Lesson 15: Ezekiel 27-28
1. Lament Over the Loss of Tyre -- Introduction (27:1-36)
A. Chapters 27 and 28 continue the oracle against Tyre that began in Chapter 26. The last few verses of chapter 28 contain an oracle against Sidon, Tyre's sister city.
B. We see in chapter 27 a second funeral dirge for the destruction of Tyre. The first was found in 26:15-18. (See Lesson 14 and recall also the background information about Tyre that we discussed in that lesson.)
1. The dirge in chapter 26 was sung by the neighboring kings. The dirge in this chapter is sung by Ezekiel himself.
C. This funeral dirge is in two parts (3b-9 and 25-36) with a prose introduction (1-3a) and a prose interlude (10-24).
D. The message has three parts:
1. The presentation of Tyre (1-9).
2. The significance of the Tyre (10-24).
3. The destruction of Tyre (25-36).
2. The Presentation of Tyre (27:1-9)
A. The message of this section is that Tyre would be lamented as would the wreck of a magnificent merchant ship.
1. Verse 4 tells us that the builders perfected the beauty of the ship and that the domain of the ship was the high seas.
2. Verses 5-6 tells us that only the best wood was used for this ship, and the deck of the ship was inlaid with ivory.
3. Verse 7 tells us that woven linen from Egypt was used for the sail and also served as a flag or banner.
4. Also in verse 7, we read that fabrics of royal colors from Elishah were used for the awnings. Elishah is mentioned in Genesis 10:4 as a son of Javan, who founded the maritime nations.
5. Verses 8-9 tell us that this ship had only the best oarsmen, seamen, and craftsmen aboard. All the other ships came along side her to trade their wares.
B. Tyre was one of the great maritime leaders of her day. Her sea traffic extended throughout the ancient Near East. The imagery in these verses shows us how Tyre became such a great power. Some commentators suggest that the imagery here may have been based on the likeness of one of the city's actual trading ships.
C. What we have here is a city that had the best of everything. As a result the city became full of self-conceit and pride, enjoying total self-sufficiency -- but without a thought for God.
1. The sin of Tyre was pride, and God hates pride (Proverbs 8:13).
2. Pride comes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18).
3. Pride keeps one from seeking God (Psalm 10:4).
a) "The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts."
D. As verse 3 tells us, Tyre proclaimed that it was "perfect in beauty." (We will see that phrase again in chapter 28.)
1. To the world, Tyre was no doubt right. All of the other nations longed to have Tyre's riches, power, and influence. But to God, Tyre was far from perfect and far from beautiful.
2. We must see ourselves as God sees us -- and not as the world sees us.
a) (Revelation 3:17) “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."
b) (Luke 6:26) "Woe to you when all men speak well of you."
c) (2 Cor. 10:18) "For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends."
d) (Luke 16:14-15) "for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God."
3. The Significance of Tyre (27:10-24)
A. Mercenaries were hired to defend the city of Tyre.
1. By hanging their shield and helmets on the wall, they indicated that they were on the job and ready to protect the city.
2. Their protection brought the beauty of the city to perfection. (verse 11)
B. The scope of the commerce of Tyre was extensive.
1. These verses give historians an invaluable glimpse at the geography, natural resources, and trade relations of the Near East during this historical period.
2. Twenty nations are mentioned as having direct trade relations with Tyre. Three others in verses 17-18 have indirect trade relations.
3. Thirty-seven different products are named as the trade merchandise of Tyre.
a) These products include metals, horses, ivory, ebony, fabric, coral, precious stones, food, wool, saddle blankets, cattle, garments, and rugs.
4. Some of the nations that traded with Tyre still exist today and are known by the same name that was used here in Ezekiel.
a) These nations include Greece, Rhodes, Israel, Damascus, Syria, and Arabia.
5. Other nations have changed their name or no longer exist. These include:
a) Tarshish in verse 12 is listed as one of the sons of Javan in Genesis 10:4. An ancient inscription locates it at the west of end of Mediterranean Sea, probably in southern Spain.
b) Tubal and Meschech in verse 13 (Genesis 10:2), are thought to have been located in the eastern part of Asia Minor in present day Turkey.
c) Togarmah in verse 14 (Genesis 10:3), is normally identified as ancient Armenia.
d) This section is a gold mine of information about the geography and politics of that time, and there is enough information to have spent the entire class discussing just these verses --- but alas we must move on.
e) Notice the mention of Eden in verse 23. This Eden is not the Eden of Genesis 2, but we will see the Genesis 2 Eden later in chapter 28.
