Ezekiel 31:8-11 -- On Beauty and Wickedness

"The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.
I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height;
I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness."
Ezekiel 31:8-11


This is God talking to Ezekiel, comparing people to trees, but overall talking to him about Pharoah, and comparing Egyptians to Assyrians. I think the idea was to show Pharoah that even though he was great, he wasn't any greater than the Assyrians, who are well praised in this chapter, but who were still driven out by God for wickedness. The story and comparison here are meant to convey the approximate message... yes, you are great, but not greater than they were, and they were in my hand as you are. Or in other words... God is still over all, and asks you to keep the commandments and not rebel, lest you be similarly driven out.

Maybe this is a message that we all need to hear at times. We think that we are pretty cool, and blessed, and that we know a lot... and we are, and we do... but we aren't better than the Assyrians were, or any of the other people that rebelled against God. We, like them, can't afford to think of ourselves as "above" the concerns of God, for he is above all. We can be "of infinite worth" as children of God, and yet be "less than the dust of the earth" because we are disobedient. Perhaps the overall message here is that our beauty, greatness, and potential comes to nothing without God.
Today, let's remember that lesson. Perhaps it will help us to be humble, and put God in his proper place at the top of our priority list, even above our own self-admiration and self-importance. God's message to us is similar to his message to Pharoah... that we are indeed important and beautiful people, but that we still need to be kind and good and follow God's advice. :)