Reading for April 16th

Read Ezekiel 31.1-18 The fifth oracle concerning Pharaoh.
The imagery of a fallen cedar of Lebanon portrays Pharaoh's downfall.
In verse 1 in the eleventh year ... the third month ... the first day: June 21, 587 BCE.
In verses 2-9 see Isaiah's portrayal of the Assyrian monarch as a tall tree that is to be felled
(Isa 10.5-34) and the tradition of the well-watered tree in the Garden of Eden that plays a role
in the downfall of Adam and Eve (Gen 2-3).
In verses 10-14 because of its height and arrogance, the tree is cut down (Isa 2.6-21; 10.5-34).
The prince of the nations: literally, "the ram of the nations," Nebuchadnezzar.
The Babylonians boasted of the trees they took from Lebanon.
Pit: the underworld (Isa 14.3-23).
In verses 15-18 Sheol: the Hebrew name for the underworld.
Comments or Questions...