4. The Destruction of Tyre (27:25-36)
A. The perfect ship described in verses 3-9 and laden with merchandise for the many nations described in verses 10-24 is headed for a tragic shipwreck.
B. This ship was overloaded with "heavy cargo" (verse 25).
1. The sea becomes too much for the oarsmen, and the east wind breaks the ship in pieces. The cargo (Tyre's wealth and merchandise) and all on board are lost.
C. All of the other seamen and mariners of the world stand on the shore and mourn.
1. They are overtaken with grief at the sinking of Tyre (verse 29) --- because if mighty Tyre could fall, then all could fall.
2. These men of the sea display all of the outward signs of mourning for Tyre -- bitter wailing, dust and ashes on their heads, shaving their heads, wearing sackcloth, weeping, and singing a funeral dirge. (verses 30-32)
3. Revelation 18 uses similar language to describe the great merchant cities of the earth mourning and sorrowing over the destruction of Rome.
D. The closing lines of the funeral lament review the splendor of Tyre.
1. Who was like Tyre? No other city or nation could compare with the wealth, power, commerce, and beauty of Tyre.
2. Tyre satisfied the nations and made many kings rich. (verse 33)
3. Yet now Tyre is gone forever. The kings shudder with horror and the merchants hiss (a sign of amazement and dismay) at the end of the once great city. (verses 35-36)
5. Lesson for Today
A. A recurring theme in Ezekiel's description of Tyre is its great material wealth, and the pride and self-sufficiency that accompanied that great wealth.
1. We should always be aware of the power of money --- and the potential it has for great destruction. (See Lesson 4 on Ecclesiastes at www.thywordistruth.com.)
2. (Proverbs 30:8) "Give me neither poverty nor riches...lest I be full and deny you...or lest I be poor and steal."
a) People who sit around praying they will win the lottery should probably instead thank God that they have not!
3. Tyre was like the rich fool in Luke 12:19-21 (‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”)
4. A common attitude today in the church is that we treat money too seriously - that money is part of the “business world” rather than the “religious world.” I submit that in reality we do not treat money seriously enough! The Bible takes money and material possessions very seriously.
a) There are more than 2000 passages in the Bible regarding money and material possessions.
b) Jesus spent a great deal of time talking about our attitudes toward money and possessions. Indeed, one in ten verses in the gospels deals with that subject. In 17 of his 37 parables, Jesus dealt with property and man’s responsibility for using it wisely.
c) The only two of the 10 commandments that deal with inner attitudes rather than outer actions are the last two - and they both forbid covetousness.
d) The only incident in scripture where Jesus was moved to violence involved money. Interestingly, Jesus’ actions with the moneychangers were not impulsive as they are sometimes portrayed. John tells us in John 2:15 that Jesus himself made the whip of cords that he used to drive out the money changers.
e) The Bible treats money very seriously, and we should treat it seriously as well.
f) “Most Americans today are frantically engaged in fighting for first-class cabin space on the Titanic.” (Hazel Henderson)
g) “Material wealth is either a window through which we see God or a mirror in which we see ourselves.” (Warren Wiersbe)
B. Another important present day lesson for us and for our nation is that the empires and creations of man are not eternal.
1. Tyre thought it was eternal, but it found out otherwise.
a) The people who witnessed the destruction of Tyre were amazed --- they had never seen anyone collapse as quickly as Tyre. She had been a supreme power, and now nothing was left.
2. The U.S. recently received a harsh reminder that it is not indestructible and is just as subject to a quick collapse as any other nation. As hard as that lesson is to receive, we should be thankful at least for the reminder, because the consequence of forgetting God is much worse --- as Tyre found out.
3. The most dangerous things in the world are those things that tend to make us forget about God and think that we are self-sufficient. Money, power, and technology can all have that effect in our lives. We should be thankful when we are reminded that these things are temporary.
4. "When the century was still young, and the monster that would become 'the media' was still in its infancy, the disaster of the day on which all eyes were fixed was the sinking of a new ocean liner that the great god News had said was unsinkable. The world was both stunned and fascinated, but here and there a few souls were exhilarated. They realized that the trivial, the forgettable, the grotesque sensations of the day, the best-laid plans of men that were supposed to be oh-so-revolutionary ... all were still subject to forces that could be forgotten only for a time. 'The sinking of the Titanic,' the Russian writer Alexander Blok wrote a friend, 'has made me indescribably happy; there is, despite everything, an ocean.'" (Houston Chronicle, Jan. 1, 1998, 46A)
C. The good news is that we can have permanence. There is a solid foundation on which we can build -- but it is not man-made.
