Ezekiel 26
COMMENTARY:
: 3 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against you, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the seas causes his waves to come up. (5927 “cause”[‘alah] means to lead up, to lead out, ascend, climb, go up, to bring up, bring against, to rouse, to stir up, or used of God.)
DEVOTION: The LORD is Sovereign over not only HIS people Israel in the Old Testament and the saints of the New Testament but over every person and nation that has ever existed or will ever exist. HE is sitting on the throne in heaven watching every event and knows what is going to happen before it happens. HE had a plan before the foundation of the world and HE is working HIS plan.
Too often we think that the LORD doesn’t know what is going on around us. We think sometimes that HE doesn’t care what is presently happening to us or to the people around us but that is not the truth of the Word of God. HE does care and HE is still in control of our world.
The nation of Tyrus thought that they were in control of their future because they were located in a place that they could defend against any enemy. They were wrong. The LORD sent the king of Babylon against them and he destroyed his land.
God allows what is going on in our world. HE brings up enemies to fight against those who don’t honor HIM. HE is longsuffering but there is limit to HIS patience with some nations.
Our nations today are not honoring HIM. HE is not pleased with even the nation of America because they are acting like HE doesn’t exist. That is what nations thought in the time of Ezekiel and they were wrong. They are wrong today as well.
The LORD is watching over those who are genuine followers of HIM. HE has a remnant in every nation that are following HIM and HE will take care of us. This doesn’t mean that we might not die but it means that HE will guide us into our special service for HIM until we die.
Ezekiel was honoring the LORD during troubled times for his people. God spoke through him to the nation. HE wants to speak through us during this time period. We need to open our mouths and share the truth of Scripture with those around us before HE allows us to be taken home to HIM.
CHALLENGE: Are you willing to be used of HIM during trying times? If so, ask HIM for guidance and direction each day of this year. We never know when our nation might not exist anymore.
: 9 And he shall set engines of war against your walls, and with his axes he shall break down your towers. (6905 “engines” [qabal] means attacking engines, battering-rams, something in front, siege devise, or offensive weapon.)
DEVOTION: The LORD has established HIMSELF against the nation of Tyre. They had rejoiced over the defeat of Jerusalem. This displeased the LORD.
We get an idea about the war plan of Babylon. They bring all their knowledge of war against this nation. There were two locations for the city of Tyre. One location was on the mainland and the other location was on an island just off the mainland. The Babylonians came and destroyed the mainland but was unable to conquer the island.
But with the destruction of the mainland city their influence was reduced greatly. When Alexander the Great came he brought timber from Lebanon and used the remains of the main city to build a bridge to the island and destroyed it as well.
This fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel. They were judged for their relationship to Israel. The LORD blessed nations that blessed Israel and judged those who oppressed Israel.
There are many nations today that would like to destroy Israel. It is a very small nation but it has established that it will not be defeated easily. It will defend itself against any foe.
The LORD promises the children of Israel a future and a hope. There are many references to the Promised Land in the books of the Bible. There is a day coming with Jesus Christ will reign on a throne over the nation of Israel. Those of us who are believer will reign with HIM as well. Do we understand all the prophecies regarding the future? NO. Is God going to keep HIS promises to the Israel of the future? YES!
God’s word has come true through the prophecy of Ezekiel. It will come true in the future as well. We have to come to grips with the fact that God’s plan included Israel even in the future.
Our responsibility now is to witness to those individuals who are part of the nation of Israel that don’t believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. There are many Messianic Jews today who are witnessing for Jesus. We are to join them.
CHALLENGE: Our mind has to get around the fact that when God says something – it is going to happen. It may seem impossible to us but with God all things are possible.
: 18 Now shall the isles tremble in the day of your fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at your departure. (339 “isles” [‘iy] means coast, island, shore, or region.)
DEVOTION: The LORD is using the king of Babylon to punish the nation of Tyre. They have used their power to cause Israel harm. When the nations around Tyre see what happened to this powerhouse of the sea, they had two reactions. They were troubled and trembled.
They thought that because of the natural barrier of the sea, Tyre could not be defeated. They thought because they were islands, they could see the enemy coming and defeat them.
