Knowledge ≠ Wisdom

"It has been said that wisdom has two parts: 1. having a lot to say, 2. not saying it." Ever since the fall in the garden, knowledge has been sought after. Knowledge is power, right??? That is exactly what Tyre's king wanted, too. Whatever he personally may have thought of himself, the passage makes it clear that his actions were those of a person seeking such wealth and power as to be his own god, much like Adam and Eve. In both instances knowledge abounded, but the fall was great. Knowledge is a marvelous thing, but it will not keep you from falling.

"Wisdom is like comb given to a man when he is bald." Just as the prophesy was given against Tyre in chapter 28, there was a prophesy for Sidon as well. The reason for this judgment was that Sidon had been a thorn in the side of God's people by scorning them ever since Genesis. Again the Lord promised that onlookers would learn that He is God. The Lord also promised to re-gather His people to their land and to manifest His holiness in them so that all the nations would see it. They would then live in the land that God had promised to His servant Jacob. The Israelites would live there securely, building houses and planting vineyards, when the Lord punished all the nations that had scorned His people. This would teach them that He is God. After the Babylonian Captivity some Israelites returned to live in the Promised Land, but they did not live there in safety. In fact, the Jews have never yet lived safely in their own land. This fulfillment awaits the return of Christ. The prophesy was given, but it was not fully understood until it was too late for a do-over.

"Wisdom whispers, foolishness shouts." There was a long-awaited reckoning between the land of Egypt and the people of God. We are told in chapter 29 that the Lord promised to remove Pharaoh and his people from their land, as a fisherman pulls a crocodile out of the water with hooks. He would remove the river-dragon along with the neighbor nations and allies of Egypt that relied on her. Normally people caught crocodiles by placing hooks in their jaws and then dragging them onto land where they killed them. I find this especially interesting since the Egyptians worshiped the crocodile as a god, Sebek, which they believed protected their nation. (He just thinks of everything, doesn't He??!?!) God went further to say through his prophet, Ezekiel, that Egypt would not be inhabited for 40 years, and other desolated lands would surround her. Her cities would lie waste, and her people would disperse among other nations and live in other countries. Egypt's fate was like a repetition of Israel's in the wilderness. My children and I just studied that Egypt did indeed fall to the Babylonians in about 568 B.C. At the end of 40 years, the Lord promised to gather the Egyptians back to their original land. There the Egyptians would become a lowly kingdom in contrast to the great kingdom that they had been in former centuries. Forty years after Egypt fell to the Babylonians, the Persians, who had by that time defeated the Babylonians, allowed the Egyptians to return to their homeland. Yahweh announced that He would give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar as payment for executing His judgment against Tyre. Nebuchadnezzar would carry off the wealth of Egypt as spoil and plunder because he had labored for the Lord by defeating Tyre. Egypt was a loud braggart for hundreds of years, but her time had come.

"Wisdom will keep you from getting into situations where you need to use it." Had any of the nations surrounding Israel paid attention over the years to "The One True God" whom the Israelites served, things may have been different for them. But, for now, they were the enemy of God and found themselves being warned of doom. It's a funny thing what an ounce of humility can do for one's listening skills! The Lord also promised to open Ezekiel's mouth in the midst of this period of exile. Formerly the Lord had restrained the prophet from speaking (3:6), but he had long since found his voice. The Israelites would be more open to messages from the Lord and more able to assert themselves because their old nemesis had suffered humiliation. The Lord described the conflict between Babylon and Egypt as a conflict between two warriors. Nebuchadnezzar would break Hophra's arms as they battled. Egypt would groan like a wounded soldier. The people would know that Yahweh was God when He put His sword of power into Nebuchadnezzar's arms and strengthened him to defeat Hophra and when the Egyptians dispersed from their land. The place that Egypt had found herself, was in complete subjection to God's wrath.

It is my hope that we would all heed the lessons of the garden and the desert. We are surrounded by knowledge these days (sound familiar?) but wisdom is rare. There are many talking heads that beg for your attention, choose wisely. Listen to the One who loves you now, and Who has loved you from before the foundations of the earth. He has something to say......lean in a little closer.

"Wise men talk because they have something to say, foolish men talk because they have to say something."