BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

As you continue your journey through the biblical story, keep your eyes peeled: You might spot a dragon. In today’s video, we meet the chaos dragon, a monstrous symbol of violence and de-creation destruction in the ancient world.

When you know what to look for, you can spot this snakey creature lurking in quite a few corners of the Bible. Today’s reading shows a great example.

In the first of Ezekiel’s seven oracles of judgment against Egypt, the prophet compares ancient Egypt’s Pharaoh to a scaly monster, prowling in the waters of the Nile. But the dragon is no match for Yahweh’s hook of justice. God will drag the Egyptian “snake” from its watery lair and leave it to shrivel under the scorching desert sun.

Once again, the armies of Babylon bring about this de-creation judgment. Babylon’s strong arm will break the arms of Egypt, leaving the nation crippled and powerless. The fertile floodplains and prosperous cities along the Nile will be burned to a desolate wasteland.

Be warned, raging dragons: Yahweh the dragon slayer has unsheathed his sword of divine judgment.

Reflection Questions

• Compare Ezekiel’s descriptions of Pharaoh and Egypt to Isaiah 51:9-11. What dragon imagery do you notice? What might these passages reveal about God’s defeat of Egypt in the exodus story?
• Look closely at the poetry in Ezekiel 30. What do you think is the significance of Ezekiel describing Yahweh’s judgment against Egypt as a Day of the Lord?