Ezekiel 32:17

The Bible says in Ezekiel 32:17-21, “It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,[18} Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.[19] Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.[20] They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.[21] The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.” As God continues to talk about the judgment that is He was going to bring upon Egypt and upon Pharaoh, we notice how long God has been on this subject. The judgment of anyone can and will take a very long time. If you are not forgiven of you sins through faith in Christ, you will give an answer and you will receive judgment for every word, every thought, and every deed that was done every day of your life. Jesus said in Matthew 12:36, “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

God said in verse 18, “Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt.” Even though God is pronouncing these great judgments upon Egypt that they deserve, God tells Ezekiel to be sorrowful that such a fate happened to the Egyptians. The Lord wants His believers to be concerned about the spiritual condition of the unbelievers. We are not happy that they are heading towards judgment. Paul wrote in Romans 9:1-3, “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,[2] That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.[3] For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:” Also, notice the compassion that Jesus had for those who would not repent. Jesus said in Matthew 23:37-38, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not![38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”

In this passage in Ezekiel that we are looking at, God uses the word “uncircumcised” to describe the Egyptians and their judgment. It says at the end of verse 21, “they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.” The Israelites were commanded to be circumcised. It was required that every male be circumcised. Of course, physical circumcision was the cutting off of flesh. But its primary purpose was symbolic in nature. The cutting off of the filth of the flesh symbolized the removing of sinful deeds from a life when that life turns from sin and turns to Jesus to believe in Him, to serve Him, and to follow Him. You must repent and turn to Jesus. To repent means to have a change of mind: to change one’s mind about the spiritual direction that he or she is going in. You turn from your own way and all of your sin, and you turn to Jesus. Jesus said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Notice that it says about the Egyptians in their final state, “they lie uncircumcised.” In other words, they remain uncircumcised. They remain in their sins and under the guilt of their sins. Right now in this life you have a chance to change, and you have a chance to turn, and you have a chance to believe and be saved. Do no die in your sins. Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 32:22-32, “Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword:[23] Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.[24] There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.[25] They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain.[26] There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.[27] And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.[28] Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.[29] There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.[30] There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.[31] Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.[32] For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.” In this passage many other peoples are mentioned and they all have several things in common. It says about Asshur, “his graves are about him.” Graves are mentioned several times because these people are soon going to be in a grave. We all are going to die and end up in a grave, but these are going to die soon. The judgment of God is going to result in death coming even sooner than otherwise would have happened. God gives life, and He takes it when He chooses. Life is a privilege, and God can take that privilege away. Some people have died before their time because they did not serve the Lord Jesus, or because they committed some sin that they did not repent of. God punishes sins, and one of the punishments is that you can lose your life prematurely. It says in First John 5:16, “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”

Once again it says that these who receive the judgment from God “shall lie with the uncircumcised.” In other words their sins shall be upon them when they die. That is spiritual death. Physical death is simply when your soul leaves your body. But spiritual death is when you are not allowed into heaven. Death is separation. Spiritual death is separation from God. Eternal life is the life in heaven with Jesus. Eternal death is the existence in hell without Jesus and without all that is good and true.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 33:1-7, “Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,[2] Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:[3] If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;[4] Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.[5] He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.[6] But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.[7] So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.” This passage talks about a watchman. Watchmen were very important in ancient cities because they kept guard over a city while everyone slept. An enemy could attack at any time. That is a big responsibility. Every Christian should be a watchman. We must watch over our own soul. And as God gives us more responsibility, we must watch over the souls of others too. Those that teach the Bible have a great responsibility to teach the truth of God’s Word: not their own opinions, not the traditions of their denomination or theological concepts, but the truth of the Bible. Do you not realize that the enemy is coming? False teaching is coming, temptation is coming, spiritual enemies are coming, and difficulties and sorrows that will try our faith are coming. There is a warning given to watchmen: you better be watching and be on your guard. You will be held responsible for those who are harmed, if you could have warned them, but did not. Once you come to know the gospel of Christ and inherit all the blessing of forgiveness of sins and eternal life, you know the Truth and you bear a responsibility to everyone else in the world who does not know the truth.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 33:8-11, “When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.[9] Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.[10] Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?[11] Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” God defined the problem that the wicked people have in verse 8: “that wicked man shall die in his iniquity.” If you die in your iniquity, it means that spiritually you are still connected to your sins. Once you are forgiven, Jesus disconnects you from your sins. That is what the word “forgive” means. It means to remove or to separate from. Once you are forgiven, when Jesus looks at you, He sees no sins at all. It says in Psalms 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” This verse 8 also gives us a definition of a wicked person. What is a wicked person: someone who is still “in” his or her sins. You do not want to die in that state because you will not be allowed into heaven. You will be required to go into hell. But God does not want you to go there. That is why He came and died for you on the cross. He loves you, but He gives you a free choice. One of the great verses in the Bible that shows God’s heart is verse 11 that says, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel.” A person will only repent and turn from their wicked way if they really want to. God gives the free choice. And then He invites and He pleads with every member of the human race to turn to Jesus. God asks the question, “for why will ye die.” We are talking about spiritual death here, which means going to hell instead of heaven. It makes no sense that anyone would refuse to repent and thus condemn themselves to an eternity in hell. Do not be one of those. Turn to Jesus while you still have time.

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