Ezekiel 31, Egypt a Proud Tree

Have you heard of a left-handed compliment? Grammarist.com describes it as “a remark that on its surface seems to convey admiration, though it is also an insult. An example: “You’re so brave to wear that dress.” While the remark is supposed to be taken as a compliment, the implication is that the dress does not look very good on you.” Being a left-handed person, I could be offended just by the name of this “compliment,” but it is an effective way God uses to insult and declare judgment on Egypt. 

1 In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day, the word of Yahweh came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:

“‘Who can be compared with you in majesty? 3 Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage. 4 The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent their channels to all the trees of the field. 5 So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters. 6 All the birds of the sky nested in its boughs, all the animals of the wild gave birth under its branches; all the great nations lived in its shade. 7 It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its roots went down to abundant waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the junipers equal its boughs, nor could the plane trees compare with its branches—no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. 9 I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.

God is describing the once mighty Assyria, the nation He used to conquer the northern kingdom of Israel and which nearly conquered Judah, also. It was like the majestic and life-giving cedar of Lebanon. God made it beautiful, so beautiful that the trees of Eden were envious. Obviously, Egypt considers itself such a tree and could be complimented to be included in this description, though Yahweh is saying Assyria is better.

10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height, 11 I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside, 12 and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it. 13 All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches. 14 Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.

15 “‘This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away. 16 I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below. 17 They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword, along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.

Assyria’s pride led to her downfall. If such a glorious “tree” like Assyria could be felled, how much more so Egypt?

18 “‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.

“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Yahweh.’” (Ezekiel 31)

Yahweh acknowledges Egypt’s splendor and majesty. It was certainly one of the greatest nations ever on the face of the earth. But its pride merited its destruction. Do we have similar pride about our nation? Or do we acknowledge and keep at the forefront that we are only so great as God has enabled us to be?