A Lament over the King of Tyre

 

Ezekiel 28:11-19

 

January 3, 2024

 

A Lament over the King of Tyre

Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created, they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub.  I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire, you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.  In the abundance of your trade, you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.  By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade, you profaned your sanctuaries;
so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you.  All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.”

 

Pride, the Scriptures have a lot to say on that subject.  Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 16:5 “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

 

This is much greater than a lament of the King of Tyre, it is the source of how pride always put self before God.  We like the king of Tyre or the devil, believe our accomplishments, our beauty, and our clever minds are a product of self.

 

Yes, this is about the King of Tyre, but he was not an anointed guardian cherub.  The King of Tyre was not a signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings.  But Lucifer was, and like the King of Tyre, they allow pride to be their downfall.

 

As a follower of Jesus Christ, are we exempt from pride?  If you believe that you are, it is time to do some serious evaluation, of your life.  You and I live in a world full of pride, of fear, and self.  It is so easy to become prideful; that you do not have the problems others have, and it is always because you do not do such foolish things as they do.  Did you get that, you are smarter and more resourceful, you, yes you and I can take credit for our accomplishment.  Is that prideful, unless you give the glory to God for the Wisdom, that He has bestrode on each of us to bless others, and help them, looking to our Lord, who is the source of all wisdom, Truth, and understanding? 

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice