Good Saturday July twenty second as we study this prophecy and discover God’s will.
Now the Lord turns to Tyre-
The Edomites were descendents of Isaac, and Edom shares the northern border with Israel. These two nations were constantly in conflict, and when Jerusalem fell, the Edomites rejoiced, and then Ezekiel said that they would be destroyed. This prophecy then turned to the Philistines, those living on the coast known as the Kerethites, who were identified as being Philistines. The area today known as the Gaza strip and were enemies to Israel and we read because they hated Israel God was judging them. God says ‘I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines. Now Nebuchadnezzar punished them because they had teamed up with Tyrians to fight Babylon. This is what we can take from the judgments against these enemy nations, those who treat God or His people incorrectly He will deal with and those who respect and honor God, mercy will be granted. As we continue chapters 26 through 28 God will deal with Tyre. Tyre was located some forty miles north, Tyre being a seaport and a large commercial center in its day. Let us read together from Ezekiel 26:1-6 “And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha! She is broken who was the gateway of the peoples; now she is turned over to me; I shall be filled; she is laid waste.’ 3 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. 4 And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. 5 It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ says the Lord GOD; ‘it shall become plunder for the nations. 6 Also her daughter villages which are in the fields shall be slain by the sword. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” Exporters and importers traveling from Tyre heading to Egypt would have to pass through Israel and Judah where they then would be taxed. Now that Babylon has removed both Judah and Jerusalem Tyre would then make all the profits. Many believe Ezekiel was given this prophecy some fourteen months after Babylon began to conquer Jerusalem. What we see is Tyre is rejoicing that Jerusalem is no longer in their way to become richer. Today the region is known as Lebanon, but here is a large commercial center. But because Tyre was against Israel God promised judgment against them. Proverbs 17:5 “He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.” This was how Tyre responded to Jerusalem’s fall so God brought justice to them. When God is against you there is no place to run and hide, there is no one who will be able to help you. Tyre had built a strong defense; the area was embedded in the rocky cliffs that made them feel secure. Babylon conquered them around 586-573 B.C. and the Persians in 525 B.C. as did Alexander the Great, Antiochus and the Saracens in the14th century. They had no defense being an enemy of God and mocking His people.God’s word is truth have you chosen who’s side you are on? Remnant
