Ezekiel 27:1-24
1 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, 2 "Now, son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre, 3 and say to Tyre, You who are situated at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the Lord GOD:
"O Tyre, you have said,
I am perfect in beauty.'
4 Your borders are in the midst of the seas.
Your builders have perfected your beauty.
5 They made all your planks of fir trees from Senir;
They took a cedar from Lebanon to make you a mast.
6 Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars;
The company of Ashurites have inlaid your planks
With ivory from the coasts of Cyprus.
7 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail;
Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you.
8 "Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen;
Your wise men, O Tyre, were in you;
They became your pilots.
9 Elders of Gebal and its wise men
Were in you to caulk your seams;
All the ships of the sea
And their oarsmen were in you
To market your merchandise.
10 "Those from Persia, Lydia, and Libya
Were in your army as men of war;
They hung shield and helmet in you;
They gave splendor to you.
11 Men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around,
And the men of Gammad were in your towers;
They hung their shields on your walls all around;
They made your beauty perfect.
12 "Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They bartered human lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 Those from the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules. 15 The men of Dedan were your traders; many isles were the market of your hand. They brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment. 16 Syria was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made. They gave you for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, millet, honey, oil, and balm. 18 Damascus was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made, because of your many luxury items, with the wine of Helbon and with white wool. 19 Dan and Javan paid for your wares, traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise. 20 Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold. 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad were your merchants. 24 These were your merchants in choice items—in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multicolored apparel, in sturdy woven cords, which were in your marketplace.
Tyre was a successful and prosperous sea port until her vain pride and disdain of God’s people were her undoing before the LORD. Her pride told her she was perfect in beauty, the building work of her own hands apart from any providential hand of God, which likely drove her enmity against Jerusalem and God’s hand in prospering His people there. The finest and best materials from around the world were used in the construction of Tyre and her magnificent fleet. The best pilot and oarsmen propelled their trade ships around the Mediterranean Sea for their virtual monopoly on trade and commerce to generate such wealth that led to her pride and jealousy of God’s people which led to her great fall. This is a lesson for us individually, nationally, and spiritually within the church to learn that all we have is not by the sweat and tears of our own efforts and earned entitlement, but comes from God’s hand of grace in His provision and providence. While we are never to be idle and stop working for what we have, it is the knowledge and attitude of where the abilities and provision comes from that is essential to acknowledge. Tyre had armies to protect them so their trade benefited their defenders and gave them splendor in wealth and fame, but they refused to give all credit to the LORD of heaven whose sovereignty reigns over everything and everyone. That also is a lesson like that of the ten talents that what we do with what we are given may lead to it all be taken away and given to one who is faithful in knowing and using the provision of God for his glory and not to make ourselves look good as if we had done all and deserved all on our own. All the trade to gain wealth that denies the Giver of all we earn only leads to pride and eventual ruin as proud Tyre learned too late. May we learn this lesson of giving all credit to God alone in Christ for our salvation and sanctification along with all we possess and use in life and being given a living and may we never compare ourselves to one another (2 Corinthians 10:12, 17) for what we have to ascertain our importance over others, or allow jealousy for what we do not have in comparison to judge others based on their God-given prosperity. May we not lose our beauty as Tyre did in pride and derision.
No comments:
Post a Comment