Eze. 30:1-26, The Way to Live for That Day

Eze. 30:1-26, The Way to Live for That Day

 There is great anxiety in the world(4,9,16). There is also fear(9), and there is suffering as if one is mortally wounded(2,24). Vs. 2-3 say, “Wail and say, ‘Alas for the day! For the day is near! The day of the Lord is near!’” What kind of the day is ‘that day, the day of the Lord’?

1. That day is a ‘day of darkness’(3,18).

Is day better? Is night better? Is light better? Is darkness better? God gives us both, and wants us to cling to Him and obey Him. God brings the day of darkness. Vs.3&18. There will come a time when the whole world will be darkened by darkness and clouds. “The day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time for the nations...When I break the yoke of Egypt and the pride of her power ceases in the midst of her, the day will be dark in Tehaphnehes, a cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity.” How is that day, the day of the Lord, such a sad day? It is so for those who are judged. When the Lord comes, it is either judgment or blessing. It depends on how I choose today. So, God has given me the opportunity to choose that way. Eternal blessings await those who believe, &eternal death awaits those who reject. Those who believe should not fear God, but enjoy Him. The ‘day of clouds’ in v.2 means a dark day when clouds cover the sky¬ a single ray of light can be seen. What kind of day is the ‘day of the nations’? They’ve the same meaning. It’s a day when the nations perish without a single ray of hope. Here, it refers to the day when Egypt and all its allies will be judged by God. Not only Egypt, but also all the surrounding countries that were allied with Egypt &the kingdom of Judah that relied on Egypt will face a day of darkness. In Mt.24, Jesus spoke about that day. “At that time, there will be wars, famines, and earthquakes. They will hate each other, their love will grow cold, and false prophets will appear. At that time, there will be great tribulation. The sun will be darkened,&the moon&stars will be darkened...”
Question: Why are you so worried right now? So, are you receiving comfort from the Lord by mourning over your sins? Or are you just worrying and blaming God? Is the day of the Lord getting closer in your life because of this worrying incident? Isn’t it getting farther and farther away? (1-9)

2. That day is the ‘day of judgment’(2,4,7,13-17).  On that day, God will judge Egypt and all the nations. He will destroy Egypt, which believed in many gods including the sun god and the crocodile god (29:3-4), as well as all the idols and statues, and all the religions created by humans(13). 2,4,7,13-17, Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Wail and say, ‘Alas for this day!’…The sword will come on Egypt, and there will be great anguish in Ethiopia, when the slain in Egypt fall. Her multitude will be taken captive, and her foundations will be broken down…They will be desolate like the countries that are desolate, and her cities will be like the cities that are deserted…Thus says the Lord God: ‘I will destroy their idols and shatter their images in Nob. There will no longer be a prince out of the land of Egypt, but I will put fear in the land of Egypt. I will make Pathros a desolation and set Zoan on fire. I will execute judgments on No. I will pour out my wrath on Sin, the fortified city of Egypt, and I will cut off the multitude of No. I will set fire to Egypt, and Sin will be greatly distressed, and No will be It will be torn apart and divided, and the land of Nob will be attacked day by day. The men of Aven and Pibeseth will fall by the sword, and the inhabitants of the city will go into captivity.”

3. That day is ‘coming soon’(3,9). V.3, “The day is near, the day of the Lord is near, a day of clouds, a time for the nations.”  That day will surely come. V.9, “On that day, messengers will go out before me in ships, to make the careless Ethiopians afraid; they will have great sorrow, as in the days of the plagues in Egypt. This is coming.”  Jesus and John the Baptist said in their first sermon, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus says that on the last day, He will surely come again. He will come and judge the whole world with fire and sulphur. 2Pt.3:8, That day will not delay. God’s time is that our day is a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. Jesus also says that He will come quickly. 1 Thes.4:16-17, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.” He will come on a cloud. Rev.22:7, “Behold, I am coming quickly.” 12, “I am coming quickly, bringing my reward with me, to give to every one according to what he has done.” V.20, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Just as the day of judgment and destruction of Egypt will surely come, so will our Jesus come again. Those who cling to Jesus and obey Him will be saved, and those who do not believe or do not cling to Him will be judged...

