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Ezekiel 31 (ESV)

1 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude:

“Whom are you like in your greatness?
³     Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon,
with beautiful branches and forest shade,
and of towering height,
its top among the clouds

4 The waters nourished it;

the deep made it grow tall,

making its rivers flow

around the place of its planting,

sending forth its streams

to all the trees of the field.

…

¹⁰ “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height, ¹¹ I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out. ¹² Foreigners, the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down and left it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land, and all the peoples of the earth have gone away from its shadow and left it. ¹³ On its fallen trunk dwell all the birds of the heavens, and on its branches are all the beasts of the field. ¹⁴ All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to towering height or set their tops among the clouds, and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height. For they are all given over to death, to the world below, among the children of man, with those who go down to the pit.

REFLECTION:

Ezekiel compared Egypt to Assyria and called Assyria a huge cedar tree. God wants the Egyptians to see that the destruction of the powerful Assyrian state is their “lesson from the past.” Like Assyria, Egypt is proud of its strength and beauty, which will eventually lead to its destruction. Egypt will fall down like a big tree and be sent to death. No people or country in the world can last long without God, even countries with rich cultural traditions and powerful military forces. The tall cedar tree is not a sin, but “because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height,” and even forgot that “the waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall”, so it becomes a sin. As stated in Proverbs 18:12, “before destruction a man’s heart is haughty.” This is also the model of corruption in Tyre, Sidon and other countries. The result is that they are being driven out by God, just like Adam and Eve being driven out of the Garden of Eden by God. Throughout the ages, death has been the most effective way to heal pride. No matter how Assyria and Egypt despise God, they will eventually become an obedient student in front of the teacher of death – “given over to death, to the world below.” It is the same with the world today, no matter how you exalt yourself, you will eventually die, and there will be God’s judgment after death. As God’s people, we should reflect on our hearts and ask God to remove our pride. Only by humbly trusting God throughout our lives is our way out.

PRAYER:

Come to God humbly, thank God for all the worldly achievements and abundance He has given you; ask God to remove the pride that secretly arises in your heart because of these achievements, so that you can understand that all this is not your own merit but the grace of God; ask God to give you a more godly heart, so that you can live a life that is more obedient to God and get more spiritual abundance every day.

HYMN:

God You’re So Good – youtu.be/7Kxah1QroUg