1The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Now you, son of man, raise a lamentation over Tyre, 3 and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrances to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:
“O Tyre, you have said,
‘I am perfect in beauty.’ 4 Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
your builders made perfect your beauty. 5 They made all your planks
of fir trees from Senir;
they took a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you. 6 Of oaks of Bashan
they made your oars;
they made your deck of pines
from the coasts of Cyprus,
inlaid with ivory. 7 Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
was your sail,
serving as your banner;
blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah
was your awning. 8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad
were your rowers;
your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you;
they were your pilots. 9 The elders of Gebal and her skilled men were in you,
caulking your seams;
all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you
to barter for your wares.
10 “Persia and Lud and Put were in your army as your men of war. They hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you splendor. 11 Men of Arvad and Helech were on your walls all around, and men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they made perfect your beauty.
REFLECTION:
This passage is “Tyre’s Lament”. This lament compares Tyre to a big ship called the “Tyre”. It has first-class craftsmanship, excellent crew, and full of fine products, but it sinks into the deep sea in the huge waves, shocking the world. “I am perfect in beauty”, referring to Tyre claiming to be an incomparable merchant ship, but this conceit has become the cause of her demise. “Your builders made perfect your beauty” is a metaphor for Tyre’s conceit. This beautiful merchant ship is indeed the crystallization of human wisdom and the result of hard work. It has excellent materials, meticulously built, and has the best talents. Therefore, the “Tyre” deservedly achieved success and prestige, dedicated to transporting the best goods, and qualified to trade with ships and sailors of various countries. The beauty of Tyre is the source of its pride, and Tyre’s pride brought her to judgment. If we have undue conceit or pride because of our achievements, it is a dangerous signal for us. God does not oppose us getting pleasure and satisfaction from what we do. What He opposes is arrogance and self-inflation, grabbing the glory of God, and the relationship with people and with God will be broken as a result. We must fully realize that God is the source and foundation of our lives, and that all our achievements are God’s blessings.
PRAYER:
Before God, count the achievements you have attained, give thanks that He has enabled you to accomplish them, and return all glory to Him. Ask God to shine His light into the darkness of your heart, so that you may see to what extent self‑admiration has crept into your accomplishments. Pray that God would remove the pride within you, and help you live a life of greater humility and gentleness, bearing a beautiful testimony for Him in the work you are gifted in and love to do.
1In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,’ 3 therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 4 They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. 5 She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. And she shall become plunder for the nations, 6 and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
REFLECTION:
This passage declares that God will be an enemy of Tyre and will show His glory in Tyre. Tyre is a seaport for the Phoenicians in northern Israel. Sidon, located 40 kilometers north of Tyre, is another important seaport for the Phoenicians. These two cities are sister cities and are often regarded as one and representing Phoenicia. Phoenicians were the first merchants to venture in the Mediterranean, and they were good at sailing, business, construction and handicrafts. During the Babylonian Empire, Tyre was an ally of Egypt, who incited Judah to rebel against Babylon. After the fall of Jerusalem, Tyre, who are reckless with greed not only not mourn for Jerusalem, but was full of business opportunities, hoping to profit from it. Therefore, the more the idol-worshiping Tyre regards economic achievements as her glory, the more God will take away her position as the overlord of trading. Tyre is famous for its defenses. The name “Tyre” means “rock”. There are fortresses built on the rocky island and stone walls surround the island. Tyre was also proud of trade and wealth, and the prosperity that lasted for hundreds of years contributed to their pride and vanity. As a result, God made Tyre a bare rock and a place for the spreading of nets (v14). Are we proud of our wealth or other achievements today? Know that the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Only the word of God is the most precious treasure in our lives.
PRAYER:
Ask God to enlighten you and remove your greed, so that you can understand from your actual life experience, not just in your mind, that people cannot serve both money and God; ask God to make you understand that greed is a root of all kinds of evils and it is through this craving that some have pierced themselves with many pangs; ask God to make you willing to be more dedicated in the church, and do your best to build God’s house with your brothers and sisters.
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 3 Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God, Because you said, ‘Aha!’ over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into exile, 4 therefore behold, I am handing you over to the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst. They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. 5 I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a fold for flocks. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 6 For thus says the Lord God: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul against the land of Israel, 7 therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you, and will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
REFLECTION:
Chapters 25 to 32 of Ezekiel are what God said to the seven nations around Judah, proclaiming God’s judgment on them. At this time, Babylon had begun to besiege Jerusalem, Ezekiel’s wife had died, and the exiled people knew that disaster was about to happen. While they were anxiously waiting for the end, God no longer mentioned Jerusalem, but turned to the seven allies around Judah to pronounce the punishment. God’s judgment has long been destined, not only can Judah not escape the catastrophe, but also the seven nations that fight with Judah against Babylon can’t stay out of the matter. God not only allowed the people of Judah to see the true face of those allies just standing by and watch, but also saw their tragic end of drawing fire on themselves. When the people sighed about the glory of God leaving the temple, God showed them that the glory of the world was completely illusory. The Ammonites are the offspring of the incest between Lot and his daughter. From the time of the Judges, the Ammonites often fought against the Israelites. When Babylon invaded Judah for the second time, the Ammonites followed Babylon and attacked Judah. After Babylon left, the Ammonites encouraged Judah to rebel against Babylon. After Babylon again invaded and destroyed the temple, the Ammonites “rejoiced with all the malice within their soul against the land of Israel.” “Aha” is the voice of gloating, ridicule and sarcasm. On the surface, it mocks Judah. In fact, it mocks Judah’s God for failing to protect His sanctuary and people. Therefore, God cut them off, letting historical facts prove that their idols are all vain, only the “I am who I am” God is the only true God.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to keep your eyes from being blinded by the power and glory of the world. Although the unrighteous can be prominent for a while, even ridiculed and mocking those who believe in God, they will eventually be cut off by God; resolve to God to be a godly person, lay up treasures in heaven and live a holy life, because only such a person can be pleased with God.
