Ezekiel 28
Message from LORD to Prince of Tyre verse 1
The word of the LORD came again unto me – saying
Dealing with pride of Prince of Tyre verse 2- 5
Son of man – say unto the prince of Tyre
Thus says the Lord GOD BECAUSE your heart is lifted up
and you have said
I am a god – I sit in the seat of GOD
in the midst of the seas
YET you are a man – and not GOD
though you set your heart as the heart of God
BEHOLD you are wiser than Daniel
there is no secret that they can hide from you
with your wisdom and with your understanding
you have gotten you riches
and have gotten gold
` and silver into your treasures
by your great wisdom
by your traffic have you increased your riches
and your heart is lifted up because of
your riches
LORD sends judgment against pride of Tyre verse 6- 10
THEREFORE thus says the Lord GOD
BECAUSE you have set your heart as the heart of God
BEHOLD – THEREFORE I will bring strangers upon you
the terrible of the nations
they shall draw their swords
against the beauty of your wisdom
they shall defile your brightness
They shall bring you down to the pit
and you shall die the deaths of them that are slain in
the midst of the seas
Will you yet say before him that slay you – I am God?
BUT you shall be a man and no God
in the hand of him that slays you
You shall die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the
hand of strangers – for I have spoken it
says the Lord GOD
Funeral song for King of Tyre: Appearance verse 11- 14
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me
saying
Son of man – take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyre
and say to him – Thus says the Lord GOD
You seals up the sum
full of wisdom perfect in beauty
You have been in Eden the garden of God
every precious stone was your covering
sardius –topaz – diamond
beryl – onyx – jasper – sapphire
emerald – carbuncle – gold
the workmanship of thy tabrets
and of your pipes was prepared
in you in the day
that you was created
You are the anointed cherub that covers and I have set you so
you was upon the holy mountain of God
you have walked up and down
in the midst of the stones of fire
Funeral song for King of Tyre: Pride judged verse 15- 19
You was perfect in your ways from the day that you was created
TILL iniquity was found in you
By the multitude of your merchandise they have filled
the midst of you with violence and you have sinned
THEREFORE I will cast you as profane out of the mountain of God
and I will destroy you – O covering cherub
from the midst of the stones of fire
Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty
you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness
I will cast you to the ground – I will lay you before kings
that they may behold you
You have defiled your sanctuaries
by the multitude of your iniquities
by the iniquity of your traffic
THEREFORE will I bring forth a fire from the midst of you
it shall devour you
I will bring you to ashes upon the earth in the
sight of all them that behold you
All they that know you among the people shall be astonished at you
you shall be a terror – and never shall you be any more
Prophecy against Sidon verse 20- 23
Again the word of the LORD came unto me – saying
Son of man – set your face against Sidon
and prophesy against it – and say
Thus says the Lord GOD
BEHOLD – I am against you- O Sidon
and I will be glorified in the midst of you
And they shall KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD
WHEN I shall have executed judgments in her
and shall be sanctified in her
FOR I will send into her pestilence and blood into her streets
and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her
by the sword upon her on every side
And they shall KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD
Promise of restoration of Israel verse 24- 26
And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel
nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them
that despised them
And they shall
KNOW THAT I AM THE Lord GOD
Thus says the Lord GOD
WHEN I shall have gathered the house of Israel
from the people among whom
they are scattered
and shall be sanctified in them
in the sight of the heathen
THEN shall they dwell in their land that
I have given to MY servant Jacob
And they shall dwell safely therein
and they shall build houses
and plant vineyards
YEA – they shall dwell with confidence
WHEN I have executed judgments
upon all those that despised
them round about them
And they shall KNOW
THAT I AM THE LORD their God
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre. Thus says the Lord GOD; Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are a man, and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God: (5057 “prince” [nagiyd] means ruler, captain, leader, governor, prefect, chief, sovereign, commander, noble or worthy thing.)
DEVOTION: Here we find a human man thinking that he is just like a god. In fact, he says that he is god.
