Ezekiel 28:1-5
The Lord continues his oracle against Tyre. The king of Tyre at the time was a man named Ethbaal III. In 2nd century AD, the Roman historian Aelian wrote that Tyre's royal dynasty claimed to be descended from the gods. They were known to take part in a ritual of 'The Awakening of Melqart'. He claimed to be a god and to sit in the seat of gods. The seat of gods is the picture of this island as a throne surrounded by water.
The Lord reminded him that he is a man. He was then subject to the creator of man. Mankind, from the beginning, has always been tempted by the idea of being his own god. Moral autonomy is our worst temptation, it goes all the way back to the garden and its never stopped. He was not a god but he was wise. His wisdom is beyond the wisdom of Daniel. This Daniel is probably the mythological Daniel spoken of in their culture.
With great wisdom comes power; the possessor must understand responsibility and possess wisdom with humility. Wisdom without humility brings pride and pride goes before destruction (Prov 16:18). His wisdom was used to gain riches for himself that brought greed to accompany his pride.
Ezekiel 28:6-10
The king set his heart as he were a god. To 'set his heart' was to feel he had to answer to no one. He decided what was best for him. The king had broken covenant with Judah and celebrated their destruction when Babylon crushed them. Now, the Babylonians would come to Tyre. They were the strangers who would come. The splendor of Tyre, a beautiful city, would be deviled by Nebuchadnezzar. The death of the slain would be the violent death of normal men and women who died in the judgment. The king, who thought he was a god, would die the same way and would forfeit a normal resting place. He would go into the sea.
Would the prince of Tyre still claim to be a god? He would be shown to be a man and subject to his creator. The death of the uncircumcised was an insult. The Phoenicians adopted circumcision from the Egyptians. Just like Israel, the uncircumcised were seen as unclean, inferior or even sub-human. This was a cutting insult to the king.
Ezekiel 28:11-15
This is the 2nd lamentation of Tyre. It is somewhat mocking and could be seen as sarcastic at times. It is a taunt song of the fallen prideful city. This passage is very similar to Isaiah 14:12-21; it speaks of the fall of lucifer, likening it to the fall of Babylon. Or maybe we should say the fall of Babylon was like lucifer's fall, identifying him as the power behind the system, power structure and culture of Babylon. It is a very similar feel in this lamentation of Tyre.
The royal seal was made with precious stones and perfect and beautiful. It was like the perfection of Eden at one time, the garden of God. The cherub was the throne guardian on the holy mountain of God. All was perfect in the ministry in the p presence of God, until iniquity was found.
Something surfaced, something not right, bent, perverse or tilted to one side. Tyre was one of the longest inhabited cities. It was once a friend of Israel. It was the king of Tyre that partnered with Solomon to build the temple. Things had changed so much from those days; now they were found celebrating the destruction of the temple and exile of Israel.
Ezekiel 28:16-19
The abundance of trade is a sign of affluence, influence leading to the idea of self-sufficiency. This brought Tyre to violence; wickedness, corruption, a taint or bent toward sin till it became so. Because this, God cast Tyre out as if it were a profane thing, something that ought not be there. She was destroyed for pride, for her beauty and forgetting the source of all blessing. Forgetting the association with God's people. Tyre was cast out, laid before kings as a testimony, as witness how far one can fall, of how quickly one could come down.
Like a fallen cherub in heaven, there was a defiling. The iniquities multiplied by the success of Tyre's trade. The fires of judgment were then brought. It was a horrifying site. If it can happen to Tyre, it could happen to anyone. What must be done? What must we do? The destruction moved people to inquire and seek the Lord.
Ezekiel 28:20-24
Ezekiel's face is then set to Sidon. This was a sister city on the coast near Tyre. The elements of judgment appear in Sidon as pestilence and the sword. It will have its way with the people of the city. Then they would know, He is Lord.
The nations that suppressed or oppressed Israel would be dealt with. Those who curse the offspring of Abraham would be cursed. Any nation that was a thorn in the side of Israel would be dealt with. Then people would know He is Lord.
Ezekiel 28:25-26
Israel was in exile, the land was destroyed, Jerusalem a pile of rubble, the temple a memory. Judgement came to the nations all around. The world was a bleak place, dark and seemingly hopeless. Ezekiel is called to speak of a brighter day.
There would be a day; a day when the Lord gathered the scattered. It would be a day when both Jew and Gentile would hallow the name of the Lord. Israel would come back to the land. They would live there in safety and security under the Lord's care and provision. By this, they would know He is the Lord.
©2019 Doug Ford
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