The LORD showed that Tyre and the other islands of the sea could be defeated too. The king of Babylon destroyed the cities around the island of Tyre. Then Alexander the Great used the material from these cities to build a ramp to the island. With the ramp the army entered the city and destroyed it. There was nothing left. The only thing that the island could be used for is the spreading out of fishnets to be repaired.
Some nations think that they can never be defeated. They have a strong army. They have plenty of money. They think that they can go against the God of the Bible and still be victorious against their enemies. They are wrong. Once a nation takes the God of the Bible out of their sight, they are headed for defeat at the hands of their enemies.
Not only nations think that they are to face their enemies without the LORD. Many people think that they are invincible. They think that there is no way that they can be defeated. Some people think that they are irreplaceable. Neither of these concepts is true when it comes to the LORD dealing with them. Throughout this section of Ezekiel the LORD continually states: “they shall know that I am the LORD.” HE also states: “I the LORD have spoken it.”
We need to be sure that we as a nation are trusting in the God of the Bible. We need to be sure as a church that we are honoring the LORD with all our decisions. We need to be sure as an individual that we are trusting in the LORD for every activity we do as a individual.
It should NEVER enter our minds that we can go against the LORD and win. Trust in the LORD with all our hearts. Nations have disappeared that went against the LORD. Churches have died without the LORD. Individuals who are genuine believers have died prematurely for living in sin.
CHALLENGE: Our nation is heading in the wrong direction. We need to pray for revival in our nation. It starts with us!!!
: 21 I will make you a terror, and you shall be no more: though you be sought for, yet shall you never be found again, says the Lord GOD. (1091 “terror” [ballahah] means horror, destruction, calamity, dreadful event, sudden destruction, or an emotion or attitude that causes great distress or fear.)
DEVOTION: Ezekiel was predicting that Tyre would go go down to the pit. There was a storm coming that the LORD was sending in judgment on the city. They were
entering the place of the departed dead and never be able to return to the land of the living. Those who loved the city would never see it again.
In the same breath the LORD is promising Israel that they would be blessed while others will be cursed for their actions. There are only two ways that eternity will go. People and nations will be judged for their actions.
Those who obey the LORD and try to honor the LORD will be blessed while those who dishonor the LORD will be cursed. The Bible gives a description of what it takes to honor the LORD in a nation. Anything less than honoring the LORD means judgment of the LORD.
Each individual will be judged on what they do with Jesus Christ in their life and how they serve HIM or don’t serve HIM.
Our responsibility is to present the truth of the Word of God to those we love and encourage them to honor the LORD.
In this chapter we find that nations have a relationship with the LORD and are judged accordingly. People make up the nations, so, the judgment can change with the actions of those who make up the nation. Are we as a nation honoring the LORD? Are individual believers honoring the LORD on a daily basis? Are we honoring the LORD daily?
CHALLENGE: Nations are made up of individuals who can cause the nation to serve the LORD or not serve the LORD. Which direction are you helping the nation you live in to go?
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORDverse 1
Thus says the Lord GODverses 3, 7, 15, 19
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1, 6, 14
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner)verses 3, 5, 14, 15, 19, 21
GOD – Jehovahverses 3, 7, 14, 15, 19, 21
Lord GOD verses 3, 7, 14, 15, 19, 21
I am against Tyrusverses 3, 15
I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rockverse 4
I the LORD have spoken itverses 5, 14
I am the LORDverse 6
I will cause the noise of your songs to ceaseverse 13
I will make you like the top of a rockverse 14
I shall make you a desolate cityverse 19
I shall set glory in the land of the livingverse 20
I will make you a terrorverse 21
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Tyrusverses 2-21
Many nationsverse 3
Nationsverse 5
Nebuchadrezzar – king of Babylonverses 7-12
He shall slay with the sword
He shall make a fort against you and cast amount against you
He shall set engines of war against You
He shall slay your people by the sword
Princes of the sea shall come down from their thronesverse 16
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Know the LORDverse 6
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Son of man = Ezekielverse 2
Jerusalemverse 2
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Pitverse 20
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