What does he base his statement on? His heart was lifted up above all those who are around him. He makes statements that he can think like a god. He thinks that because he is king of a nation he sits in the place of a god. People around him fall down and worship him.
He goes on to describe himself as sitting on the seas as a ruler not only over land but the seas. It was a nation that dealt with the wealth of the nations of the world. They received ships in on a regular basis that brought the wealth of the world to their door and this king could take whatever he wanted.
He thought he was smarter than any man who ever lived, even though the Bible described Solomon as the wisest man. He didn’t care what others thought. His wisdom had caused him to become a great wealthy man that everyone had to look up to.
God, the REAL ONE, answered his ambition with a judgment. HE doesn’t honor people whose hearts are lifted up above everyone else. HE wants individuals to be servants to the ones they lead. HE has a different philosophy of life. Pride is not something that a created being is supposed to have. Those who are controlled by pride will end in a place called the pit. The final place is called the lake of fire for eternity.
God wants everyone in Ezekiel’s day and in our day to realize that HE is the ONLY TRUE GOD of the universe. HE will not give HIS position away. HE is Sovereign over all created beings. We find later in this chapter that HE is even the creator of angels who think they can rebel against HIM.
This human leader was going to meet the LORD one day and answer for his statements. We are going to stand before the LORD one day to answer for our statements in this life.
We need to watch was we say and think. Our center needs to be Jesus Christ at all times. If this is true and we honor the LORD with our thoughts and actions we can be blessed and not judged like this leader of Tyre.
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD for guidance in all of our statements. As leaders we first answer to the LORD. Those we lead also answer to the LORD if they alow us to lead contrary to the Word of God.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 By your great wisdom and by your traffic have you increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches. (1361 “lifted up” [gabahh] means exalted, to be high, haughty, to be or become overly confident in one’s abilities, greatness, or worth, elevated, proud, hard to understand or arrogant in a bad sense.)
DEVOTION: Too often those who have done will in lift think that they have done it all by themselves. Sometimes there are others who have helped them but they don’t give them credit for the help. Sometimes it was just the right circumstances that caused them to do well.
However, the LORD knows what we need and HE will bless us according to our ability to handle things correctly from a Biblical perspective. We need to realize that the LORD is the one who helps us in our daily life to have what we need to serve HIM and help others.
Our goals should be to always honor the LORD with our life and possessions. This was not true of the nation of Israel and other nations. They seem to think that if they succeed it is all their own doing and forget to realize that life is controlled by the LORD and blessings are HIS to give and take away.
Nations that don’t honor the LORD don’t think they need the LORD until it is too late. Sometimes even Israel fell into this category. It is sad but true that even today we have people who are believers who think that they have done it all on their own instead if giving the LORD credit.
In the Old Testament there were many nations who didn’t love the LORD and thought they could do without HIM. Tyre was one of those nations. They thought they could do anything without the LORD and HE had to show them that they were wrong.
There are times when even those who say they are followers of the LORD who take credit for what is happening in their lives instead of giving the LORD the glory. These individuals will find out that the LORD wants the credit and will take away the blessings, so that, they realize that HE is the one who blesses and HE is the one who can take away the blessings. HE wants to be honored!
CHALLENGE: Are we honoring the LORD with our blessings or are we thinking like the heathen that we are the ones who are doing it all? Only we can answer this question.
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: 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you. (1254 “created” [bara] means shape, or form – always with God as the subject)
DEVOTION: This chapter is one that has a few interpretations. The king of Tyre could be only a human being that was king in the land of Tyre or he could be a figure that is used as a type of Satan.
If the second interpretation is correct which I think is true. The devil was a created being that was perfect at his creation by God. The angels were created before man was created. The angels were given specific responsibilities. Some of them were cherubs. Some were seraphim. Some were messengers. Some were archangels.
In the New Testament we find that some of the good angels are guardian angels for those who will be heirs of salvation. The cherub’s responsibility seems to be to protect the holiness of God. They were first used in the Garden of Eden to keep Adam and Eve from the Tree of Life.
This king or leader is said to be in the Garden of Eden. We know that Satan appeared in the garden to tempt Adam and Eve.
