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A Fire in Egypt:
God told Ezekiel to prophesy a woe to the coming day of the LORD against Egypt. There would be a day of God’s intervention and vindication against Egypt, a day of clouds against them. In the face of this, Ezekiel had the temerity to declare that Egypt, its cities, its rulers, and its people were vulnerable to the judgment of Judah’s God. It was either outrageous delusion or great faith that led the prophet to utter this oracle of judgment against Egypt. “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’ For the day is near, Even the day of the Lord is near; It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. The sword shall come upon Egypt, And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia, When the slain fall in Egypt, And they take away her wealth, And her foundations are broken down” Ezekiel 30:2-4 (NKJV).
Ezekiel probably had in mind God’s judgment coming as a great, powerful storm upon Egypt, complete with dark and ominous clouds. “The Jews were led out of Egypt by a bright cloud (Exodus 13:21), but the Egyptians who once enslaved them will be under a dark cloud.” Judgment would come against Egypt and Ethiopia in the form of the sword of war against them. There would be many dead (the slain fall) and plunder for the enemy (they take away her wealth). Egypt and her rulers were well known for their pride. God promised to bring this proud one down. God promised to set a fire in Egypt, and her allies would become desolate countries. Fire is a common figure in the Scriptures for war and its ravages. Just as fire is all-consuming and irresistible, so the visitation of God would do its work of extermination and extirpation. “I will pour My fury on Sin, the strength of Egypt; I will cut off the multitude of No, And set a fire in Egypt; Sin shall have great pain, No shall be split open, And Noph shall be in distress daily” Ezekiel 30:2-4 (NKJV).
Egypt and Her Allies Will Fall:
Through either death or captivity (Ezekiel 29:12), God promised to bring widespread destruction upon Egypt, so great that even the water from the life-giving Nile to the associated rivers would seem to fail them. God would make the land waste through the armies of aliens He brought upon them. God promised to once again destroy the idols of Egypt, by bringing judgment to the land and exalting Himself over them. God would reveal Himself through His judgments. Every observant eye could and would see that the God of Israel, Yahweh (the LORD), was Lord and God.
This was another of Ezekiel’s prophecies with a specific date. This fourth prophecy against Egypt was given about four months before the fall of Jerusalem. Many were still looking to Egypt in hope of help from her. Pharaoh had made a movement with his hosts out of Egypt, and this had caused the Chaldeans temporarily to abandon the siege of Jerusalem. God wanted Jerusalem and Judah to know that Egypt had no power, no strength to help her.
As an act of judgment and as a demonstration of His strength, God metaphorically broke the arm of Pharaoh and it had been bandaged for healing. It was therefore not strong enough to hold a sword, leaving Pharaoh and Egypt defenseless. The picture of the broken arm of Pharaoh depicted in Ezekiel 30:20-21 was not strong enough to communicate how helpless Pharaoh and Egypt would be against God’s coming judgment. Therefore, according to the image, God also broke the other arm, the strong one. Egypt was completely defenseless (I will make the sword fall out of his hand). “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, both the strong one and the one that was broken; and I will make the sword fall out of his hand. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the countries. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he will groan before him with the groanings of a mortally wounded man ” Ezekiel 30:22-24 (NKJV).
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