“Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because it towered on high, lifting its top above the thick foliage, and because it was proud if its height,”
~ Ezekiel 31:10
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you like trees? Your grandpaa’s dad and ma liked trees. Your grandpaa’s dad and ma planted a white birch that could be seen outside the dining room bay window in the house where your grandpaa lived until he left in 1960 for Dordt College. Your grandpaa’s dad and ma planted an ash outside their bedroom’s north facing window. Your grandpaa’s dad and ma planted several apple trees in the yard behind their house. Your grandmaa and grandpaa have a grove of trees behind the house where they are now living. Your grandpaa has hung where the grove of trees begin behind the house where your grandmaa and grandpaa are living a couple of wood birdfeeders that he fills regularly with a mix of millet, sorghum, wheat, safflower and sunflower seeds, he has hung a thin, clear plastic bird feeder that he fills with thistle seeds and he has hung a small metal frame on a broken off tree branch in which he puts a suet square for the birds that are looking for something to eat that is not in a birdfeeder. Your grandpaa also dumps regularly on the ground at the grove’s edge a small pile of corn for the deer, turkeys and squirrels that are looking for some corn to eat. Where your grandpaa was living before he left for Dordt College – which was on a farm that is located a mile west and two miles north of Volga, South Dakota, your grandpaa’s dad had bird feeders outside the dining room bay window. Your grandpaa’s dad and ma liked to watch the different birds eating the seeds that your grandpaa’s dad put in the bird feeders. Do you like birds and animals? Birds and animals need trees. Birds nest in trees. Animals use the shade under trees to escape the hot sun. Would you like to be a tree? When your grandpaa was living in Bolivia, South America, a Bolivian friend once called your grandpaa a toborochi. A toborochi is a tree that is often found in Bolivia. The trunk of a toborochi bulges out like the stomach of a fat guy. A toborochi is also covered with a whole lot of sharp, cone like protrusions which make climbing this tree impossible without getting stabbed by the sharp points of the cone like protrusions. Is a toborochi a good description of your grandpaa? Your grandpaa knows that he has to do something about his weight – as he has gained nearly 15 pounds over the past three months. Your grandpaa knows that his barbs sometimes hurt a guy, gal or kid who is wanting to befriend or be friended by your grandpaa.
God called the country of Assyria a cedar. Where God referred to the country of Assyria as being a cedar is found in an oracle which He – as God the Spirit, passed on to Ezekiel on June 21, 587 B.C. Ezekiel recorded this oracle in his Ezekiel Book in Ezekiel 31. This oracle is the fifth oracle that God – as God the Spirit, breathed on Ezekiel to record in his Ezekiel Book. This oracle is God’s very harsh condemnation of the country of Egypt. God used the example of what He allowed to take place against the Assyrian nation of guys and gals to communicate to the acting Pharaoh and to his hordes what was going to happen to them. Per what God – as God the Spirit, breathed on Ezekiel to scribe, there was no other nation as majestic as what the country of Assyria had been. The nation or country of Assyria had been like a cedar that was growing in the country of Lebanon. The beautiful branches of the cedar – the nation or country of Assyria, overshadowed the forest – which were all the other countries and nations of guys and gals. The cedar – the nation or country of Assyria, towered over the thick foliage of the forest – which were all the other countries and nations of guys and gals. The cedar – the nation or country of Assyria, was being nourished by water. The water that been sent by God – as God the Father, so that the ‘cedar’ would tower over all the other trees – all the other countries and nations of guys and gals, have its boughs increased and its branches grow long. The cedar – the country of Assyria, had birds nesting in its boughs and animals birthing in its shade – the birds and animals being all the other countries and nations of guys and gals. No tree that was in the garden of God could begin to match at this time the majesty and beauty of the cedar – the country of Assyria.
Verse 10 explains why God had to do a number on the country of Assyria – the majestic, beautiful cedar that He allowed to grow tall and prosper, ““‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because it towered on high, lifting its top above the thick foliage, and because it was proud if its height,” The country of Assyria was done in by pride. When pride took on driving the country of Assyria, God allowed another nation to grow – which was the country of Babylonia. The country of Babylonia – led by either Nabopolassar or Nebuchadnezzar, took on and razed the country of Assyria. The Egyptian Pharaoh Neco – in 609 B.C., went to Carchemish to help the guys from the country of Assyria get back control from the advancing Babylonian people group army. It was at this time that the Assyria nation of guys and gals was eradicated and the Babylonian nation of guys and gals took on being the world power. God wanted the Egyptian Pharaoh and his hordes to know that pride would be their downfall, too. There would come a time when the country of Egypt would suffer a similar fate to what the country of Assyria suffered. How well do you deal with pride? Pride likes to whisper in an ear of a guy, gal or kid to tell the guy, gal or kid how smart that he or she is, how talented that he or she is, how special that he or she is and/or how . . . the more that a guy, gal or kid listens to the whispers of the pride spirit, the more the guy, gal or kid will think that he or she can do no wrong and is untouchable. If you do not want to end up being Assyria like cedars, become Christ-follower trees.
Ezekiel 31 (897)