以西結書29:6-12

29:6 「埃及一切的居民，因向以色列家成了蘆葦的杖，就知道我是耶和華。

29:7 他們用手持住你，你就斷折，傷了他們的肩；他們倚靠你，你就斷折，閃了他們的腰。

29:8 所以主耶和華如此說：我必使刀劍臨到你，從你中間將人與牲畜剪除。

29:9 埃及地必荒廢淒涼，他們就知道我是耶和華。「因為法老說：『這河是我的，是我所造的』，

29:10 所以我必與你並你的江河為敵，使埃及地，從色弗尼塔直到古實境界，全然荒廢淒涼。

29:11 人的腳、獸的蹄都不經過，四十年之久並無人居住。

29:12 我必使埃及地在荒涼的國中成為荒涼，使埃及城在荒廢的城中變為荒廢，共有四十年。我必將埃及人分散在列國，四散在列邦。」

Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord.      

“Because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel,       when they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins to shake.  Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast,  and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the Lord.      

“Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I made it,’  therefore, behold, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush.  No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years.  And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries.

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    埃及本為大國，但是上帝不喜悅以色列人倚靠這個國家，所以使埃及成為弱小國家，使這個國家荒涼了四十年，人民被分散在列國，四散在列邦，好使以色列人不在盼望埃及，專心倚靠上帝。

    上帝這樣的作為是要讓以色列知道，唯有上帝才值得倚靠的！倚靠別的勢力、別的國家都是沒有益處的！而且這些勢力和國家，都是一時的興旺，無法到永永遠遠的！

    同樣，今日教會不要想靠上帝以外的勢力或國家來生存，這一切都不會使教會增長或長久，教會只有倚靠上帝在基督裡的作為，才會興旺，才會長久，才會成為上帝拯救與盼望的記號。