The Gospel According to Ezekiel, Chapter 32

God's Judgment on Egypt's Pride

We've been studying a specific prophecy against Egypt. Ezekiel delivers a word from God focused on Egypt, showing God's sovereignty over pride. The ultimate end of pride is its quelling. Sin will end through God's judgment. Sheol represents God's permanent judgment of sin—either cessation in a person's life or eternal judgment. God does not simply overlook sin; justice demands penalty.

For us, this points to the gospel: God brings an ultimate end to sin through Jesus Christ. No matter what, pride ends, and God desires to quell rebellious activity.

In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him, ‘You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations, yet you are like the monster in the seas; you burst forth in your rivers and muddied the waters with your feet and fouled their rivers.’ Thus says the Lord God, ‘Now I will spread My net over you with a company of many peoples, and they shall lift you up in My net.’”

I will leave you on the land; I will cast you on the open field. And I will cause all the birds of the heavens to dwell on you, and I will satisfy the beasts of the whole earth with you. I will lay your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your refuse. I will also make the land drink the discharge of your blood as far as the mountains, and the ravines will be full of you. When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you, and will set darkness on your land,’ declares the Lord God.

I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring your destruction among the nations, into lands which you have not known. I will make many peoples appalled at you, and their kings will be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and they will tremble every moment, every man for his own life, on the day of your fall.

God expresses Egypt's judgment symbolically. Pharaoh compared himself to a young lion among nations, but God calls him a crocodile muddying the Nile. Sin spreads, polluting everything around it, like Pharaoh fouling the waters. God will drag him out with a net, cast him on the open field, and let birds and beasts devour him.

This reveals three ways God judges pride:

1. God Opposes the Proud

Pride causes God to oppose you directly. He is hostile toward prideful Egypt, dragging Pharaoh from the Nile. Sin spreads, harming communities and moving God against the sinner. We were created humble, dependent on God. Pride decreases quality of life and invites opposition—even believers face God's discipline against sin.

2. God Withholds Favor from the Proud

God removes his favorable light. He extinguishes Egypt, darkens stars, sun, and moon, setting darkness on the land. No pleasure or clarity remains; only confusion and fear.

3. The World Reacts to Judgment

God's judgment on Egypt troubles hearts (anger), appalls peoples (sorrow), and terrifies kings (fear from confusion). These are reactions of gospel-less people. Neighboring nations relied on Egypt and don't grasp the spiritual cause—pride and sin.

The gospel changes this: It removes anger (peace with God), turns worldly sorrow to godly lament (regret over sin, not judgment), eliminates confusion (God is just), and ends fear (through repentance and faith).

The Sword of Babylon Devastates Pride

For thus says the Lord God, “The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. By the swords of the mighty ones I will cause your hordes to fall, all of them are tyrants of the nations, and they will devastate the pride of Egypt.”

I will also destroy all its cattle from beside many waters; and the foot of man will not muddy them anymore, and the hoofs of beasts will not muddy them. Then I will make their waters settle and will cause their rivers to run like oil, declares the Lord God. When I make the land of Egypt a desolation and the land is destitute of that which filled it, when I smite all those who live in it, then they shall know that I am the Lord.

This is a lamentation and they shall chant it. The daughters of the nations shall chant it over Egypt and over all her hordes,” declares the Lord God.

Nebuchadnezzar devastates Egypt's pride. No more muddying by man or beast; rivers run like oil in desolation. Pride's pollution ends.

Egypt in Sheol with the Nations

In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of the month, the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and bring it down, her and the daughters of the famous nations, to the nether world, with those who go down to the pit... They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword. She is given over to the sword; they have drawn her and all her hordes away.”

Egypt joins Assyria (612 BC), Elam (645 BC), Meshech-Tubal, Edom, Sidonians—mighty nations brought to disgrace in Sheol. They spread terror in the land of the living but now bear shame among the uncircumcised. Pride exalted them high; disgrace casts them low.

Two ways to deal with pride: humble yourself willingly, or be forcibly disgraced. Each receives recompense fitting their deeds.

Pharaoh will see them and he will be comforted for all his hordes slain by the sword—even Pharaoh and all his army,” declares the Lord God.

Pharaoh sees his conquered peers in Sheol and "comforts" himself—but this means regret. No external comfort; only self-delusion fails. Punishment fits the sin: the conqueror joins the conquered in disgrace.

The gospel escapes this: Christ bore the penalty. Embrace it for relief now and eternally.