God’s Word to an Arrogant Nation

The nation’s heart was lifted up in such a way that they began to believe the lie that they were a god. They thought that they had reached their position among the nations due to their superior wisdom. They thought that they knew every other nation’s secrets. They were rich because they were wise! But the truth was that they were getting their payments from the thief of thieves… Satan. They had built their economy using the devil’s blueprint for wealth. God declared to them through His prophet Ezekiel that they were about to be conquered and thrown into a pit.

“The Word of the Lord came to me again, saying, ‘Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, thus says the Lord God: because your heart is lifted up, and you say, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, in the midst of the seas,’ yet you are a man, and not a god, though you set your heart as the heart of a god (Behold, you are wiser than Daniel! There is no secret that can be hidden from you! With your wisdom and your understanding you have gained riches for yourself, and gathered gold and silver into your treasuries; by your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches), therefore, thus says the Lord God: because you have set your heart as the heart of a god, Behold, therefore, I will bring strangers against you, the most terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor. They shall throw you down into the Pit, and you shall die the death of the slain In the midst of the seas.’” [1]

The God who created and sustains the universe was declaring their downfall, and it would happen in due season. “Will you still say before him who slays you, ‘I am a god’? But you shall be a man, and not a god, in the hand of him who slays you. You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of aliens; for I have spoken, says the Lord God.” [2]

The Lord, in His Word, compares this nation with Satan. Iniquity was found in her. This nation which touted itself as egalitarian actually was the most unequal and most unjust nation of all.

“Moreover the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.” [3]

This nation valued consumerism more than God and people. The love of God and love of neighbor decreased to the point that caring people were deemed enemies of the state. “By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones.” [4]

God removed her cosmetics, her fake beauty, so the nations could see what she really looked like, “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.” [5]

The Lord brought judgment on her sanctuaries. Her faith places were also corrupted by the love of pleasure and consumerism. “You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; therefore I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you.” [6]

The Lord called Ezekiel to set his face against this wicked nation and prophesy against her, much like Jesus prophesied (later) against Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. [7]

“Thus says the Lord God: behold, I am against you, O Sidon; I will be glorified in your midst; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I execute judgments in her and am hallowed in her. For I will send pestilence upon her, and blood in her streets; the wounded shall be judged in her midst by the sword against her on every side; then they shall know that I am the Lord.” [8]

To His people of faith the Lord said, “They will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God.” [9]

All that shines is not gold. The nation that builds on a foundation other than on the foundation of the Lord’s blueprint, His Word, will discover that they were duped. Their fall will come suddenly. The Lord will winnow the chaff from the wheat.

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” [10]

[1] Ezekiel 28:1-8
[2] Ezekiel 28:9-10
[3] Ezekiel 28:11-15
[4] Ezekiel 28:16
[5] Ezekiel 28:17
[6] Ezekiel 28:18
[7] Matthew 11:20-24
[8] Ezekiel 28:22-23
[9] Ezekiel 28:26
[10] Matthew 3:12