1. Isaiah 40:8 (The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.)
2. Matthew 7:24 (Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.) --- and that house will never collapse!
6. Indictment of the King of Tyre (28:1-5)
A. Rulers are responsible for the character of their kingdom. Ungodly nations are led by ungodly rulers. In the case of Tyre, the arrogance and pride of the nation was a reflection of the personal pride and arrogance of its ruler.
B. Although he is not mentioned by name (which is probably the worst insult that Ezekiel could have inflicted!), the king of Tyre during this period was Ethbaal II (585-573 BC).
C. Verse 2 tells us that Tyre's ruler was guilty of the same sins of pride and greed as his people.
1. The king's pride led him to proclaim that he was a god.
2. Verse 2 gives us the process that led to that proclamation. He sat on the throne of a god and was as wise as a god --- so he must be a god!
3. But the king was wrong --- he was a man and not a god.
a) Here is another important lesson for today. As advanced as we think we are, we are still men and not God.
b) "Though we may not blatantly exalt ourselves in this manner today, we actually do deify ourselves whenever we think we know better than God how things ought to be done."
D. Verse 3 contains two rhetorical questions, both of which presuppose a negative answer.
1. First, the king was not wiser than Daniel, and second, the king did not possess all knowledge.
2. And who is this Daniel? Modern critics deny the authenticity of the book of Daniel and so they deny that this reference is to the author of the book of Daniel. Instead, they say Ezekiel must have had in mind a character named Dan'el from Ugaritic mythology. Ridiculous? Yes. Unexpected? No. (If they don't discredit the book of Daniel, then they must believe in the divine origin of the Scriptures.) (See notes on Daniel at www.thywordistruth.com.)
3. The Daniel in this verse is the Daniel who was a contemporary of Ezekiel and who we read about in the book of Daniel. He is the same Daniel that Ezekiel mentioned in 14:12-14. Daniel was the exact opposite of the prideful and arrogant king of Tyre --- which is exactly Ezekiel's point!
E. Verses 4-5 tell us that the king of Tyre did possess wisdom --- but it was wisdom related to making money.
1. The king's wealth had caused him to become proud and self-sufficient.
2. God had warned the Israelites about this same problem in Deut. 8:17-18. ("My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.")
3. Interestingly, Tyre's great wealth and influence began under a king who was a contemporary of David and Solomon.
a) "Hiram I, son of Abibaal, was nineteen years old when he ascended the throne, and he reigned thirty-four years. Under Hiram’s rule Tyre became the leading city of Phoenicia, which launched a colonial empire that spread over the whole of the Mediterranean. He enlarged the island city of Tyre by uniting it with a smaller island and undertook extensive building programs."
b) David traded with Hiram for materials and craftsmen to build his royal palace in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Chron. 14:1).
c) David established a treaty with Hiram, which was renewed by Solomon who also traded with him for materials and craftsmen, particularly in the building of the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 5:12-18; 2 Chron. 2:3-12).
d) Hiram supplied cedar and other building materials, along with craftsmen, in exchange for wheat and olive oil. Some years later Hiram gave Solomon gold and another larger shipment of cedar and other woods and received in exchange twenty towns in Galilee known collectively as Cabul (1 Kings 9:10-13).
e) Hiram also aided Solomon in his commercial ventures by supplying both ships and sailors for a merchant fleet that operated out of the port of Ezion-geber (1 Kings 9:26-28).
f) God had blessed Tyre in its dealings with Israel, but Tyre forgot the source of those blessings.
7. Punishment of the King of Tyre (28:6-10)
A. The last line of verse 2 also begins verse 6 -- "Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god..."
B. Verse 7 tells us that God would bring foreigners down upon Tyre.
1. As we discussed in Lesson 14, these foreigners included the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar and then later also included Alexander the Great.
C. Another rhetorical question follows in verse 9 --- "Will you then say 'I am a god' in the presence of those who kill you?"
1. This is a great question for people today who are filled with pride and self-sufficiency --- and live in denial of death.
