Ezekiel 29:1-5: a reflection

1In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 3Speak and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the middle of his rivers, that has said, ‘My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.’ 4I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales. I will bring you up out of the middle of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers which stick to your scales. 5I’ll cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You’ll fall on the open field. You won’t be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky.

God pronounces judgment on Pharaoh, and he names the heart of Pharaoh's pride in a single boast: My river is my own; I made it for myself. Pharaoh looked at the great Nile, the source of Egypt's wealth and life, and claimed it as his own possession, his own achievement, as though he had made it himself. It was the arrogance of claiming as one's own doing and possession what was really God's gift. And God sets himself against that pride.

Notice the arrogance in Pharaoh's boast: my river is my own; I made it for myself. He treated what he had not made, and did not truly own, the great river that was God's provision, as his own achievement and possession. It is the pride that looks at the gifts of God, the sources of our life and wealth and success, and claims them as our own doing, our own possession, forgetting the God who gave them. Pharaoh claimed ownership of what was really God's; and God set himself against that false claim.

That pride, of claiming as our own what is really God's gift, is one we can share. We can look at the sources of our success, our wealth, our life, our abilities, and treat them as our own achievement and possession, saying in effect, my river is my own; I made it for myself, forgetting the God who gave them. But what we have is not finally our own doing or possession; it is God's gift, held in trust from him. Do not claim as your own achievement and possession what is really God's gift, saying in your heart, my river is my own. Whatever you have, your abilities, your success, your resources, is God's gift, not your own making; hold it as a gift held in trust, not as a possession you made for yourself. Guard against Pharaoh's pride, which claims God's gifts as its own; give God the credit and the thanks for what is really his gift, rather than claiming, as Pharaoh did, that you made it for yourself.

Lord, you pronounced judgment on Pharaoh, and named the heart of his pride in a boast: my river is my own; I made it for myself. He claimed as his own the great river that was your provision, treating what he had not made, and did not truly own, as his own achievement and possession. Show me that pride, which I can share. I can look at the sources of my success, my wealth, my life, my abilities, and treat them as my own achievement and possession, saying in effect, my river is my own; I made it for myself, forgetting you, who gave them. But what I have is not finally my own doing or possession; it is your gift, held in trust from you. Keep me from claiming as my own achievement and possession what is really your gift, saying in my heart, my river is my own. Whatever I have, my abilities, my success, my resources, is your gift, not my own making; help me hold it as a gift held in trust, not as a possession I made for myself. Guard me against Pharaoh's pride, which claims your gifts as its own; help me give you the credit and the thanks for what is really your gift, Lord, rather than claiming, as Pharaoh did, that I made it for myself. All I have is your gift; help me hold it so.