Do I Live in Tyre?

 

As I read through Ezekiel 28-31, one thing becomes very clear.

The judgment God predicts through Ezekiel over Tyre and Egypt comes because of one basic sin – pride.  

For Tyre, it was because of their wealth and success as key traders and merchants with all the countries of the known world at their time.  Tyre was a leading city in the height of their existence. 

Their success made them so proud they said, “I am god.” (see Ezekiel 29:2).

As for Egypt, their pride came from their ability to use their natural resources such as the Nile River to enhance their power and influence in the world.  

In Ezekiel 29:3, Egyptian rulers were saying, "My Nile is my own; I made it for myself."

I do not think the important message to me from these chapters in Ezekiel have much to do with the specific national entities named although those prophecies did come true for Tyre and Egypt.

It is as easy for a nation to become over-confident as it is for an individual.  When either nation or individual allows themselves to become so proud of their accomplishments that they forget why they are successful, they have crossed the line with God and become vulnerable to judgment.   

We see that repeated throughout history, nations that led the world in wealth and power in their days, but are no longer world leaders.

The world leaders of the 21st century are just as vulnerable to the sin of pride in what they can do, what they know, what they have. My own nation and those of us living here now must live cautiously, recognizing the power of the sin of pride.

I must not allow myself to forget that what I have is all a part of God's blessing on me. What my nation has and has been able to do is only ours until we begin to say "I am my own god. I can do whatever I wish."

Unfortunately, I think we in the United States are not alone in the world as having arrived at the point when God may have to act, as He did with Tyre and Egypt so many years ago.

God's Reputation

 

Ezekiel 20:9 I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

All through the history of the Jews up until Ezekiel’s time, the Jews had seen God perform miracles on their behalf. 

From their salvation from famine through Joseph, to their deliverance from the Egyptians army at the Red Sea, to the conquest of the Promised Land, they and all the nations around them had seen the power of God on display in sometimes unexplainable events, and always in miraculous events. 

Because of that, it was especially grievous to God that His people Israel turned to idols rather than worship of Him, the only true God. They deserved punishment.

At least four times here in chapter 20, God says He spared the Israelites – He did not destroy them, but “merely” punished their sinfulness – so as to maintain His reputation among the Gentiles. 

As I think about that, I can see God doing the same thing now, in my generation. 

Amid all the wickedness in the world today, when even some who name the name of Christ fail to live it out in their lives, we still see God’s power displayed in miraculous events, unexplainable occurrences that leave people marveling. 

When someone is cured with no medical explanation,

     when a life is spared in some miraculous way,

          when a life is protected unexplainably.

 God is keeping His good reputation alive for all to see and acknowledge. Sometimes it just cannot be explained away, and it is then that even the unbeliever must stop and be amazed at the power of God.

God's reputation remains intact.

God Speaks and Does

 

Ezekiel 17:24 All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall.  I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.  I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.

God says what He means and means what He says. “I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.”   

This reminds me of my childhood, when Mom or Dad would say something like “I told you if you did that again you would be punished…”  and I would be punished. They meant what they said, and they acted on their words.  

Those words remind me of my high school and college years. My teachers and professors gave assignments to be completed by a certain date. Turning in the assignment late would result in a reduction of my grade, sometimes as much as a whole letter grade each late of tardiness. They meant what they said and I knew that, so I made every effort to turn the assignment in on time.

I am reminded of my working career as well. When my supervisor gave me a task and showed me how to do it, they expected me to do the job, and to do it the way they wanted it done. Anything less would mean either a poor performance report at the very least, or even dismissal from the job. My supervisors through the years meant what they said.

What God has said He means, and He will do it, even though what He says seems out of the ordinary.   

Even when what He says He will do would take a miracle to do, He will do it.   

Even if what He says He will do is the opposite of the natural order of things, He will do it.   

When God speaks, it is as much as done.

He will do it, and there will be no question as to what He has done or that He is the One who did it.   

Even “all the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord.”