2. When the king came to ruin, the absurdity of his divine claims would be clear even to him.
3. Verse 10 tells us the king would die like the uncircumcised --- a statement of contempt for someone whose corpse was treated with disrespect and left unburied.
8. Prelude to 28:11-19
A. "This is one of the more difficult passages in the Book of Ezekiel -- if not in the whole Bible!"
B. Numerous interpretations have been proposed for the verses that follow, differing in the way the figurative language is construed and the source for the imagery.
1. Some see the figures as simply metaphorical --- describing the king of Tyre with various images using bold and exaggerated terms.
a) In support of this view is the fact that some of the symbols used in Chapter 28 have already been used regarding Tyre in the previous chapters.
2. Others identify the form as allegory --- in which another real character is addressed where that other character has some connection to the king of Tyre.
C. Although we will not have time today to examine Isaiah 14:12-17 in detail, you should read those verses about a Babylonian king and compare it with Ezekiel 28. Those who believe that Ezekiel 28 is about more than just the king of Tyre generally make the same point regarding Isaiah 14.
D. A final point is that we really can't be dogmatic about whether these verses apply just to the king of Tyre or also apply to someone else. We just don't have enough information to know for sure.
9. Final Lament for the King of Tyre (28:11-19)
A. The context of chapters 26-28 and the stated subject ("concerning the king of Tyre") make it clear that the primary message here is about the literal king of Tyre.
1. This of course does not mean that there could not also be a secondary message here. But the focus of this section is Tyre and we should keep that in mind.
B. Two different words are used in chapter 28 to describe the king of Tyre.
1. Verse 1 refers to the ruler or prince (nagid) of Tyre. Verse 12 refers to the king (melek) of Tyre.
2. Some point to this as proof that a different character is being addressed starting in verse 12.
3. Others note that Ezekiel used the term "melek" throughout his book to refer to earthly kings --- Babylonian kings in 17:12, 19:9, 21:19, 24:2, 26:7, 29:18, 30:10, and 32:11 and Egyptian pharaohs in 29:2, 30:21, 31:2, and 32:2.
4. Others suggest that Ezekiel is addressing the patron god of Tyre whose name "Malkart" means "king of the city."
C. We have two choices --- either the king of Tyre and only the king of Tyre is under discussion here, or the king of Tyre AND another character is under discussion here. To help us determine which choice is correct, let's begin with a summary of what these verses say about this character or these characters:
1. He claimed to be the model of perfection (verse 12).
2. He was known for his beauty (verse 12).
3. He was in Eden (verse 13).
4. He was a guardian cherub (verse 14).
5. He was on the holy mount of God (verse 14).
a) The phrase "holy mount of God" is used here and nowhere else in the Bible.
6. He considered himself blameless (verse 15).
7. He chose the way of evil (verse 15).
8. He was expelled from his position (verse 16).
9. He was corrupted by pride (verse 17).
10. He was thrown down to earth (verses 17-18).
D. Who do these verses describe?
1. If it is just the king of Tyre, then the exaggeration is extreme! The king was a guardian cherub on the holy mount of God? The king was in Eden? Even figuratively?
2. Many see in these verses not just a description of the earthly king of Tyre, but also a description of Satan --- the power behind the king of Tyre.
3. What better tool for Satan than Tyre --- a rich and influential city with ties to all the surrounding nations. How better for Satan to do his work in attempting to thwart the plans of God?
4. Perhaps God in these verses is at times looking behind the king of Tyre to the real source of the pride and evil in that city.
a) In Matthew 16:23, Jesus turned to Peter and said "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Was Jesus calling Peter Satan, or was he instead looking behind Peter to the one who was tempting Peter to mind only the things of men? To the one who was trying to use Peter as a tool to hinder the plans of God.
b) We see this from the opposite direction in some of the Psalms where both King David and the coming Messiah are in view.
c) Remember my earlier mention of Isaiah 14? Of the twenty descriptions of the King of Tyre in Ezekiel 28, fourteen are also found in Isaiah 14.
d) Isaiah 14 describes a judgment against the king of Babylon, but when we get to verse 12 we read "“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!"
e) Doesn't the use of the name "Lucifer" in Isaiah 14 prove that Satan is being addressed? No. Why? Because the only reason we associate the name "Lucifer" with Satan in the first place is its use here in Isaiah 14.
(1) Lucifer means ‘light bringer’ or ‘shining one.’ (Recall 2 Cor. 11:14 -- "For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.")
