“Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord God'” Ezekiel 28:2
Yesterday, we considered the indictment against Tyre; today we see it against their King. Right away, God describes the grounds of His Judgement; “Because your heart is lifted up and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the seas'”! God then continues to describe his wisdom, his riches, his success, and then his resulting Pride. But it doesn’t end there. Starting in Verse 12, we have a Cryptic description of him that seems to describe Satan himself, with references to “perfection” and “Eden”. It is Jaw Dropping to say the least, and many commentators have struggled in their handling of it. I certainly will not attempt to do so!
Just a couple of Take-Aways: 1st and foremost, God Hates Pride!!! As we saw yesterday, God’s Wrath came on Tyre because they did not Honor God. What is Pride, except the very opposite of that? We must, Must, MUST, be putting Pride to death every moment it raises its Ugly Head! 2nd, God gifts Men with amazing amounts of Wisdom, Riches, and Success. He even uses them for His Purpose and Glory. Don’t confuse that with His approval of their character! This King was soaring in his prime, but eventually came crashing down in total destruction. 3rd, and most obvious; the LORD reigns! He is in total control; always has been and always will. Let us Worship and Honor Him while we live in this Fallen World