{"id":10998,"date":"2020-08-16T20:00:45","date_gmt":"2020-08-17T03:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/ezekiel-27_25-36-copy\/"},"modified":"2020-08-16T16:55:36","modified_gmt":"2020-08-16T23:55:36","slug":"ezekiel-28_1-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/ezekiel-28_1-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Pride Poisons and God Restores"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ezekiel 28:1-26 Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Ezekiel 28:1-26.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Ezekiel 28:1-10 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The word of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0came to me:
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign\u00a0LORD\u00a0says: “‘In the pride of your heart you say, “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.” But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you?
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud.
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign\u00a0LORD\u00a0says: “‘Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god,
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas.
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Will you then say, “I am a god,” in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you.
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign\u00a0LORD.'”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 1-10:\u00a0 Here the Lord has a message specifically for \u201cthe ruler of Tyre\u201d, whom scholars identify as Ethbaal III, who ruled over Tyre from approximately 590 B.C. to 573 B.C.\u00a0 The message is that because Ethbaal III in his pride called himself a god (v2, 9) and considered himself \u201cas wise as a god\u201d (v2, 6), Ethbaal III would be brought down by foreigners and die a violent death, proving himself to be anything but a god.\u00a0 \u00a0That the ruler of Tyre \u201cwill die the death of the uncircumcised\u201d suggests that the ruler of Tyre will be cut off from God for eternity.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0One of the most dangerous things we can do is to allow pride to poison our thinking.<\/strong>\u00a0 As Scripture says repeatedly, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.<\/p>\n

Ezekiel 28:11-19 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The word of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0came to me:
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign\u00a0LORD\u00a0says: “‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.'”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 11-19:\u00a0 This message is for the \u201cking of Tyre\u201d (v12).\u00a0 However, these verses seem to be talking about someone other than Ethbaal III the ruler of Tyre described in verses 1-10.\u00a0 For when was Ethbaal III ever in the Garden of Eden (v13)?\u00a0 Why would God call Ethbaal III \u201cthe model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty\u201d (v12)?\u00a0 When was Ethbaal ever \u201cordained\u201d by God, \u201canointed as a guardian cherub\u201d (v14) or \u201con the holy mount of God\u201d (v14)?\u00a0 Indeed this is odd language to be using to describing a human being like Ethbaal III.<\/p>\n

Some scholars think that this is just very flowery language for the same person Ethbaal III.\u00a0 However, many other scholars believe, and I would agree, that the king of Tyre being addressed in verses 11-19 is probably not Ethbaal III but rather Satan.\u00a0 Under this latter interpretation, verses 11-15 describe Satan\u2019s beauty, power and high status in heaven before he rebelled against God, and verses 16-19 describe how Satan\u2019s pride caused him to be thrown down from heaven and ultimately defeated.\u00a0 This interpretation also explains why God separates His messages to the \u201cruler of Tyre\u201d (Ethbaal III) and the \u201cking of Tyre\u201d (Satan) rather than lumping them all into one message.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 If the King of Tyre being described here is Satan, we can learn several things about Satan from these verses: among other things, that he is a created being (v15); that he had great wisdom, beauty and power (v12); that he was a guardian cherub, meaning a high positioned angel (v14); that his heart became proud and his wisdom became corrupt (v17); that he was expelled from heaven (v16); and that as powerful as he is, Satan is no match for God and is subject to God\u2019s authority (v18-19).<\/p>\n

Ezekiel 28:20-24 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The word of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0came to me:
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Son of man, set your face against Sidon; prophesy against her
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign\u00a0LORD\u00a0says: “‘I am against you, O Sidon, and I will gain glory within you. They will know that I am the\u00a0LORD, when I inflict punishment on her and show myself holy within her.
\n23\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I will send a plague upon her and make blood flow in her streets. The slain will fall within her, with the sword against her on every side. Then they will know that I am the\u00a0LORD.
\n24\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“‘No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign\u00a0LORD.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 20-24:\u00a0 The next city the Lord has a message for is Sidon, another coastal city located 20 miles north of Tyre.\u00a0 In Scripture Sidon is often mentioned together with Tyre (e.g. 1 Chronicles 22:4; Joel 3:4; Zechariah 9:2; Matthew 11:21; Acts 12:20).\u00a0 The Lord promises to punish Sidon (v22-23), seemingly because Sidon was one of Israel\u2019s \u201cmalicious neighbors\u201d (v24) who acted as one of the \u201cpainful briers and sharp thorns\u201d (v24) that would trouble Israel.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 Here again we see God\u2019s commitment to faithfully defend His people, even when His people were unfaithful to Him.\u00a0 God is faithful even when we are faithless.<\/p>\n

Ezekiel 28:25-26 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n25\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“‘This is what the Sovereign\u00a0LORD\u00a0says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will show myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.
\n26\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the\u00a0LORD\u00a0their God.'”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 25-26:\u00a0 Much of the book of Ezekiel talks about the unfaithfulness of Israel (that is, both the northern kingdom of Israel and even more the southern kingdom of Judah) and how God would punish them for their unfaithfulness.\u00a0 However, here in verses 25-26 we see hope for all of Israel, as God promises that one day He will gather His people, let them live in their own land and thrive there, while at the same time punishing their neighbours who mistreated them.<\/p>\n

God will discipline us, but because we are His children, God\u2019s plan in the end is always to find a way to restore us and to bring us to a blessed and glorious place with Him.<\/strong>\u00a0 It reminds me of 2 Samuel 14:14, which says, \u201cLike water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holy Spirit, please help me today and every day to practice humility and to not allow pride to poison my thoughts, my decisions or my words.\u00a0 Thank You that You are faithful even when we are unfaithful, and that You relentlessly find a way to bring us back to You when we have gone astray.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Ezekiel 28:1-26.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!
\n\u00a0
\nEzekiel 28:1-10 (NIV)\u00a0
\n1\u00a0\u00a0The word of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0came to me:\u00a0
\n2\u00a0\u00a0“Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign\u00a0LORD\u00a0says: “‘In the pride of your heart you say, “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.” But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.\u00a0
\n3\u00a0\u00a0Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you?\u00a0……<\/p>\n

On verses 1-10:\u00a0 Here the Lord has a message specifically for \u201cthe ruler of Tyre\u201d, whom scholars identify as Ethbaal III, who ruled over Tyre from approximately 590 B.C. to 573 B.C.\u00a0 The message is that because Ethbaal III in his pride called himself a god (v2, 9) and considered himself \u201cas wise as a god\u201d (v2, 6), Ethbaal III would be brought down by foreigners and die a violent death, proving himself to be anything but a god.\u00a0 \u00a0That the ruler of Tyre \u201cwill die the death of the uncircumcised\u201d suggests that the ruler of Tyre will be cut off from God for eternity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11000,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10998"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10998\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10999,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10998\/revisions\/10999"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}