Chapters 29 – 32 focus on Egypt and contain seven specific oracles against her. All but the one opening chapter 30 are dated.
Why spend so much time on Egypt? It’s not as if these oracles were heard by the Egyptians. In fact, the Egyptians didn’t even notice them. But the words are not addressed to the Egyptians. They are addressed to the Jewish captives in Babylon about Egypt.
Egypt, the Jews thought, was their last hope. That hope should have been in the Lord, but Israel seldom depended on Him. They put their trust in Gods they could see, but who could not see them. They put their confidence in allies they could see, but who were not strong enough to deliver.
Of course, Israel thought Egypt could deliver. And why not? For 2,500 years, Egypt had comprised the greatest civilization the world had ever known. When you put together the traits of strength, achievement, and longevity, no civilization before or since can match it. But by the 6th century B.C., the judgment of God decreed it to be over.
And it was, never to rise to former heights again.
It may sound strange, but “lower Egypt” is in the north (near the Mediterranean) and “upper” Egypt is in the south. Most of the cities mentioned are in the north, but Zoan takes us over four hundred miles south. Egypt was a huge nation and it all was about to fall.
Do you think the Egyptians came to understand that the God of Israel was “the Lord?”
No, I don’t think so either. And that accounts for her failure to ever rise to her former glory. It also accounts for Israel’s failure too.