Proclamation Against Tyre

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Ezekiel 26:1-21

 

Ezekiel 26:2

 “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.’

(NKJV)

 

In football, taunting an opponent after a play carries a 15-yard penalty for a personal foul. While this penalty can change the momentum of a football game, it is mild compared to the penalty for taunting God’s people when God is disciplining them for their sins, as he did when Judah and Jerusalem went into Babylonian exile. There is no city on the island of Tyre today because they were completely destroyed by God for their taunting of Jerusalem when the city was laid waste by the armies of Babylon.

 

Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord, this time it is a proclamation against Tyre because they rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 26:1-2). Because of their actions, God will cause many nations to come against them like waves crashing the shore (Ezekiel 26:3). The enemies will destroy the protective walls of the city, and its towers so they will be unable to see the enemy coming, and flatten the land so it becomes a place for spreading nets in the middle of the sea (Ezekiel 26:4-5). The destruction will also include the daughter villages of Tyre in the fields which will be slain by the sword (Ezekiel 26:6).

 

The Lord provides more details of how this destruction will occur. In some Godly irony, it will be the very nation that destroyed the city of Jerusalem that will invade and destroy them and their daughter villages (Ezekiel 26:7-8). The Lord gives Ezekiel details of how the destruction will occur so that when it happens, they will know Ezekiel spoke the word of the Lord (Ezekiel 26:9-12). The consequences of this destruction are permanent with the people losing their songs and the sound of their harps and the city never rebuilt (Ezekiel 26:13-14).

 

The Lord then speaks to Tyre, letting them know other nations will be affected by their destruction (Ezekiel 26:15-16). These nations tremble at the thought of a once renowned city inhabited by seafaring men who were strong at sea bringing terror on their inhabitance (Ezekiel 26:17). The coastlands tremble and are troubled at the fall of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:18). What the Lord has decreed for Tyre will come to pass with its destruction complete (Ezekiel 26:19). The Lord will bring Tyre down with those who descend into the Pit, making them dwell in the lowest part of the earth (Ezekiel 26:20). Nations will be terrified at the fall of Tyre with Tyre existing no more (Ezekiel 26:21).

 

This is another of the Oracles of Ezekiel, given to assure God’s people that God would punish their enemies for their mistreatment of God’s people. The description of people of Tyre mistreating God’s people is taunting or doing an endzone dance when Jerusalem was destroyed (Ezekiel 26:2). The Lord throws the flag on Tyre but the penalty is more than a 15-yard personal foul and instead their complete destruction (Ezekiel 26:7-21). Even though God leads His people into exile, it is to correct and not destroy them. Tyre could have remained quiet and escaped this judgment but instead taunted the people of Jerusalem and suffered complete destruction.

 

The Church experiences taunting from two places.

 

1. From those outside the Church – Jesus warned his disciples that this type of taunting would occur (John 16:33). The reason for this is Satan knows that Jesus overcame death and made a pathway for all humanity’s salvation by believing and following Jesus with their lives. Those from the outside choose to taunt the Christians instead of accepting God’s gracious gift of salvation and eternal life (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16). Like the people of Tyre, failure to accept this gift will result in their condemnation (John 3:18).
2. From other believers inside the Church – Jesus told His disciples that the world would know they were His disciples by their love for one another (John 13:34-35). However, when those outside the Church see Christians taunting each other, they observe no difference between believers in Christ and those in the world. Jesus outlined a way to resolve conflict that would not involve taunting each other in Matthew 18:15-20. This involves,
1. Trying to resolve conflict between each other (Matthew 18:15)
2. Take one of two witnesses to validate things (Matthew 18:16)
3. Take the conflict to the Church for resolution (Matthew 18:17)
4. If these do not work, consider the man an outsider from whom taunting is expected (John 16:33; Matthew 18:17).

 

The Church and the people of God must work in unity towards the common goal of spreading the Gospel and making disciples. However, differences of opinion or interpretations will occur in any organization, including the Church. For the Church, the way to handle these conflicts is to follow the outline of Matthew 18:15-20. The Church must manage conflicts differently by following the Word of God to set a Godly example in a fallen world.

 

If you are reading this and have not prayed for the forgiveness of your sins making Jesus the Lord of your life, or have drifted away from your relationship with Christ, I invite you to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.