(2) Satan is pictured in Rev. 9:1 as a star fallen from heaven. In Luke 10:18, Jesus said "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven."
5. But the earthly king of Tyre is also still under discussion here (as we would expect from the context). Notice, for example, the reference to widespread trade in verse 16. That trade was also a source of the king's pride, and it is hard to apply that description to Satan.
E. So what is the conclusion? Is Satan being discussed in Ezekiel 28 or not?
1. Two commentators who do not believe Satan is in view write:
a) "All the hyperbolic language employed in the verses discussed above can best be understood as the flattering self-delusion of the Tyrian millionaires and their money-loving leaders, whose concept of heaven rose no higher than their treasuries of rubies and gold, and whose yardstick for virtue consisted of material wealth."
b) "It is concluded that Tyre's king is best understood as the literal human contemporary king of that city in Ezekiel's day. Each characteristic given about him in these verses can be explained in light of the cultural and religious context of that day. Contrarily, the identification of the king as Satan must be done to a large extent on a presupposition that the descriptions here refer to Satan. Most of these descriptions -- if they do in fact relate to Satan -- are revealed nowhere else in Scripture."
2. But what do we know about Satan from elsewhere in the Scripture?
a) From 1 Timothy 3:6 we know that Satan was condemned for his pride. ("not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.")
b) From 2 Corinthians 11:14 we know that Satan can appear very beautiful. ("For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.")
c) From Rev. 9:1 and Luke 10:18 we see Satan pictured as having fallen from heaven.
d) From Genesis 3 we know that Satan was in the garden of Eden.
e) From Job 1 we know that Satan has appeared before God -- perhaps on the "holy mount of God."
f) From Zechariah 3:1 and 1 Thess. 2:18 we know that Satan opposes and hinders the work of God.
g) From John 16:11, Ephesians 2:2, and 2 Cor. 4:4 we know that Satan is the ruler or prince of this world and the god of this age who has been judged.
h) From 1 Chronicles 21:1 we know that Satan incites kings to sin.
i) From 2 Timothy 2:26 we know that Satan takes men captive to do his will.
j) From Ephesians 2:2 we know that Satan uses the disobedient to accomplish his work.
k) From 1 Peter 5:8 we know that Satan walks about like a roaring lion seeking men to devour.
3. I don't know about you, but I see some striking parallels with Ezekiel 28.
a) Consider again the list of attributes from Ezekiel 28:12-18 that we discussed above.
b) My opinion (for what it's worth) is that God is not just addressing the king of Tyre in these verses but is looking behind the king of Tyre to Satan who was using the king of Tyre to oppose God's plans.
c) Tyre was an example of pride preceding a fall, but Tyre was not the ultimate example! Satan was created perfect, yet he fell. Why?
d) 1 Timothy 3:6 tells us that Satan was condemned because of his pride. Paul mentions the condemnation of Satan because of his pride like we should already know all about it, but where else is it mentioned in the Bible if not in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14?
10. Prophecy Against Sidon (28:20-26)
A. Sidon was a sister Phoenician city to Tyre, and they are often mentioned together. (Jer. 27:3; 47:4; Joel 3:4).
1. Sidon was located about 23 miles north of Tyre and was much more exposed to military assault.
B. One of the most infamous Sidonians was Jezebel, who married Ahab, king of Israel. She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon (1 Kings 16:31-34).
1. As you recall, she reinstituted Baal worship and hastened the fall of the Northern Kingdom by contributing to its moral and spiritual decay.
C. God promises to execute judgment against Sidon by means of plague, blood, and sword. (verses 22-23)
1. This three pronged judgment was used by Ezekiel also in 6:11-12 and 14:21.
2. Because of God's judgment, the fall of Sidon would be acknowledged as more than merely a chance occurrence. It would be viewed as a fulfillment of God's promise of judgment (verse 23).
D. Verse 24 applies to all of the nations that have been considered in chapters 25-28.
1. Judgment on all of the nations that have opposed Israel would provide the needed security to insure the success of their return to the land of promise described in Ezra and Nehemiah.
2. Verses 25-26 point to this return. The nation would dwell in safety and once again enjoy divine protection. Only in times of security would the people build houses and plant vineyards.
3. The context of these verses suggests that this restoration is one or all of the literal returns from exile that occurred in 539 BC (decree of Cyrus), 458 BC (Ezra), and 445 BC (Nehemiah) rather than the spiritual restoration that would occur in Christ (and which Ezekiel talks about elsewhere).