4. That day is an 'inevitable day'(13-18).  That day will come upon all the nations of the world. The Creator God rules over the whole world. No one can escape that judgment. V.18, Thus says the Lord God: I...18.When I break the yoke of Egypt(when the yoke is broken, the ox cannot do its work properly, so Egypt cannot do its work) and the proud power of Egypt ceases from her, the day will be darkened in Tehaphnehes, and a cloud will cover her city, &her daughters will go into captivity."  See Rev.6:12-16. “I watched as he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of black hair, and the entire moon became like blood. The stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens departed like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. The kings of the earth, the great men, the commanders, the rich, the powerful, every slave &every free person hid in the caves &among the rocks of the mountains. They said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come,&who can stand?’” Those who believe in Jesus must also wake up, pray, repent, &live righteously. Everything that humans have relied on will collapse(6-12).
 The pride of Egypt will also collapse. God will destroy all the idols of Egypt. 13. The sun god Ra, the Nile god Hapi, etc. are nothing but idols. They have no power, and the people are just being deceived. The idols and religions of the world that we believe in and rely on today are the same.
Question: What is my Egypt that I rely on? Is it the world’s success, connections, money, academic background, or my ability? These are all just Egypt, a world that will collapse. God wants us to rely on and trust in Him, the true God, not this Egypt. Our Jesus will come again and judge the whole world. For those of us who live devoutly “before God” while waiting for the day of the Lord’s return, that day will not be a day of judgment but a day of salvation.  History is in God’s hands. 20-25, “20. In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 21. Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and it has not been fully bound up, nor has any poultice been put on it, that it may have strength to hold the sword. 22. Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break both his arms, the strong one and the one that was broken, and the sword will fall out of his hand. 23. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and I will scatter them among the peoples. 26. And they will know that I am the LORD (repeat). 24. And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before the king of Babylon like the groaning of one who is mortally wounded. 25. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but I will let down the arms of Pharaoh. I will put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will lift it up against the land of Egypt; and they will know that I am the Lord.”
 God will break the arm of the king of Egypt, who boasted of his military power and economic power and was arrogant, but He will strengthen the arm of the king of Babylon, who is the instrument of God’s judgment. The king of Egypt, who was considered an invincible great crocodile, will suffer before the king of Babylon, as one who has been mortally wounded. God will lower the arm of the king of Egypt, but He will raise the arm of the king of Babylon. Our Jesus’ arm is an arm of power. He will break the power of evil. On the outside, it was an arm that was nailed to the cross powerlessly. However, that arm is an arm of power that breaks all the power of sin and death in the world. It is an arm of salvation and victory. Colossians 2:15, “(Jesus) disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
 What is the purpose of judgment? It is to let us know(experience) that only Jehovah is the true God. V.8, “And they will know that I am Jehovah, when I set Egypt on fire &destroy all her helpers.” “19.Thus I will judge Egypt, and they will know that I am Jehovah.” “25.I will uphold the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall down. I will put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will stretch it out against the land of Egypt. And they will know that I am Jehovah. 26.And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the peoples; and they will know that I am Jehovah.” V.8,19,25&26 are repeated four times. It shows that God’s judgment is not simply destruction, but a process of grace to enable us to experience God.  Not only Egypt, but also the nations allied with them will know Jehovah on that day (8). I have something to say. What good is it to know Jehovah after being beaten? How blessed it is to know God and become His people before being beaten! When a pastor entered a seminary at the age of 45, his younger classmates would sometimes ask, “How did you come here so well, deacon?” It means that when a seminary student enters at that age, he usually gets beaten somewhere. I jokingly said, “I was a deacon, but I taught the Bible as diligently as a pastor,” and he nodded. It is a great blessing to know how to move before getting hit. I bless you all to have the opportunity to experience God in the midst of suffering.

 Therefore, we must listen to the word of God.
1) Fear the judgment of the Lord and seek grace. “The day of the Lord” is a warning and an invitation to grace. We must repent and return to Jesus before the day of judgment/salvation comes. The day of the Lord comes to everyone. We cannot avoid that day, but we must know that the path to salvation is open in Jesus Christ.
2) Do not rely on worldly power or human unity. Politics,money,power, academics, &human relationships cannot be absolute reliances. Only God/Jesus is our absolute refuge. Even an impregnable fortress cannot escape the hand of God’s judgment. Nevertheless, at this time when the day of judgment is approaching, I seek refuge in vain places such as worldly power, knowledge, &scientific power rather than seeking God, my refuge. Are you not looking for it?(15) Prov.14:26, “Whoever fears the LORD has strong confidence, &his children will have a refuge.” Ps.46:1,“God is our refuge &strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
3) Enjoy true safety and joy in Jesus. Egypt will fall, but the kingdom of God will not be shaken. Those who are in Jesus are safe from any judgment or tribulation. Heb.12:28,“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence &godly fear.”
Question:What is it that I am not able to obey despite the words given to me every day? What is the sword in my hand that I trust and rely on more than God?(10-26) 

Prayer: Lord God, we look to you, the Lord who is the ruler of all nations &lives. When the proud Egypt we have relied on collapses, fear comes first. However, we hold on to the word that the Lord is our true hope and that He wants us to know that He is Jehovah through all our works. Let the center of our lives be only God/Jesus. Let us rely only on God, &let us live as children who worship the Lord in any situation,&as people of unwavering faith. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.