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Ezekiel 25-28
Nations and Satan Judged
Psalm 97:1-12 Anticipating God's Righteous Rule
1.“Yahweh reigns! Let the earth rejoice! Let the multitude of islands be glad!2.Clouds and darkness are around him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.3.A fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries on every side.4.His lightning lights up the world. The earth sees, and trembles.5.The mountains melt like wax at the presence of Yahweh, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.6.The heavens declare his righteousness. All the peoples have seen his glory.7.Let all them be shamed who serve engraved images, who boast in their idols. Worship him, all you gods!8.Zion heard and was glad. The daughters of Judah rejoiced, because of your judgments, Yahweh.9.For you, Yahweh, are most high above all the earth. You are exalted far above all gods.10.You who love Yahweh, hate evil. He preserves the souls of his saints. He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.11.Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.12.Be glad in Yahweh, you righteous people! Give thanks to his holy Name.“
Observations
97:1-2.It's difficult to place this psalm in a historical context, since the imagery and exhortations seem to be future. The rabbi's considered it Messianic, and rightly so. The psalmist either had a vision of the future, on which he bases the exhortations at the end, or he put his poetic hyperbole into hyperdrive to describe a victory God gave Israel. I opt for the former. When God reigns there is cause for rejoicing, because He will rule righteously and justly.
97:3-9.
The whole earth (or what's left of it) will see the glory of His presence, resulting in shame for those who serve mere created things. Even angels will worship Him (Hebrews 1:6). Those in Jerusalem will rejoice in the revelation and exaltation of their God, Yahweh.
97:10-12.
In response to the inevitable manifestation of the Messiah, those who love Him must hate evil and be righteous, for those are the ones who will experience His deliverance and light (reward).
Application
Don't base your life on just what you can see (no faith), because that will change in ways you can't imagine; instead base it upon the promises of God, and live in light of them (faith).
Prayer
God, I look forward to seeing Your glory and righteous rule; may my love for You be seen in my righteous service of You. Amen.
Proverbs 23:1-8 Appetite Control
1.“When you sit to eat with a ruler, have discernment to discern what is before you;2.put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.3.Don't be desirous of his dainties, seeing they are deceitful food.4.Don't weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint ("be wise enough to restrain yourself" from NET Bible).5.When you gaze upon riches, they are gone, for they surely make wings for themselves, and fly off into the sky like an eagle!6.Do not eat the food of a stingy person, do not crave his delicacies;7.for he is like someone calculating the cost in his mind. "Eat and drink," he says to you, but his heart is not with you;8.you will vomit up the little bit you have eaten, and will have wasted your pleasant words."Observations
23:1-8. The wise person has an accurate perception of reality and motives. In this section, a focus on pleasure (food) and possessions (riches) through the use of political and personal power backfires and you lose them (and more) in the process.23:6.
Craving anything temporal isn't the wisest course of action. Friends make any food delicous.
23:7.
The first part of this verse is frequently quoted a little out of context to make an important point: What we think about and value determines who we are and what we do.
Question
What do you desire? For what do you tire yourself out?
Application
The wise person has changed their values and desires from a focus on the temporal to the eternal, because they know that “humility and fear of the Lord bring riches, honor and life” - Proverbs 22:4
Prayer
God of Truth, help me see things in the light of Your Truth, so I don't get deceived by the dainties of the day. Amen.
Ezekiel 25-28 Nations and Satan Judged
After the siege of Jerusalem begins (last chapter) Ezekiel turns his attention to the judgment of surrounding nations. God pronounces judgment on the surrounding nations so that when they were destroyed, all would know that Yahweh, the God of the Israelites was the true Lord of heaven and earth. Unfortunately He couldn't demonstrate that in blessing the disobedient Israelites, but would in the future. The primary message to the exiles already in Babylon (Ezekiel's primary audience), is that God will judge all sin, wherever it is found. Therefore the exiles should put their hope in pleasing God alone, and not be disloyal to God by trusting anyone else. Chapter 28 and Isaiah 14 contain the major Biblical information on the fall of Satan, the power behind earthly thrones.
Ezekiel 25 Payback to Unfriendly Neighbors
1.The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,2.Son of man, set your face toward the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them:3.and tell the children of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Because you said, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was made desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity:4.therefore, behold, I will deliver you to the children of the east for a possession, and they shall set their encampments in you, and make their dwellings in you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk.5.I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the children of Ammon a resting place for flocks: and you shall know that I am Yahweh.6.For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have clapped your hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced with all the despite of your soul against the land of Israel;7.therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand on you, and will deliver you for a spoil to the nations; and I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish out of the countries: I will destroy you; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.8.Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because Moab and Seir say, Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations;9.therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kiriathaim,10.to the children of the east, to go against the children of Ammon; and I will give them for a possession, that the children of Ammon may not be remembered among the nations.11.and I will execute judgments on Moab; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.12.Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because Edom has dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended, and revenged himself on them;13.therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, I will stretch out my hand on Edom, and will cut off man and animal from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; even to Dedan shall they fall by the sword.14.I will lay my vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel; and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath; and they shall know my vengeance, says the Lord Yahweh.15.Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with despite of soul to destroy with perpetual enmity;16.therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I will stretch out my hand on the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.17.I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes; and they shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall lay my vengeance on them.Observations
25:1-11.God pronounces judgment on Ammon and Moab for rejoicing in the destruction of Jerusalem and God's sanctuary and people being “profaned” (considered common, just like any pagan shrine). He would bring Babylon (children of the east) against them to destroy them.
