“Thus says the Lord,
‘Indeed, those who support Egypt will fall
And the pride of her power will come down,’” (30:6).

Once again, God calls His prophet to lament the coming destruction against Egypt.

The word of the Lord came again to me saying, ² “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God,
“Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’” (30:1-2).

It is another glimpse into the heart of God. Because He Is perfect in His Holiness and Justice, He must judge sin. But He certainly derives no pleasure from it. With all His calls to lament and mourn over the impending doom brought on the sin of the people, it is certainly no stretch to believe that He too grieves over that day. His heart is always that people would turn away from their sin that leads to death and turn to Him that they would live.

 Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? (Ezekiel 18:23).

But it will happen. Judgment will come and the Pride of Power, will be laid Prostrate before Him.

Special attention is given to the city of Tehaphnehes, with good reason.

“In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark
When I break there the yoke bars of Egypt.
Then the pride of her power will cease in her;
A cloud will cover her,
And her daughters will go into captivity,  (30:18).

Tehaphnehes: 8471. תַּחְפַּנְחֵס taḥpanḥēs,  תְּחַפְנְחֵס t^eḥap̱n^eḥēs:  A proper noun designating Tahpanhes, an Egyptian city in the eastern delta. It was located south of Lake Manzaleh on the Pelusaic branch of the Nile River. It took part in the devastation of Israel. Jeremiah was taken into exile here and many Jewish refugees fleeing Nebuchadnezzar passed through it. Jeremiah prophesied here (Jer. 43:8–13). Pharaoh’s palace was in the city at that time. The Babylonians conquered Egypt, passing through Tahpanhes (Jer. 46:14; Ezek. 30:18) (568–567 b.c.), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

The people of Tehaphnehes had been a part of bringing down Israel, and the palace of Pharaoh was located there, the Pharaoh who had captured the Lord’s attention with his pride.

“Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I have made it,’ ¹⁰ therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene and even to the border of Ethiopia,” (Ezekiel 29:9-10).

And the fall of Pharaoh’s kingdom would fully demonstrate the weakness of man as well as the ramifications of the sin wrought in rejecting Him and looking for strength in anyone or anything other than Omnipotent, Holy God.

“It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations. ¹⁶ And it will never again be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing to mind the iniquity of their having turned to Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God,” (Ezekiel 29:15-16).

And God’s people would learn of the fulfillment of His Word, they would hear of the Pride of Power laid Prostrate before Him; and perhaps, they would then remember what He had told them not to forget when He brought them out of the bondage of Egypt.

“Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; ¹² otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, ¹³ and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies,¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,” (Deuteronomy 8:11-4).

For God had given them everything they needed to answer His call to walk in humility, including what to expect if they chose to walk in the Pride of Power.

“If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. ¹⁹ I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. ²⁰ Your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit,” (Leviticus 26:18-20).

Consider Him Who Will Prostrate the Pride of Power

• He Will Prostrate the Pride of Power that He hates.
  • “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
    Pride and arrogance and the evil way
    And the perverted mouth, I hate,” (Proverbs 8:13).

• He Will Prostrate the Pride of Power that brings destruction.
  • Pride goes before destruction,
    And a haughty spirit before stumbling, (Proverbs 16:18).

• He Will Prostrate the Pride of Power that makes us a hopeless fool.
  • Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him, (Proverbs 26:12).

• He Will Prostrate the Pride of Power, that He alone will be exalted.
  • The proud look of man will be abased
    And the loftiness of man will be humbled,
    And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
    ¹²  For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning
    Against everyone who is proud and lofty
    And against everyone who is lifted up,
    That he may be abased, (Isaiah 2:11-12).

• He Will Prostrate the Pride of Power that will put an end to the evil, iniquity, arrogance, and haughtiness of the ruthless.
  • “Thus I will punish the world for its evil
    And the wicked for their iniquity;
    I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud
    And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless,” (Isaiah 13:11).

• He Will Prostrate the Pride of Power, that we will never again be haughty in His presence.
  • “In that day you will feel no shame
    Because of all your deeds
    By which you have rebelled against Me;
    For then I will remove from your midst
    Your proud, exulting ones,
    And you will never again be haughty
    On My holy mountain,” (Zephaniah 3:11).

How do we respond to Him Who Will Prostrate the Pride of Power?

We have a choice. Prostate ourselves before Him in humility and trust Him to exalt us into the place of His presence, or refuse to bow in surrender and face the judgment of Him Who Will Prostrate the Pride of Power.

And yes, this definitely applies to those who refuse to bow their knee in faith and confess the Truth that Jesus is Lord.

“He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day,” (John 12:48).

But lest we think we are exempt, let us think again. For we are still susceptible to that wretched sin, the Pride of Power that places us in the seat of strength rather than relying on what He alone is able to do. And when we start thinking we are something, in and of ourselves, we are no longer being led by His Truth but by delusion and deception.

For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself, (Galatians 6:3).

And there is no one who will go unpunished, for the Pride of Power is an abomination to the Omnipotent, Holy Lord God. And we can be sure, wherever it exists in us, He will be faithful to Prostrate the Pride of Power in the hearts of His children.

Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Assuredly, he will not be unpunished, (Proverbs 16:5).

But He has graciously given us His Word of Wisdom to guard our hearts against the Pride of Power, that we would choose to boast only in Him,

Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.
⁸ They have bowed down and fallen,
But we have risen and stood upright, (Psalm 20:7-8).

Our focus must not be on “not being prideful,” but rather, on being consumed with getting to know and understand Him. For humility will be the supernatural byproduct of growing in our knowledge of Him Who Will Prostrate the Pride of Power,

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; ²⁴ but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord,” (Jeremiah 9:23).

Today, let us choose to daily bow down before Him in humility, with thanksgiving, that we would grow in our understanding of His lovingkindness and truth as we seek Him in His Word, trusting Him to grow us in our understanding of how truly exalted He Is.

As we see Him exalted, and as we see ourselves in the lowly place before Him, He will be faithful to Lovingly Prostrate the Pride of Power in our heart that we would be brought near to Him.

I will bow down toward Your holy temple
And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name…
⁶ For though the Lord is exalted,
Yet He regards the lowly,
But the haughty He knows from afar, (Psalm 138:2, 6).

Oh, may our boast ever be in Him alone, that we would not seek to commend ourselves, but only seek the approval of Him Who Will Prostrate the Pride of Power.

But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. ¹⁸ For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends, (2 Corinthians 10:17-18).

Let’s Grow Together!