Ezekiel 29:13-16 (ESV)
“For thus says the Lord GOD: 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 Pathros, the land of their origin, and there 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 rule over the nations. And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.”
God will remove from us anything that we rely on that replaces Him as our sole source of strength and worship! That is the summary of the above verses. In Ezekiel 29 & 30, the prophet is calling out a prophecy agains Egypt. It is the utter destruction of the nation and brining it down to the lowest of all nations. But, why? The end of the passage answers that question: “And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel ...”.
When we, as believers, rely on something other than God, God will remove it, diminish it, expose it, and/or limit its control in our lives. God wants nothing between us and Him. Egypt was a powerful nation. At one time Israel relied on it for its sustainment. When Joseph was led there (by God), Israel (Jacob) brought the entire family there. But, God never intended on Egypt replacing Him. God then redeemed Israel from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. They were told to never look back. But, they did. They continued to desire Egypt and they continued to rely upon her. But, God would not have it. He would remove all props that Israel turned to that replaced Him. If we cherish something in our lives more than we cherish God, God refers to that as an idol and He will remove it.
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