the trumpet in our hands

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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the trumpet in our hands

Ezekiel 33:1-6 (JDV)

Ezekiel 33:1 The word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said:
Ezekiel 33:2 “Son of Adam, speak to the sons among your people and tell them, ‘Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land select a man from among them, appointing him as their guard.
Ezekiel 33:3 And suppose he sees the sword coming against the land and blows his trumpet to warn the people.
Ezekiel 33:4 Then, if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet but ignores the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his death will be his own fault.
Ezekiel 33:5 Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but ignored the warning, his death is his own fault. If he had taken warning, he would have saved his throat.
Ezekiel 33:6 However, suppose the guard sees the sword coming but doesn’t blow the trumpet, so that the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes away one of their throats. Then he has been taken away because of his violation, but I will hold the guard accountable for his blood.’

the trumpet in our hands

John Elliot cited this text and commented “Christ’s ministers are stationed on Zion’s heights with the trumpet of the gospel in their hands, to sound the alarm of approaching danger to a perishing world, and point them to the city of refuge provided by infinite mercy. They are totally inexcusable if they neglect to do all in their power to save men. Nothing must be omitted which could contribute to this end. The least omission contracts guilt.” 1

Just like the prophet, given the trumpet to sound, we who are possessors of the word of God today are commanded to sound the alarm. If we refuse to do so, we will be held accountable for all those who die unprepared for judgment day.

1 Elliott, John. A Sermon, …Hartford: George Goodwin & Sons, printers, 1818. p. 7.

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what Pharaoh saw

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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what Pharaoh saw

Ezekiel 32:29-32 (JDV)

Ezekiel 32:29 “Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who, despite their strength, have been placed among those murdered ones by the sword. They lie down with the uncircumcised, with those who descend to the Pit.
Ezekiel 32:30 All the leaders of the north and all the Sidonians are there. They went down in shame with the murdered ones, despite the terror their strength inspired. They lie down uncircumcised with those murdered ones by the sword. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.
Ezekiel 32:31 “Pharaoh will see them and be comforted over all his processions – Pharaoh and his whole army, murdered by the sword.” This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.
Ezekiel 32:32 “Because I will spread my terror in the land of the living, so Pharaoh and all his processions will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those murdered ones by the sword.” This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.

what Pharaoh saw

In what sense will Pharaoh see the other armies who died? Does this indicate “a knowledge of others in the unseen world”? 1 Not necessarily. Pharaoh will be dead too. He will share that grave, and in that grave, there is no awareness (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Pharaoh is going to be laid to rest, and it is with utter irony that Ezekiel tells him that he will be comforted by all those he controlled in life being down in the dirt with him.

If all we want out of life is power now, we will share all that “power” with everybody else in the grave.

1 Shrewsbury, W. J., and J. V. B. Shrewsbury. Notes on Ezekiel, Critical and Explanatory: [With the English Text]. 1863. p. 132.

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their terror was once spread

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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their terror was once spread

Ezekiel 32:26-28 (JDV)

Ezekiel 32:26 “Meshech and Tubal are there, with all their processions. Their graves are all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, murdered by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living.
Ezekiel 32:27 They do not lie down with the fallen warriors of the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads and their shields rested on their bones, although the terror of these warriors was once in the land of the living.
Ezekiel 32:28 But you will be shattered and will lie down among the uncircumcised, with those murdered ones by the sword.

their terror was once spread

The memory of these terrorist nations was still fresh in the memory of Ezekiel’s people. But now the terrorists are gone, destroyed by an even greater enemy. We can take comfort in the fact that God does not allow evil tyrants and their minions to stay in power for long. He has a plan to wipe out all his enemies.

LORD, give us the courage to face today’s troubles, knowing that you have a plan to end all evil.

