rebellion

Ezekiel 29 and Psalm 78:1-39

Ezekiel

In Ezekiel 29, Egypt is the next nation to receive God’s judgment for her sin. Egypt was guilty of offering refugee to Israel when she could not deliver it (Ezek. 29:6; cf. Isa. 36:6 = 2 Kings 18:21).

Egypt is told that she will never again be a great power. Some nations that received judgment ceased to continue to exist (the Assyrians, the Hittites, etc.). Egypt is still here today, but she has not since been the great power that she once was.

Finally, God will allow Nebuchadnezzar to conquer Egypt to pay for his previous war against Tyre. It is an amazing display of the sovereignty of God that He controls the affairs of men and nations. It is something worthwhile to remember today when we find ourselves fretting about politics and the current events in the news. Carson reminds us,

Not for a moment should one think that any of the nations acted out of conscious obedience to the Lord (cf. Isa. 10:5ff!). But the Lord is no one’s debtor, and these are the arrangements that Almighty God is making.

We would not know these things apart from revelation, of course. But they warn us against pontificating too loudly about what is going on in our day, when we see so little of the big picture as to what God himself is doing.1

Psalms

Psalm 78 begins with a reminder of the critical importance of passing the testimony of our faith down to our children and grandchildren. Psalm 78:4,

We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.

While a lot of our faith is “caught” by our children, we must also be deliberate about verbalizing our faith too them. The old phrase,“Daddy never told us he loved us, but we knew it by his actions” is not only deficient, but it does not cut it when it comes to teaching our children and grandchildren about God and faith. We must be verbal fathers and mothers!

The rest of today’s reading from this Psalm is a recounting of the failure of Israel to obey God and trust Him when they left Egypt and wandered in the wilderness. it it’s a reminder of the consequences of their rebellion. When we reflect on God’s goodness and faithfulness to future generations, then they will have better context with which to process the working of God in their lives.

1 D. A. Carson, For the Love of God: a Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word., vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998).

Ezekiel 17 and Psalm 60-61

Ezekiel 17 is a unique chapter that almost reads like a parable from the New Testament. Jerusalem is counseled to obey Babylon but instead rebels and seeks the help of Egypt and as a result faces destruction. I think of the times, when God has brought me to a certain place which may be uncomfortable or something different from what I would chose. When I try to finagle my way out of the circumstance instead of submitting to His will, I suffer the consequences of my own decision.

Psalm 60 begins with a lament over recent defeat. My life as a believer is not always victorious. Ultimately it is, but during this life, there can be many defeats. The psalmist, however, shares his confidence in the Lord’sdeliverance and protection. My take away from this psalm today is that even though I feel like I am defeated, the refuge that God affords me is present and I can seek shelter in Him.

Psalm 61:2-3 continues the thought from Psalm 61. God is the rock and my refuge. It is in a place that is higher than the depths I find myself in and the Holy Spirit will lead me to that place of refuge—peace amidst the storm and shelter in the middle of war.

I like the words the psalmist ends the psalm with in Ps. 61:8,

So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I perform my vows day after day