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EZEKIEL

Ezekiel 27-28

Please turn in your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 27, as we continue our study through the Word of God. And as we saw last week, chapters 25-32 deal with God’s judgment being poured out upon the gentile nations that surrounded Israel. And we finished up in chapter 26 last time, which spoke of the destruction of the city of Tyre, and God is going to continue to speak against the city of Tyre in chapters 27 and 28 before He moves on to the judgment of Egypt. Now keep in mind that what God has said has come to pass. You can go and visit the ruins of Tyre, which is nothing but dust and broken pottery and-so-on. No big buildings or structures have been left standing. And you can see the accuracy of what God has said right before your eyes!

Now as we move into chapter 27, it is a lament or a funeral dirge for the city of Tyre. And it is written in poetic and picturesque fashion. It portray’s this commercial and maritime city as a beautiful and strong ship that becomes shipwrecked in a storm and sinks down to the bottom of the sea. As you read this chapter it can be broken down into 3 sections. Verses 1-9 describe the beauty of this ship, it speaks of her past glory. Verses 10-25 speak of all the nations she traded her merchandise with and those that were there to aid her. And finally, verses 26-36 describe Tyre’s catastrophic shipwreck, her destruction by God. So keep those things in mind as we read through this portion of Scripture this evening.

EZEKIEL 27

VERSES 1-2

1. Understand that Tyre had not been destroyed yet. It was in 588 BC that the Babylonians attempted, and then some 150 years later Alexander the Great completed the task, with one last destruction in around 1290 AD by the Muslims that finally put this city to rest. And yet, when you read this, their destruction was so certain, that God calls for them to issue forth a funeral dirge for Tyre, as if it already happened. Why? Because what God says will come to pass, you can take that to the bank!

VERSES 3-7

1. They saw themselves as strong, powerful, wealthy. And this is all described by the illustration of a ship, which is interesting when you consider this city was a maritime community. This ship was put together beautifully. The wood they used was strong, beautiful and resilient. The oars that were made could cut through any sea with ease. And the sails they made could guide them wherever they wanted to go, near or far!

2. Now you read of that and one thing comes bursting through these verses, PRIDE! Many nations have been brought down, destroyed by this thing we call pride. And all pride really is, when you think about it, is a sense of superiority, seeing yourself as something you are not. And anyone who is filled with pride has no room for God! Proverbs 26:12 says this, "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him." Why is that so? Because self-conceit or pride in a person blinds them to their sense of need for God and in God’s eyes they are worse than a fool. At least he may see his weakness, the fool, and see his need for God and turn towards Him, there is a little hope in the fool, but nothing in the person who sees himself as wise!

3. Also, pride keeps people from receiving the truths of God’s Word. Remember in Jeremiah chapter 43, as Jeremiah tried to warn those who were not taken captive to Babylon not to flee down to Egypt but to surrender and go to Babylon. He was telling them this was God’s will for them. But we read in Jeremiah chapter 43, beginning in verse 1, "Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, all these words, that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, ‘You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, "Do not go to Egypt to dwell there." But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.’" Jeremiah 43:1-3. Pride truly blinds us to the things of God because we tend to think we know better. It truly is an "I" problem!

VERSES 8-9

1. Not only was this ship built solid, but it had repair men on board to fix any leaks or problems that might spring up while they are sailing on the seas. They also hired people to come in to do the work, to row the giant oars to propel the ship. But their own people, the people of Tyre were in control of their destiny, they were the pilots of this ship and their lives!

VERSES 10-11

1. The people of Tyre were sailors not warriors. And yet they hired the best mercenary army that money could buy to protect them and their wealth! It all looked so good, so well planed out, and yet Tyre was destroyed! Who are you putting your trust in? Who are you looking to for protection? Do you think you are the master of your destiny? LOOK OUT! Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

VERSES 12-25

1. Now we see all the nations they traded with, even Judah was involved. And not only was Tyre wealthy, but they fed the material appetite of these other nations. It was a good relationship as both parties prospered, receiving the things they wanted. Some of the merchandise they traded was: gold, silver, iron, tin, lead, precious stones, people, animals, spices and garments. Their ships were like a floating Walmart or Sears store. And things were going so well, but it was now time to pay the piper. God’s longsuffering was over and His judgment was going to fall!

