“….speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am against you Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon sprawling in the midst of its channels saying, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it myself.’ I will put hooks in your jaws, …I will draw you up from your channels, …I will fling you into the wilderness, …you shall fall in the open field, …I have given you as food. Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD because you were a staff of reed to the house of Israel; when they grasped you with the hand, you broke, and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke, and made all their legs unsteady. Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you human being and animal; and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they shall know that I am the LORD. Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I made it,’ therefore, I am against you and against your channels, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, …At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered; and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt, and bring them back to …..the land of their origin; and they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations; and I will make them so small that they will never again be the reliance of the house of Israel; they will recall their iniquity, when they turned to them for aid. Then they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 29: 3-4a, 4b, 5a, d, 6-10b, 13b-14a, 14c-16
Ezekiel prophesies against Egypt because of the current serving Pharaoh who proclaims himself equal God as creator, “My Nile is my own; I made it myself.” This Pharaoh has also made false promises to Israel; promises Israel has relied on, been disappointed and hurt by when broken or not delivered. God has a plan to address all the issues and at the end of the day the people of both countries will know that God is the Lord GOD. So much to learn! Attempting to make one’s self to be God is detrimental. Even in cases when we build something ourselves, God gives us the ability and resources to do so. Even if Pharaoh had dug the channel for the Nile by himself, (which is an impossibility) the whole of creation surrounds the Nile. Creator God is bigger than anything we do. Messing with, damaging God’s creation, especially God’s people is certain to trigger God’s wrath. As is, God’s people turning to and relying on an imposter! Know that the Lord is GOD! Don’t sin by attempting to be god. When in need, and we are all in need all the time, don’t rely on an imposter – respond to God’s offer of grace and relationship. Live in and with God.