Today's Scripture Reading (August 12, 2023): Ezekiel 29
Ptolemy I Soter was the Emperor of the Ptolemaic
Kingdom in Egypt. I have written Emperor, but his actual title was Pharaoh. But
Ptolemy wasn't an Egyptian. He was a Macedonian Greek and a contemporary and
partial successor of Alexander the Greek. But as Ptolemy began to try to raise
the Egyptian Empire, he styled himself as the successor of the Egyptian
Pharaohs. But there were differences. For one, Ptolemy and his successors didn't
speak the local Egyptian language, instead choosing to speak Greek. The only
exception to this rule was the last of the Ptolemaic Pharaohs. She spoke Koine
Greek, the language of the New Testament, but also used the Egyptian language
during her time as the Egyptian leader. And her name you know, even if you didn't
know that she was the last of the Ptolemaic Pharaohs. Her name was Cleopatra, the
Egyptian leader who committed suicide after the death of her lover, Mark
Antony.
One of the notable achievements of the Ptolemaic
Pharaohs in Egypt was the development of Alexandria as a cultural center. The
city became the Capital of Egypt, in place of Memphis, in 305 B.C.E. at the
decision of Ptolemy I Soter. But it also became an important center for the
Jewish Diaspora and, eventually, the Christian Church. The Septuagint, a Greek
translation of the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible, was produced in Alexandria. And some
of the Christian leaders that led the church in Alexandria include Mark the
Evangelist, likely John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas and one of the companions
of Paul, and Athanasius, the Bishop that gave us the first list of the books of
the New Testament with none of our current list of books missing and no extra
books included. It was a critical moment in Christian history.
Prophecies are often tough to understand, and a number
seldom means what we think it should mean. Still, this resurrection of Egypt
during the Ptolemaic dynasty is often seen as the fulfillment of Ezekiel's
prophecy of the restoration of Egypt. Egypt is the only nation Ezekiel promises
would be restored other than Israel and Judah. But Egypt would never regain its
splendor and be the seat of an Empire that would dominate the nations.
It is also this resurgence of Alexandria and Egypt
that is prophesied by Isaiah centuries earlier.
In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in
the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at
its border. It will be a sign and
witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of
Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because
of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will
rescue them. So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they
will acknowledge the Lord. They will
worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to
the Lord and keep them. The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them
and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he
will respond to their pleas and heal them.
In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to
Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The
Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and
Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt
my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance"
(Isaiah 19:19-25).
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 30
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