, have I also here seen Him who sees me?” (Gen. 16:13 NKJV).

1. Meaning – El Roi means the “God Who Sees Me.” He is the One whose eyes are upon us, is everywhere, and the One to whom we cannot run away from.

2. Insights – In context, Hagar is being mistreated by Sarai, Abraham’s wife after being impregnated by Abraham. She therefore decides to run away. Friendless, homeless, pregnant, and not knowing what would become of her, Hagar encountered and was comforted by “El Roi,” the God of mercy and grace. Interestingly enough, this is the only occurrence of “El Roi” in the Bible. We may not see Him but He sees us. He knows what we are going through. He is the God who numbers the hairs on our heads and knows our circumstances, past, present, and future. He is the One who knows everything about us and still cares for us. “His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.”

Did You Know...Christian History

Walter Gowans was born September 17, 1868 in Toronto, Canada. He was an evangelical missionary and one of the founders of the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM).

Gowans had developed a passion for the peoples of the Sudan and his mother was sold on her son’s vision to carry the gospel to the sixty million people of North Central Africa. She invited preacher Rowland Bingham to her home. There she laid out Gowans’ dream before him. He was deeply moved, and decided to join Walter. Hearing of their decision, a third man, Thomas Kent of Buffalo, New York, teamed up with them.

Unable to interest established mission agencies in their work, the three set out to tackle the work alone. Gowans was only twenty-six years old when they landed in Lagos, Nigeria. Their hope was to establish a work 500 miles inland in one of the most treacherous regions of the world. But the three immediately found themselves sick.

Seeing the desperate need of the Sudan for the gospel, Gowans had left his home in Canada, but barely a year later, in 1894, the mission pioneer was dying of malaria, separated from his co-workers. Not only that, but Rowland Bingham had also become ill, so much so that he remained on the coast to procure supplies and act as a go-between. Further, Thomas Kent who had traveled inland with Walter, and gone back to the coast to bring up the needed supplies, died suddenly. Meanwhile, an Emir who was raiding for slaves captured Walter, who was starving. When released, Walter tried to get back to the coast. He died alone in a town called Girku.

Bingham who was still desperately ill, returned to Canada, where he took Walter’s few belongings to Mrs. Gowans. As Bingham remembered it, Mrs. Gowans met him with extended hand. “We stood there in silence. Then she said these words: ‘Well, Mr. Bingham, I would rather have had Walter go out to the Sudan and die there, all alone, than have him home today, disobeying his Lord.’”

Gowans’ dream did not die with him. In 1900, Rowland Bingham made a second attempt to establish a mission work in Sudan. Again he failed. But the following year, he managed to send a team into the Sudan, and it established a base 500 miles from Lagos.

Gowans’ vision resulted in the formation of the Sudan Interior Mission. In the 1980s this mission merged with two others to become the Society for International Ministries. Today, thanks to such sacrifice, forty percent of Africans claim to be Christians.

A Little Humor

A passenger jet was going through a severe thunderstorm. As the passengers were being bounced around by the turbulence, a young woman turned to a minister sitting next to her and, with a nervous laugh asked, “Reverend, as a man of God, can’t you do something about this storm?” To which he replied, “Lady, I’m in sales, not management.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Grace does not offer freedom to sin; it offers freedom from sin!”