25:12-17.
Edom and the Philistines are condemned for their vengeance upon Judah and Israel. Interestingly the text indicates that Israel will be the vehicle of vengeance against Edom.
Application
Those who view Israel as just a common nation, or mistreat her, or gloat over the discipline of believers will wish they hadn't.
Prayer
God, may I have Your perspective on the events around me, delighting in what You delight in, and humbly recognizing Your all-seeing justice. Amen.
Ezekiel 26 Tyre Trashed I
1.It happened in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,2.Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken: the gate of the peoples; she is turned to me; I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste:3.therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I am against you, Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up.4.They shall destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock.5.She shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea; for I have spoken it, says the Lord Yahweh; and she shall become a spoil to the nations.6.Her daughters who are in the field shall be slain with the sword: and they shall know that I am Yahweh.7.For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I will bring on Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and a company, and many people.8.He shall kill your daughters in the field with the sword; and he shall make forts against you, and cast up a mound against you, and raise up the buckler against you.9.He shall set his battering engines against your walls, and with his axes he shall break down your towers.11.With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all your streets; he shall kill your people with the sword; and the pillars of your strength shall go down to the ground.12.They shall make a spoil of your riches, and make a prey of your merchandise; and they shall break down your walls, and destroy your pleasant houses; and they shall lay your stones and your timber and your dust in the midst of the waters.13.I will cause the noise of your songs to cease; and the sound of your harps shall be no more heard.14.I will make you a bare rock; you shall be a place for the spreading of nets; you shall be built no more: for I Yahweh have spoken it, says the Lord Yahweh.19.For thus says the Lord Yahweh: When I shall make you a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep on you, and the great waters shall cover you;20.then will I bring you down with those who descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and will make you to dwell in the lower parts of the earth, in the places that are desolate of old, with those who go down to the pit, that you be not inhabited; and I will set glory in the land of the living:21.I will make you a terror, and you shall no more have any being; though you are sought for, yet you will never be found again, says the Lord Yahweh.Observations
26:1-13.These two chapters are devoted to the destruction of Tyre (and the next one to her king). Because of her trading prowess, Tyre was the preeminent nation who enriched the kings of almost all the known nations. For her pride in gloating over Israel's destruction Tyre would be destroyed, by both Nebuchadnezzar (26:7) and many nations (26:3; 26:12 shifts to plural). Tyre had two parts (see map) a mainland city and an island fortress. Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to the city a month after Jerusalem fell and destroyed it 13 years later in 573 BC, replacing their king, Ethbaal II, with his vassal Baal II. When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city (fulfilling the first part of the prophecy), survivors fled to the island (setting the stage for the nations to act).
26:14-21.
The astonishing thing about this prophecy of destruction is that the rocks would be scraped bare, and fishermen would spread their nets there. When a city is destroyed, ruins usually remain, and are recycled into new buildings in succeeding generations. No one would go through the trouble of taking every rock and tossing it into the sea, unless you're Alexander the Great. In 332 BC Alexander, on his way to conquering the world, built a causeway from the city ruins to the island, using the stones Ezekiel said would be thrown into the water, and obliterated the fortress. Modern Tyre is located on a different site from the original, where fishermen spread their nets. For more information and sources, click this link.
Ezekiel 27 Tyre Trashed II
1.The word of Yahweh came again to me, saying,2.You, Son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre;3.and tell Tyre, you who dwell at the entry of the sea, who are the merchant of the peoples to many islands, thus says the Lord Yahweh: you, Tyre, have said, I am perfect in beauty.10.Persia and Lud and Put were in your army12.Tarshish was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches;16.Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks17.Judah, and the land of Israel, they were your traders: they traded for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, and confections, and honey, and oil, and balm.18.Damascus was your merchant for the multitude of your handiworks, by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon, and white wool.21.Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants of your hand;23.Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad, were your traders.25.The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandise: and you were replenished, and made very glorious in the heart of the seas....31.and they shall make themselves bald for you, and clothe them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for you in bitterness of soul with bitter mourning.32.In their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for you, and lament over you, saying, who is there like Tyre, like her who is brought to silence in the midst of the sea?33.When your wares went forth out of the seas, you filled many peoples; you enriched the kings of the earth with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise.34.In the time that you were broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your company fell in your midst.35.All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at you, and their kings are horribly afraid; they are troubled in their face.36.The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you are become a horror, and you shall be no more.Observation
27:1-36.This chapter describes the amazing trading range and influence of Tyre, and all those who would lament for her. It's like saying New York City or Hong Kong would be leveled, and all trade with either of them would cease. Alexandria replaced Tyre as the trading capital of the ancient world.