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the disgraceful dead

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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the disgraceful dead

Ezekiel 32:24-25 (JDV)

Ezekiel 32:24 “Elam is there with all her processions around her grave. All of them are murdered ones, fallen by the sword – those who went down to below the ground uncircumcised, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.
Ezekiel 32:25 Among the murdered ones they prepare a bed for Elam with all her processions. Her graves are all around her. All of them are uncircumcised, murdered by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit. They are placed among the murdered ones.

the disgraceful dead

Elam joins Assyria in this vast graveyard after God’s judgment upon them. They are dead, and bear their disgrace at having been conquered and are no longer terrorists. The fact that they bear their disgrace does not imply that they are conscious of it. Anyone who is dead is no longer in the land of the living.

One day, all of God’s enemies will be similarly silenced, and suffer the permanent contempt of the living.

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who once spread terror

Posted on November 19, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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who once spread terror

Ezekiel 32:22-23 (JDV)

Ezekiel 32:22 “Assyria is there with her whole mob; her graves are all around her. All of them are murdered ones, fallen by the sword.
Ezekiel 32:23 Her graves are set in the deepest regions of the Pit, and her mob is all around her burial place. All of them are murdered ones, fallen by the sword – those who once spread terror in the land of the living.

who once spread terror

We have a picture in our minds of a terrorist — someone whose goal is to disrupt civilization with crimes and acts of cruelty. In Ezekiel’s time, the Assyrians were the terrorists. But no more. They had been wiped out, and now Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian empire was in control. Ezekiel depicts the change by describing a huge graveyard, and all the dead were there. Those who once spread terror are now silenced by death.

Someday, all who terrorize will share the same destiny.

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who is the fairest?

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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who is the fairest?

Ezekiel 32:17-21 (JDV)

Ezekiel 32:17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said:
Ezekiel 32:18 “Son of Adam, wail over the processions of Egypt and bring Egypt and the daughters of mighty nations down to below the ground, to be with those who descend to the Pit:
Ezekiel 32:19 Who do you surpass in loveliness? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!
Ezekiel 32:20 They will fall among those murdered ones by the sword. A sword is appointed! They drag her and all her processions away.
Ezekiel 32:21 Warrior leaders will speak from the middle of Sheol about him and his allies: ‘They have come down; the uncircumcised lie murdered by the sword.’

who is the fairest?

Egypt and other mighty nations are having a beauty contest, and all the while the LORD says they are being dragged down to the grave (Sheol) to join the warrior leaders who died before them. Such is the fate of all. What matters is our relationship with God on judgment day. How beautiful or strong you were in this life will not matter then.

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undisturbed water

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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undisturbed water

Ezekiel 32:11-16 (JDV)

Ezekiel 32:11 ” ‘Because this is what the Lord Yahveh says: The sword of Babylon’s king will come against you!
Ezekiel 32:12 I will make your processions fall by the swords of warriors, all of them ruthless men from the nations. They will ravage Egypt’s pride, and all its processions will be exterminated.
Ezekiel 32:13 I will slaughter all its cattle that are beside much water. No human foot will muddy them again, and no cattle hooves will disturb them.
Ezekiel 32:14 Then I will let their waters settle and will make their rivers flow like oil. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.
Ezekiel 32:15 When I make the land of Egypt a sinister desolation so that it is emptied of everything in it when I slap down all who live there, then they will know that I am Yahveh.
Ezekiel 32:16 ” ‘The daughters of the nations will chant that dirge. They will chant it over Egypt and all its processions. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.'”

undisturbed water

About verse 15, Cowles writes, “The cattle for which Egypt was celebrated, and of which she thought so much that the cow was the highest object of her worship, came under this sweeping curse. We shall see the force of the language if we consider how their want of water would bring them to the rivers and canals to drink, and how they would poach the banks and foul the waters with their feet. But God would so completely destroy them that no foot of beast or of man should foul those waters anymore. — “ Then will I ” ( v. 14 ) make their waters, not “deep,” but quiet, causing them to subside and lie undisturbed so that they would run freely and clear as oil.” 1

The LORD took the two things the Egyptians prided themselves in most (their river and their cattle) and quieted them both down. He emptied the land of its commerce by making it desolate.

May we never get so caught up in our lives that God has to quiet us that way.

