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Friday 26 August 2011

Day 240: The 7th deportation: 582BC


Now this is what I always think of as what a book of prophecy contains - fulminations against countries I’ve never heard of. Surprising how little has been as hard to understand as this.
Prophecy against Ammon
Ezekiel 25:1-7
Prophecy against Moab
Ezekiel 25:8-11
Prophecy against Edom
Ezekiel 25:12-14
Prophecy against Phlistia
Ezekiel 25:15-17
Prophecy against Sidon
Ezekiel 28: 20-23
Blessing for Israel
Ezekiel 28: 24-26
The fall of Egypt
Ezekiel 32:1-16
The world of the dead
Ezekiel 32:17-32
745 more captives taken
Jeremiah 32:17-32
Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image
Daniel 3:1-7


I didn’t know there were so many deportations! Jerusalem must have been virtually empty by now. Ezekiel prophesies against nations that gloated in Israel’s misfortune, or who took the opportunity to plunder - promising punishment for their wicked deeds.
One day, he says, it will  be different - Israel won’t have malicious neighbours any more. Well, that day hasn’t come yet - the Arab nations around Israel still bear malice.
Turning his attention to Egypt, Ezekiel foretells destruction for her as Jeremiah did. He is commanded to lament for her, which perhaps signifies that God wants his people to be different from the other nations that gloated in Israel’s fall - they should mourn, and be careful the same fate doesn’t happen to them again.
Finally, we find out some more about Nebuchadnezzar, who has a pretty high opinion of himself. I always assumed that the golden statue was of himself, but I notice that the Bible doesn’t explicitly say so.

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