Quote for Friday 30 May 2025   ^#1153

As God weakened Egypt and made Pharaoh defenceless, he would strengthen Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. Pharaoh would be left with the groans of death.

Two months later Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord with a message for Pharaoh.

The rise and demise of Assyria is a forewarning to Pharaoh of his own impending doom. If God can do such to Assyria, he can also do it to Egypt.

Ezekiel is helping Judah to see that part of their fate and devine judgment also cannot be escaped.

Pride and arrogance, in nations or individuals, are an offence to God. It made devils of angels and makes fiends out of men.

The lesson for us is in Micah 6:8: Let us walk humbly with our God.

Egypt was a nation to which Israel often looked for help. When the Egyptian army arrived the seige from Babylon was temporarily halted, but when Egypt went back the destruction of Jerusalem proceeded. God wanted them to see that their hope placed in Egypt was in vain.

At the time of this prophecy Egypt was strong and had existed for 2500 years. The pyramids had already stood for 2000 years. What Egypt did is without parallel in human history, yet Ezekiel is saying that the God of Israel is going to judge this powerful nation and its gods.

Babylon was powerful and merciless. The prophecy of Habakkuk asks why God would judge Judah for their wickedness by using an even more wicked nation. God sometimes uses one wicked nation to judge another one.

This passage talks about the importance of godly oversight. Those of us not in that position are to be modelled on theirs, so what they do we should also be doing.

People in high leadership can often develop a god-complex. God is going to humble the fat crocodile that is basking in the Nile. The crocodile god was called Sebek. He was considered to be Egypt's protector and was at times connected with the sun-god Ra.

Why is God doing this? Egypt had always been where Israel went when they were in trouble. Israel so often looked to Egypt for help, but it was like using a reed as a staff.

Ultimately we have to keep our eyes upon the Lord. We also need to be challenged by asking if we are dependable. Even much of contemporary Christianity looks to man rather than the Lord when there are problems.

This is the only instance where Ezekiel speaks of the restoration of a nation other than Israel. Restoration came under Greek rule, under Alexander the Great, a city was built called Alexandria that became an important centre of Christianity and Judaism. There is also a prophecy concerning Egypt in Isaiah. God still has a purpose for Egypt, as he does for Israel.

Are we willing to labour for our king as Nebuchadnezzar's army did for him? Nebuchadnezzar and his army worked for God and God rewarded them with the riches of Egypt. We can be certain he will bestow a reward on those whom he calls his children.

Zidon, founded by Sidon son of Canaan, is the oldest of the Phoenician cities. Chapters 25 to 32 deal with judgment on the nations. There are seven oracles given against Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyrus, and today we will talk about Zidon, and then Egypt. In the midst of all that is this section from v24-26 where Israel are brought back into the picture.

In the time of Joshua Zidon was a great city, full of riches and sinfulness. It was greater than Tyrus at first, but eventually Tyrus overshadowed it. The people were sea-faring and the first to use the Pole Star to sail by night. It was a walled city, strongly fortified, known for pottery, woven work, and slavery.

Israel is God's elect nation. When he does bring them back to the land, the nation is going to be once again consecrated to God. Nobody will make them afraid again; no more sirens going off to warn of incoming missles.

Chapter 29 begins the judgment of Egypt. Israel had been slaves there for 400 years; we would think they were done with Egypt, but they looked back to Egypt in times of crisis. Isaiah gives a startling warning in chapter 31, woe to those who go to Egypt for help.

When we forget God, there is a tendency towards self-deification. It is a sin of every king of every people who fail to recognise God.

This section is dealing with judgment on the prince of Tyrus in the opening section, then in verse 11 judgment on the king of Tyrus. The power behind the throne of the prince of Tyre was none other than Satan himself. So it deals with judgement of the prince and the coming judgment of the devil himself.

Wisdom of the world made him wealthy, but not rich towards God. The description of Tyre in Zechariah 9 tells of streets filled with gold. Wisdom can be from God or from the devil, and either way it can lead to prosperity.

Because of his success he developed such an ego that he believed that he was a living deity. This is not uncommon. Other rulers, even today, have this same sort of God-complex.

II Thessalonians 2 tells us that there is a coming day when a successful man, known for wisdom and wealth, will be overcome by pride and set himself in the temple of God.

Satanic influence is not just with corrupt rulers. We cannot be possessed, but we can be influence by the devil.

Before his fall Satan was adorned with great splendour and musical talent.

Satan does have some power over the nations. He offered Jesus all the nations of the world. How did he get this authority? Initially it was given to Adam, but Satan took it from him.

God did not make Satan corrupted, but corruption was found in him the day he rebelled. He was perfect until that day.

The people of Tyrus probably had no idea that Satan was behind the city's success, as they also would not realise that YHWH was behind its downfall. A lot of people just see history as random events without spiritual direction. The Lord is at work in history.

There are four falls of Satan. Ezekiel describes the second one here. The one who has been a tormenter to the human race will ultimately suffer torment himself for ever and ever.

We are in a trilogy of chapters dealing with Tyre. In this session we start with a look at the origin of the merchants listed in verses 20 to 25.

We can imagine how wealthy it was. This incredible city was so consumed with merchandise and trading that there was a complete absence of God. In verse 26 we see this all comes to an end.

The people on the mainland are aghast. Lesser vessels might be expected to perish, but not this proud monarch of the seas! Yet here she is, in desolation.

In expanding their own wealth, Tyre had contributed to the development of those with whom she traded. Her fall meant the devastation of those others as well.

Here we read of the desolation of Tyre, and in Revelation we are told the Babylon of the future will be the world centre for commerce and religious activity that will dominate the world. The groundwork is already in-place, so it will not be long before the Lord comes.

Chapter 28 tells of Satan's throne. It moves around throughout history; at this point it is in Tyre. Satan is not omnipresent. Satan is dependent upon God. Daniel 10 shows that Satan is over earthly kingdoms.

In chapter 26 we saw the ruin of Tyre and judgment on the city. In this chapter we will look at the renown of Tyre set forth in a sort of funeral derge. In chapter 28 we will look at the rulers of Tyre, a very interesting chapter telling about the powers behind the throne, Satan himself.

It was originally written in poetic metre, clearly meant to be a song. The funeral song for the sinking of a ship that was wrongly piloted and ultimately shipwrecked.

Slaves were sold in the market, human trafficking. Commerce can be very heartless, because it is Godless. Anything that can turn a profit is worth pursuing, including slavery. Once you take God out of the picture people have no conscience about their activities. We like to think slavery is gone, but human trafficking is still a big problem throughout the world.

Part 47 of this series.

We are beginning a three-chapter section about the city of Tyre (Tyrus): the ruin, renown, and then the rulers of Tyre. Tyre is a picture of the coming commercial Babylon of the last days. As God judged Tyre, so will the destruction of commercial Babylon be in the last days.

We divide the chapter thus:
v1-6 the cause of her downfall
v7-14 the conqueror at her downfall
v19-21 the consequences of her downfall

Israel was impressed by Tyre's wealth. Solomon had warned about these things in Ecclesiastes, that they cannot satisfy the heart of man. We have to beware of a materialistic outlook on life.

Nebuchadrezzar did not get any of the riches. People retreated to the island city. Fourteen centuries later Alexander the Great's armies took the rubble from the city and built a causeway, just as Ezekiel predicted, "they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water".

We still hear about a Tyre after its destruction, but it is a new city built in a different place. The area described here that was made bald is still there to this day.