SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/15/2015 8:34 PM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  The Wages Paid

Bible Reading & Meditation                                          Reference:  Ezekiel 29:17-21

            Message of the verses:  “17 Now in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me saying, 18  "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare. But he and his army had no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had performed against it." 19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her wealth and capture her spoil and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his army. 20 “I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor which he performed, because they acted for Me," declares the Lord GOD. 21 “On that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth in their midst. Then they will know that I am the LORD."”

            Date of the second oracle was April 26, 571 BC, and according to Dr. Wiersbe this was the latest date mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel.  Perhaps the reason that it is put into this position in the Book of Ezekiel is that it is speaking of the nation of Egypt.  We see here that Nebuchadnezzar was being used as a servant of God and because of that he deserved his wages.  Nebuchadnezzar worked long and hard when he was fighting against Tyre and therefore he did not get much for wages, so God would give Egypt to him and therefore he would collect his pay.  I want to mention that Nebuchadnezzar is spelled differently when you look at the KJV of this passage, as it is spelled Nebuchadrezzar and according to an endnote from Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary he states that this is probably the way it should be spelled every time it is found in the Scriptures.  Now going back to their time in Tyre it was thirteen years that Nebuchadnezzar and his army spent there. 

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “God determined that Egypt should provide the wages for the Babylonian army that had grown bald and bruised during the siege.  God is sovereign over the nations and can accomplish His will without destroying either their freedom or their accountability to Him.  In 568 BC, Nebuchadnezzar did invade Egypt, sweeping through the country and leaving it desolate (see vv. 8-12).  Thus God punished both Tyre and Egypt and rewarded Babylon.”

            I suppose that the logical question that comes up is what does all of this have to do with the people of Israel?  We do see that Israel is mentioned in verse 21 of chapter 29 “On that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth in their midst. Then they will know that I am the LORD."” 21 “And the day will come when I will cause the ancient glory of Israel to revive, and then, Ezekiel, your words will be respected. Then they will know that I am the LORD’’ (NLT).”  There did come a day when Babylon was destroyed by the Medes and Persians and their first king whom God named way back in Isaiah 45, Cyrus would allow Israel to go back to their land and rebuild their city and their temple.  We have to realize that Israel is God’s nation and people and He will do whatever He wants to accomplish what He wants to accomplish with Israel.  We can look at Israel today and be assured that when the elections is over to chose a new leader in Israel on this coming Tuesday that it will be the Lord who puts the man He wants in charge. 

            When we look at verse twenty-one we see a statement that is seen best in the NLT about God opening Ezekiel’s mouth and this has nothing to do with when he was not speaking at the beginning of the book.  As usual with a prophet of God the Jews did not take Ezekiel’s message seriously, 30 "But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, ’Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the LORD.’ 31  "They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. 32  "Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. 33 “So when it comes to pass-as surely it will-then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst"(Ezekiel 33:30-33).” 

            Dr. Wiersbe notes that Ezekiel will return to the “monster” theme in 32:1-16.

3/15/2015 9:02 PM