“and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations.”
Ezekiel 29:14-15 ESV
Through the Bible: Ezekiel 28-30
Egypt is one of the countries on my bucket list. Someday, I want to see the Pyramids, stand in the shadow of the Sphinx, maybe even ride a camel through the desert.
And that’s what most of us think of when Egypt comes up:
Pyramids. Pharaohs. Camels and sand dunes.
But there’s one phrase that probably doesn’t come to mind when you think about Egypt:
Global superpower.
And yet, in Ezekiel’s day, that’s exactly what Egypt was. It was ancient Israel’s big, intimidating neighbor — rich, influential, and militarily dominant. Whenever Israel got nervous about Babylon or Assyria, they’d whisper, “Maybe Egypt can save us.”
But God gives Egypt a double-edged sword of prophecy in Ezekiel 29:13–16: I’ll bring you back, but you’ll never regain your world dominance.
Think about it: for thousands of years, Egypt was one of the most advanced civilizations in the world. Its monuments still stand today — so mighty that they look eternal. And yet… after Babylon, after Persia, after Greece, after Rome… Egypt never rose again as a global superpower.
God promised it would be “a lowly kingdom,” and to this day, it is.
The Illusion of Stability
There’s something sobering here: the empires we think are unshakable… aren’t.
We live in a world that sells the illusion of permanence — strong economies, global influence, institutions built to last. But Ezekiel reminds us that even the strongest kingdoms eventually fade into footnotes.
And if that’s true of nations, it’s also true of the things we lean on personally:
That job you think is secure. That retirement account you’re sure will be enough. That relationship, reputation, or status you believe will always hold you up.
Like ancient Egypt, these things may look massive and immovable. But they’re not.
An Unshakable Kingdom
Here’s the hope: while Egypt’s kingdom became lowly, God’s kingdom cannot be shaken.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28)
That’s what Ezekiel 29 is pointing us toward. Human power fades. Thrones topple. The “pyramids” we build for ourselves eventually crumble. But there is one King who reigns forever, and His invitation is to belong to His kingdom, not build our own.
If I ever do get to Egypt, and see the Pyramids for myself, I imagine I’ll be struck by how permanent they look — colossal stones stacked for eternity. But Ezekiel reminds me that even the mightiest empires rise and fall.
There’s only one throne that lasts.
Only one King who reigns forever.
Only one kingdom that will never be called lowly.
The question isn’t whether our kingdoms will crumble. They will.
The question is: when they do, will we belong to His?
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