VERSES 26-27

1. They traveled near and far on the sea’s until one day a violent east wind came and sunk their ship. In the place she felt so secure, the sea’s, became her graveyard. Now traveling can be very dangerous on the Mediterranean Sea, especially during the fall and winter months when the winds can be unpredictable. And a east wind can blow a ship far away from the coast and out into the ocean where there was little hope for survival.

2. But I don’t believe this is a literal east wind, but I think it represents the Babylonians, who came from the east, and besieged the city of Tyre beginning in 588 BC and it continued on for 13 years. Tyre was going down into the sea like a sinking ship.

VERSES 28-32

1. All the nations and people that prospered from her will mourn her death. Not because the people of Tyre are gone, but the merchandise, the business, the things they enjoyed for so long have been taken away from them. And for that reason they will mourn over Tyre’s destruction.

VERSES 33-36

1. God is speaking of the complete destruction of Tyre, that it will not rise again. And we see the fulfillment of that promise today, as Tyre is no more. And again, notice the reason the people are upset over Tyre’s destruction, because their goods, their merchandise, their toys have been taken away. Can you imagine a people being so cold, callous, so heartless? Before you answer that, do a heart check and see how you respond when someone takes something away from you!

2. Now I see this as a picture of another city being destroyed. A city that was the merchandise capitol of the world, and it is known as commercial Babylon. In Revelation chapter 18 we see this unfold, beginning in verse 9, as this commercial center is destroyed. The response is as follows, and notice how similar it is to what is said in Ezekiel. "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men...

...The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’" Revelation 18:9-19.

EZEKIEL 28

VERSES 1-5

1. The prince of Tyre was Ethbaal III. And in the prosperity of his city, he thought of himself as a god. And I think that is the key, he thought he was a god, but the Lord tells him he is just a man, not a god! There is that New Age teaching that has come into the church, telling us that we are god, and the reason we don’t recognize that is because we forgot the god consciousness within us. We need to remind our self. Now if we were god’s and we were that absent minded we forgot who we were, we would be in trouble. It is just stupid, what else can you say! We need to let God’s Word stand and the words of men be put to silence. In Isaiah 44:6-7 we are told, "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, let them show these to them.’" And God will not share His glory with anyone, as He says in Isaiah 42:8-9, "I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them."

2. Now God asks the prince of Tyre if he is smarter than Daniel, who was a captive in Babylon, and of course he was not. You see, the prince of Tyre was relying on human wisdom while Daniel relied on the wisdom that was from God. In fact, before Daniel reveals to the king of Babylon his dream and the interpretation of that dream, he says, "Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, ‘The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these.’" Daniel 2:27-28. You see, it was the all knowing God that revealed these things to Daniel, not his own human wisdom or understanding.

3. Again we see pride as the thing that brings this man and his people down. And his pride was in his material possessions, his wealth, his money, which they had lots of. Listen carefully to what Paul tells Timothy in I Timothy chapter 6, beginning in verse 6, "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." I Timothy 6:6-12. May we learn to be content with what God has given to us and not covet or lust after things that will become a snare or temptation in our lives!

VERSES 6-10

1. For all those who believe like Shirley Maclain and others, that we are god’s, you will be sunk! I don’t think God can be any clearer on this issue!

2. We have been talking about the prince of Tyre but now the focus is going to be the king of Tyre. This is the power behind the prince of Tyre. And as we are going to see, this is not going to be speaking of a human figure, the king of Tyre was Satan himself!

VERSES 11-13

1. We are going to see in verse 14 that this creature was the anointed Cherub, an angelic being. And when Lucifer was created, he was beautiful, perfect in beauty. Then where did all these ideas of Lucifer or Satan being some grotesque monster come from? Some came from the Middle Ages with its origins back in Greek mythology. In the temple of Apollo in Pergamos, there is a description of the god Pan or Bacchus. He is the god of pleasure. And he is described as having horns, from his waist down he is represented as a goat. And then Dante painted a picture of Satan with all those grotesque features, but that is not the way he was created or looks.