Application
God can humble and devastate the most mighty if they fail to acknowledge and submit to Him.
Prayer
God, may I not be impressed with the achievements of mere men, especially those gained at the expense of others, knowing that You will humble even the mightiest if they don't serve You. Amen.
Ezekiel 28 Humbling Prince and King
1.The word of Yahweh came again to me, saying,2.Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are man, and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God—3.behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from you;4.by your wisdom and by your understanding you have gotten yourself riches, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasures;5.by your great wisdom and by your trading you have increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches—6.therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have set your heart as the heart of God,7.therefore, behold, I will bring strangers on you, the terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they shall defile your brightness.8.They shall bring you down to the pit; and you shall die the death of those who are slain, in the heart of the seas.9.Will you yet say before him who kills you, I am God? but you are man, and not God, in the hand of him who wounds you.10.You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, says the Lord Yahweh.11.Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,12.Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and tell him, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: you are the sum of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl. Gold work of tambourines and of pipes was in you. In the day that you were created they were prepared.14.You were the anointed cherub who covers: and I set you, so that you were on the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.15.You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.16.By the abundance of your trading you filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I have cast you as profane/common out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed you, covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.17.Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I have cast you to the ground; I have laid you before kings, that they may see you.18.By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your traffic, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore have I will bring forth a fire from the midst of you; it has devoured you, and I will turn you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all those who see you.19.All those who know you among the peoples shall be astonished at you: you have become a horror, and you shall be no more.20.The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,21.Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against it,22.and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against you, Sidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of you; and they shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.23.For I will send pestilence into her, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall fall in the midst of her, with the sword on her on every side; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.24.There shall be no more a pricking brier to the house of Israel, nor a hurting thorn of any that are around them, that scorned them; and they shall know that I am the Lord Yahweh.25.Thus says the Lord Yahweh: When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob.26.They shall dwell securely therein; yes, they shall build houses, and plant vineyards, and shall dwell securely, when I have executed judgments on all those who do them despite all around them; and they shall know that I am Yahweh their God.Observations
28:1-10.There are two individuals in view, the prince of Tyre, a man who thought he was a god (28:1-10), and the king of Tyre, the power behind the prince, the chief cherub who also thought he was God. In this first section God describes the rise and fall of the human leader of Tyre at the time of Nebuchadnezzar, Ethbaal II (the high priest of Baal who had overthrown the previous king, Pheles). Because of Ethbaal's pride, God would have foreigners defile his glory and kill him.
28:11-19.
These verses refer not to the prince of Tyre, Ethbaal II, but the power behind him, the Prince of Darkness, Satan, the real King of Tyre. Note the words that could not be applied to any human, however poetic (especially in light of the the fact that God had already dealt with Ethbaal II above).
- 12 You were the sum of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
- 13a You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you
- 13b You were the source of music??? (the Hebrew is difficult and uncertain; it could also be a reference to the settings of the gems)
- 14a You were the anointed cherub who covers (the fifth cherub, his sign is the pentagram)
- 14b You were on the holy mountain of God
- 14c You have walked up and down (lived) in the midst of the stones of fire (glory of throne)
- 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you (no original sin).
- 16a By the abundance of your trading you filled the midst of you with violence,
- 16b You have sinned: therefore I have cast you as common out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed you, covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
- 17a Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
- 17b You have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness/glory
- 17c I have cast you to the ground; I have laid you before kings, that they may see you.
- 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your traffic, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore I will (imperfect future) bring a fire from the midst of you; it will (prophetic perfect) devour you, and I will (imperfect future) turn you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all those who see you.
- 19 All those who know you among the peoples shall be astonished at you: you have become a horror, and you be no more. (This is the same fate as Tyre).
See: Know your Enemy: Satan-Truth Twister, Deceiver and Destroyer on Truthbase.net for an overview of Satan, and the series Defense Against the Dark Arts Part 1, and Part 2 for survival and success tips.
28:20-26.
God pronounces judgment against Sidon for afflicting Israel, and promises to regather and resettle Israel in the land He promised to Jacob. They will dwell there securely and all would acknowledge Yahweh as a result. This is yet future.
Application
When we're tempted to think too highly of ourselves compared to those around us, and live independently of God, remember how Satan fell.
Prayer
God, may I use all You've given me in the service of You, and my fellowman, and not succumb to the snare of Satan (pride). Amen.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: God is far greater than any evil and has a plan to totally destroy it, especially when it takes the form of rebellion against Him and His people. God destroys nations, institutions and individuals who don't acknowledge Him and His plans to bless Israel.Us in a nutshell: We are susceptible to prideful self-interest when we don't keep focused on God's agenda. If the highest created being fell though pride, we need to learn from his mistake and be especially vigilant against living independently from God. Wealth is more of a curse than a blessing when we fail to realize the purposes for which God has given it to us (bless others in furthering His agenda).
Where to go for more
Truthbase.netFor an overview of Satan Know your Enemy: Satan-Truth Twister, Deceiver and Destroyer
The series Defense Against the Dark Arts Part 1, and Part 2 for survival and success tips, as well as the Spiritual Warfare material.