1 Cowles, Henry. Ezekiel and Daniel: With Notes, Critical, Explanatory, and Practical. New York: D. Appleton, 1870. p. 178.

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every king will fear

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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every king will fear

Ezekiel 32:9-10 (JDV)

Ezekiel 32:9 ” ‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring about your destruction among the nations, in countries you have not known.
Ezekiel 32:10 I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you, and their kings will shudder with fear because of you when I brandish my sword in front of them. On the day of your downfall, each of them will tremble every moment for his own throat.

every king will fear

When Egypt falls to Nebuchadnezzar, all of the other kings all around will recognize that if mighty Pharaoh could not resist, neither can they. They will regret the fact that they did not submit to Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. Ezekiel is predicting this fall, and his God is the one giving the command.

One day, everyone — great and small — will stand before the judgment throne. Mighty kings will fall then as well, and all of the lesser kings will realize that they cannot withstand the King of kings. But we cannot afford to wait for that day. We need to reconcile with the Lord now.

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death of a monster

Posted on November 15, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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death of a monster

Ezekiel 32:1-8 (JDV)

Ezekiel 32:1 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of Yahveh happened to me. This is what it said:
Ezekiel 32:2 “Son of Adam, sing a dirge for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him, ‘You compare yourself to a lion of the nations, but you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churning up the waters with your feet, and muddy the rivers.
Ezekiel 32:3 ” ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: I will spread my net over you with a mob of many peoples, and they will haul you up in my net.
Ezekiel 32:4 I will abandon you on the land and throw you onto the open field. I will cause all the birds of the sky to settle on you and let the wild creatures of the entire land eat their fill of you.
Ezekiel 32:5 I will put your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass.
Ezekiel 32:6 I will drench the land with the flow of your blood, even to the mountains; the ravines will be filled with your gore.
Ezekiel 32:7 ” ‘When I snuff you out, I will cover the skies and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.
Ezekiel 32:8 I will darken all the shining lights in the sky over you and will bring darkness on your land. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.

death of a monster

Greenhill remarks, “Whales are not more troublesome to the seas, crocodiles to the rivers of Egypt, lions and wild beasts to the land than tyrants are to their own kingdoms, and those that are near unto them.” 1

The picture of God’s judgment upon Pharaoh that Ezekiel paints looks like the slaughter of a gigantic whale. Pharaoh had been a monster in the seas, but his day of judgment had come. Now his carcass fills the land.

Such is the case for modern-day tyrants as well. They may spread hate and terror while alive, but death comes to them all in God’s time.

1 Greenhill, William, and James Sherman. An exposition of the prophet Ezekiel, with useful observations thereupon. London: S. Holdsworth, 1839. p. 656.

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Pharaoh destined for dirt

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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Pharaoh destined for dirt

Ezekiel 31:18 (JDV)

Ezekiel 31:18 ” ‘Who then are you like in impressive appearance and greatness among Eden’s trees? You also will be brought down to below the ground to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie among the uncircumcised with those murdered ones by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his processions. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.'”

Pharaoh destined for dirt

Ezekiel had just reminded Pharaoh that all the great rulers who had led humanity before him (he called then Eden’s trees) had died and been brought down to below the ground. Now he reminds Pharaoh that the same fate awaits him as well. No matter how big you are, you are destined for dirt. So, after all the hype is over, the only thing that will matter is your relationship with God. Death is a great equalizer. What happens after death is up to the LORD.

Davidson goes beyond this when he asserts “The history of nations is the judgment of nations. But the nations like individuals continue to subsist, they bear their shame in Sheòl for ever.” 1 No, Ezekiel’s point was not that Egypt would continue to subsist (or exist) in Sheol. His point was that they would come to an end. God’s judgment of individuals will not take place in Sheol. There must be a resurrection for that. Until then, Pharaoh — like all the other trees of Eden — will lie silent in the ground.

1 Davidson, A. B. Ezekiel. Cambridge: University Press, 1892. p. 232.

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