Read Ezekiel 31
Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon
31 In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:
“‘Who can be compared with you in majesty?
3 Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon,
with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest;
it towered on high,
its top above the thick foliage.
4 The waters nourished it,
deep springs made it grow tall;
their streams flowed
all around its base
and sent their channels
to all the trees of the field.
5 So it towered higher
than all the trees of the field;
its boughs increased
and its branches grew long,
spreading because of abundant waters.
6 All the birds of the sky
nested in its boughs,
all the animals of the wild
gave birth under its branches;
all the great nations
lived in its shade.
7 It was majestic in beauty,
with its spreading boughs,
for its roots went down
to abundant waters.
8 The cedars in the garden of God
could not rival it,
nor could the junipers
equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees
compare with its branches—
no tree in the garden of God
could match its beauty.
9 I made it beautiful
with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden
in the garden of God.
10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height, 11 I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside, 12 and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it. 13 All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.14 Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.
15 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away. 16 I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below. 17 They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword, along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.
18 “‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.
“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Go Deeper
Ezekiel 31 is a continuation of a prophecy against Egypt that began a couple of chapters prior. What takes place in this chapter is interesting: Ezekiel uses the image of a great cedar tree as a metaphor for Assyria, all while trying to warn Egypt of what is coming their way. Why Assyria? And why a tree? Assyria had, at one point, been the most powerful nation on earth. For centuries their territory grew and they asserted their dominance over all the nations around them until Nebuchadnezzar conquered Nineveh (the capital) and eventually took control of the entire nation.
Assyria, like a giant cedar tree, had grown and grown. Its proximity to the Tigris and Euphrates had helped it prosper and flourish. Their influence was great. Other nations found “shelter” underneath it and had become reliant on it. Egypt was similar. For centuries Egypt had prospered, in part because of their proximity to the Nile River and others had come to be dependent on it as well. Because Assyria had become too prideful, God allowed it to be chopped down by a foreign army (v. 11-12).
Tara-Leigh Cobble of The Bible Recap says, “Ezekiel tells this story about Assyria for two reasons: to illustrate that no nation is indestructible and to let Egypt know they’ll see the same end.” Humans have always looked for ways to be immortal and to find ways to insulate and protect ourselves from any harm or destruction. But Egypt, try as they might, cannot escape God’s judgment. Any of us who grow like a cedar tree, only to turn around and become prideful are due the same judgment without a heart of repentance.
Reading this passage through the lens of the Gospel, we are reminded of all the ways that the story of Jesus’s life on earth is the exact opposite of pride. From a lowly birth in a manger in Bethlehem to humiliation on the cross, Jesus embodied true humility. The call on our lives is to pick up our own cross and follow Jesus today with all that we have.
Questions
- What stuck out to you on your first read through this chapter? Why?
- What are the parallels you see between Egypt and Assyria? Any differences?
- Think through your day today and all that you need to do and accomplish. How can you embrace humility today?
Did You Know?
There are numerous pharaohs (kings of Egypt) referenced all throughout the Old Testament, but only a handful are mentioned by name. The one being addressed in this section of Ezekiel was Hophra, who reigned from about 589 BC until he was killed in a military revolt in 570 BC.
3 thoughts on “Ezekiel 31”
What struck me were these fateful words in v11,
“I cast it aside.” Egypt like Assyria would be cut down because of their pride and idolatry. Their perceived strength and beauty could not save them, and whatever we put our trust in apart from God will not save us either. The very last place we should ever desire to be is abandoned by God. One day we will stand before him, and either we will hear “well done, good and faithful servant”, or “depart from me, for I never knew you.” Every time we read scripture it breathes life into our souls and informs how we should humbly walk with our God. May we humbly receive it as truth and let it inform our choices.
Continuation of pride. Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:6-8.
As a believer in Christ we continually have to renew our minds and not get haughty. God is what our hearts long for. God is to be where we focus as we do life. We have to continually look for that moment when pride sneaks in and not let it overtake.
God thank You for me being so fearful of You that I am terrified of losing You. You are what my heart has longed for all my days. Thank You for allowing me to have this walk with You. Thank You that I can be rooted and built up in You, established in the faith as I have been taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Thank You that no one takes me captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ. Thank You for Your Hesed love, without fail in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!
As I read today’s chapter I am again struck by God’s anger. Ephesians 4:26 says be angry and do not sin. As we watch the world stage, I am asking God how we can be angry and not sin. This reading also reminds me how temporary everything is. God is eternal and just. I will follow Jesus and trust Him. And I will pray and intercede for those suffering due to these terrible wars.