Only God Can Sustain

In Ezekiel 31, the Prophet poses a question to Egypt's leader, Pharoah. 

Ezekiel 31:1–2 (ESV) In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: “Whom are you like in your greatness?

Spoiler alert, Pharoah thought he was pretty great. But God is about to drop some truth that will render Egypt's pride as dust. He does this by talking about someone far greater than Egypt was. 

Ezekiel 31:3–5 (ESV) Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds. 4 The waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow around the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the field. 5 So it towered high above all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots.

In the Bible, nations and leaders are often compared to trees. They are planted, develop a system, and grow to impressive heights. Consider how modern cities seek to grow a forest of buildings and skyscrapers reaching the heavens to prove their glory. 

Assyria was a cedar of Lebanon, trees known for their impressive height. They provided shade for others and were fed by many waters. Assyria was such a kingdom. She was made wealthy by the "waters" of other nations, grew more impressive than before, and profited shade to other nations. But God was behind it all, elevating her to discipline the Northern Kingdom of Isreal, who had rebelled against God. 

Ezekiel 31:7–9 (ESV) It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor the fir trees equal its boughs; neither were the plane trees like its branches; no tree in the garden of God was its equal in beauty. 9 I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God.

And when Assyria looked impregnable and unstoppable, her pride led to her downfall. She forgot that the Lord was God and that He was ultimately in charge. 

Ezekiel 31:12 (ESV) Foreigners, the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down and left it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land, and all the peoples of the earth have gone away from its shadow and left it.

Now, all of this speech was directed NOT to Assyria but to Pharoah in Egypt, who needed to learn a lesson. If a far more glorious Kingdom like Assyria would perish at the hand of the Lord, what chance did he have? He would also be brought down because of the pride in His heart. 

Ezekiel 31:18 (ESV) “Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. “This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD.”

As with Tyre and eventually Babylon later in history, Assyria and Egypt would be rendered a relic of time's past. The ancient reminders that pride destroys people and nations and that God rules from heaven over all the affairs of men. 

The lesson is simple: Nothing we build, no status we achieve, will sustain our lives. Only God can make us grow, and only God can sustain us. Humble acceptance of that reality is the simple sort of faith God is looking for in His people. 

James 4:10 (ESV) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.