2nd April 2025

2nd April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ezekiel 29:1–30:19 focus 29: 17-21)


Message (Alan Burke)


Keir Starmer is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Mediocre Britain and Northern Ireland, Donald Trump is the President of the Somewhat United States, Vladimir Putin rules with an Iron Fist over Russia and Ursula von der Leyen is President of the European Commission and the comforting thing for the believer is that we know everything that is being playing out, under their oversight of the Lord. Actually it’s much more than that, he’s not just a spectator he’s actively involved directed the nations all by his hand. We see that wonderful truth as the word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel once more. Sixteen years have passed since the first prophecy against Egypt and it is placed out of chronological sequence to help us to understand what is going on in the big picture of what is unfolding at the time. 

What has happened in those intervening time is Babylon had laid siege to the city of Tyre, it would would fall but not at the hand of the Babylonians, it was instead at the hands of Alexander the Great who came and fulfil what the Lord had promised. This prophetic word of the Lord hands Egypt over to the Babylonians, where they had no reward even with all their effort in the campaign they led against Tyre but they would have their reward against Egypt. Today we have what is known as a standing army, or a professional army. What this means is that it is filled with career soldiers, they get paid for their service. For the army of the Babylonians it would have been very different, their pay was a pittance, more of an allowance to survive along with they would have got their rations. There were incentives though, for the soldiers they would have had the spoils of war, they would have been allowed to carry off anything they could lay their hands on. In Ezekiel’s day wars were carried out in order to keep the army in check what I mean by that is that wars were carried out so that the soldiers could acquire for themselves the wealth of the nations, the spoils of war. 


This is reason given here in by the Lord for why he would give Egypt into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. The most striking thing in what is said in this prophecy comes in v20, as the Lord says; “I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ The Babylonians were working for the Lord, nations are directed by his hand. He uses the nations of the earth, wicked as they are according to his plans and purposes unknown to them. The nations are directed by the hand of the Lord, they exist only because of his sovereign will and it is not they who will inherit the earth, it will be his people Israel, not the nation but the true Israel that we the church are part of, we are the Israel of God (Gal 6:16). 


The Lord directs the nations by his hand, yet all that they do they will be held to account. Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Ursula von der Leyen among many others, they might think they rule but in reality it is Lord, he is the one who rules over all. After the resurrection God highly exalted Jesus and give him the name above every name so that the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:9-11). He will triumph over all kings and rulers will be defeated and stand before him and it will be in his appointed time not ours (Acts 1:7). While we may wonder how the world has lost the plot, ultimately the Lord is in control keeping in check the sinfulness of mans heart by his restraining grace. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q47 What is forbidden in the first commandment? 
A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying, the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone.
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