2. Now we must be wise for Satan is a master of deception. Paul, in II Corinthians 11:13-15 tells us, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."

3. Now in verse 13 we read, "...The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created." First of all Lucifer or Satan is a created being, not the brother of Jesus! Secondly, it is not just that he could play the pipes and timbrels but he was one. Out of his voice came this beautiful music. He was the worship leader of heaven. He was an instrument of worship. And as we have seen in our study in the book of Revelation, heaven is filled with praise and worship music unto the Lord. But when he rebelled against God, Satan took the thing that was used to worship God by and perverted it. Music is a powerful tool that affects peoples lives. It will either bring them to heaven or to the pit of Hell. You see, Satan now gets people into all kinds of immoral activities, lifestyles through music. But with Godly words, the music can bring people out of the pit of Hell and into heaven. What are you listening to?

VERSES 14-17

1. Now we get some insight into why Satan fell - PRIDE! This perfect creation of God became proud of his beauty. He saw himself as something special. And in Isaiah chapter 14, we see a parallel passage to what Ezekiel is speaking on. Beginning in verse 12 we read "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’" Isaiah 14:12-14.

Those five "I will" statements brought Lucifer, the light bearer, the shining one, down to the pit of Hell and he became Satan, destroyer, the dragon, the Devil, that serpent of old. His appearance hasn’t changed only his actions! And Isaiah continues on by saying in verse 15, "Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, Who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners?’" Isaiah 14:15-17. This creature that has destroyed so many lives, who we often give so much credit to, we will be amazed at. He is still beautiful, he does not look harmful or grotesque. And yet, look at what this one fallen angel has done because people are willing to listen to his lies. Not only that, but he was able to get 1/3 of the angels to rebel with him against God.

2. This is important in what ever ministry you are in. Don’t let pride lift you up, don’t think of yourself as special, God used a donkey in the Old Testament to do His speaking, so I guess we qualify for the job! If you keep that in perspective, realizing that life without you will still go on, it is not you keeping the ministry going, but the Lord and He can stop it just as fast as He started it, then you should have no problem in ministry.

VERSES 18-19

1. That word "training" speaks "to go about from one to another." In other words Satan goes around sowing his seed of destruction and lies to people, and many buy into it and receive it. We tend to feel today that we have the right to do what we want. We say things like "Nobody is going to tell me what to do!" Or "I’m in charge of my own life!" It is a lifestyle that says "No restrictions!" "Total freedom!" And what they don’t realize is that Satan has placed them in total bondage! And the pride that caused Satan to fall will do the same to us if we buy into his lies. Don’t forget, the middle letter in "pride" is "I"!

2. There is coming a day when Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire, but it is not here yet. Don’t listen to his lies, don’t fall prey to his schemes, draw close to God and He will draw close to you.

VERSES 20-24

1. Now God is going to pronounce judgment upon Sidon, a sister city of Tyre which was some 20 miles farther up the Mediterranean coast. Interestingly enough, the sinful practices of Baal worship were introduced into Israel through the wife of king Ahab. Her name was Jezebel, and she was the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians. I Kings 16:31. Now the Scriptures tell us that Tyre was completely destroyed, not to be raised up again, which we can see today. But for Sidon, they were not going to be completely destroyed, and they weren’t. Sidon is still in existence today as a town in Lebanon!

VERSES 25-26

1. Yes, Israel is back in the land once again, but they are not dwelling safely. But there is coming a day when they will, in the kingdom age, a time of future restoration and blessings as Jesus rules and reigns on this earth for 1,000 years. And the nation of Israel will recognize Jesus as their Messiah.

2. Tough lessons not only for Israel to learn and these nations, but for us. May we also learn from this and grow in our relationship with the Lord. May we not develop an "I" problem!