The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 31:3-9,
"Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage. 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. So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters. All the birds of the air nested in its boughs, all the beasts of the field gave birth under its branches; all the great nations lived in its shade. It was majestic in beauty, with its spreading boughs, for its roots went down to abundant waters. The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the pine trees equal its boughs, nor could the plane trees compare with its branches— no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God."
As the Lord taunts Pharaoh of Egypt, he offers Assyria as a nation to look at in comparison to Egypt. Beautiful, lofty, rich in resources, health and strength, he uses the metaphor of a cedar to describe it. Assyria was beyond comparison, "no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty." His point to Pharaoh is that just as he brought down Assyria, likewise he will bring down Egypt.
What catches my eye this morning is a small comment with tremendous insight. It is the Lord's comment about Assyria in verse 9, "I made it beautiful…" Assyria, a Gentile nation, not a party to covenant with God - not God's chosen people - was created and shaped into the world power it was in her day by the Lord himself. He takes credit for making Assyria what she was. He also takes credit for Assyria's demise.
While we look at indicators as to what it takes to create and sustain a world power, (and lesser powers as well), gross national product, productivity and work ethic, military strength, etc. they all may only be a reflection of what the Lord has done in the national life of any country.
I am reminded the Lord both builds countries up and tears them down. Blessed is the nation who's god is the Lord!!
As the Lord taunts Pharaoh of Egypt, he offers Assyria as a nation to look at in comparison to Egypt. Beautiful, lofty, rich in resources, health and strength, he uses the metaphor of a cedar to describe it. Assyria was beyond comparison, "no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty." His point to Pharaoh is that just as he brought down Assyria, likewise he will bring down Egypt.
What catches my eye this morning is a small comment with tremendous insight. It is the Lord's comment about Assyria in verse 9, "I made it beautiful…" Assyria, a Gentile nation, not a party to covenant with God - not God's chosen people - was created and shaped into the world power it was in her day by the Lord himself. He takes credit for making Assyria what she was. He also takes credit for Assyria's demise.
While we look at indicators as to what it takes to create and sustain a world power, (and lesser powers as well), gross national product, productivity and work ethic, military strength, etc. they all may only be a reflection of what the Lord has done in the national life of any country.
I am reminded the Lord both builds countries up and tears them down. Blessed is the nation who's god is the Lord!!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment