Ezekiel 32:28-32: a reflection

28“But you will be broken among the uncircumcised, and will lie with those who are slain by the sword. 29“There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, who in their might are laid with those who are slain by the sword. They will lie with the uncircumcised, and with those who go down to the pit. 30“There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down with the slain. They are put to shame in the terror which they caused by their might. They lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. 31“Pharaoh will see them and will be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword,” says the Lord GOD. 32“For I have put his terror in the land of the living. He will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude,” says the Lord GOD.

This is part of a solemn lament over Egypt and its Pharaoh, picturing them descending to join the other fallen nations in the realm of the dead. One after another the old powers are named, Edom, the princes of the north, the Sidonians, all who once spread terror by their strength, now lying together in the pit, their shame with them. The passage is a sober meditation on how earthly might ends.

The refrain is haunting: those who once caused terror by their strength are themselves laid low, stripped of everything that made them feared. Death is the great leveler here. Kings and armies who seemed unstoppable are gathered into the same silence as everyone else. All the might that overawed the living cannot purchase a different end. Before the grave, the terror of the strong is emptied out.

Scripture does not paint this scene to make us gloat but to make us humble and wise. If the strength that impresses and intimidates all comes to the same dust, then it is folly to build your life on it, or to fear those who wield it as though they were ultimate. Fix your hope instead on the God who holds life beyond the grave, and in Christ has broken death's finality. What you build on him will outlast the pit.

Lord, before the grave the terror of the strong is emptied out, and every earthly might comes to the same dust. Keep me from building my life on what cannot survive death, and from fearing those who wield power as though they were ultimate. Fix my hope on you, who hold life beyond the grave and have broken death in Christ. Let me build on what will last. Amen.