Before the creation of man the Bible implies that the angels in heaven made a choice. There was an angel that wanted to be equal with God. That could never happen. That angel is the devil.
He took about a third of the angels with him in the rebellion. These fallen angels are called demons. Satan or the devil was the cherub that led the rebellion against the LORD. These demons are used as the army of Satan to tempt and confuse those who live in the world. The eyes of those outside of Christ are blind. They can be led astray by these evil angels. The New Testament gives us many example of demon possession and this is still happening today in our world.
When sin was found in him, he was declared to be out of favor with God. He was removed from the mountain of God. He was cast out of the midst of the stones of fire. He will finally end up in the lake of fire for eternity. He will lead a final rebellion after the millennium.
He lied to Eve about what God was doing to them. Satan or the devil had everything and yet he chose to not follow the LORD. Pride was his sin. He wants everyone to join him in the lake of fire. Most of those who live will spend eternity with him in the lake of fire or hell for eternity.
Our responsibility is to warn those in our world about the temptations of the devil. We have to warn everyone that if they are not a follower of Jesus Christ they will spend eternity with the devil and his angels.
The possibilities are great for those who chose to follow the LORD but most do not. They think that they would have it better if they left God out of their lives. Their decision is wrong. Are we allowing the LORD to direct our daily lives?
CHALLENGE: We are created beings that were created second after the angels. We will never become angels and angels will never become human beings. Appearances can be deceiving. Don’t listen to the “angel of light” who in reality is Satan.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 25 Thus says the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. (6942 “sanctified” [qadash] means hallow, dedicate, holy, consecrate, to manifest holiness, be set apart, to show oneself sacred or majestic, or to be clean.)
DEVOTION: The LORD is judging HIS people because of their sin. HE gives a description of the one behind the people of Tyrus, it is Satan, who is guiding this nation. He was a created being who was supposed to be holy to the LORD but he rebelled. Now the LORD is telling the children of Israel they have rebelled against Him and they will have to face judgment but there is going to be a future day of restoration.
In that day the heathen or all those who are not followers of the LORD will know that it was the LORD who has restored them to a place of honor again. This happened after the captivity but it was not fully understood until the Messiah came to tell of yet another restoration.
God’s people are set apart to HIM alone. They are to be holy. They are to be a group of individuals who trust in HIM alone. It will be great to see this final restoration of the children of Israel during the reign of Christ on this earth.
We are looking forward to the time we will meet Jesus face to face. We have promises that the children of Israel didn’t have but they are still in the plan of the LORD. HE doesn’t ever give up completely on HIS people.
While we are waiting for future events we need to be living a life with the help of the Holy Spirit that is pleasing to the LORD. Each day is a new day of service to the LORD. We have to confess our sins daily and ask for HIS help to serve HIM faithfully. HE will answer our genuine prayer for forgiveness and service.
CHALLENGE: We are sinners saved by grace to serve a living Savior each day. We are set apart by the LORD. We are part of HIS family once we genuinely become a follower of HIM.
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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)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 1, 11, 20
Thus says the Lord GOD verse 2, 6, 12, 22, 25
Lamentation verse 12
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 11, 20, 22, 23, 26
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 2, 6, 10, 12, 22, 24, 25
GOD – Jehovah verse 2, 6, 10, 12, 22, 24, 25
Lord GOD verse 2, 6, 10, 12, 22, 24, 25
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 2, 6, 9, 13, 14, 16, 26
Him that slays you verse 9
I have spoken it verse 10
Creator verse 13, 14
I will cast you (Satan) to the ground verse 17
I will lay you before kings – that they may
behold you verse 17
I will bring forth a fire from the midst of
you- it shall devour you – I will
bring you to ashes upon the earth
in the sight of all them that behold
you verse 18
Judgments verse 22, 23, 26
Thus says the Lord GOD
I am against you, O Zidon
I will be glorified in the midst
of thee
They shall know that I am the LORD
when I shall have executed
judgments in her and shall
be sanctified in her
For I will send into her pestilence and
blood into her streets and the
wounded shall be judged in the
midst of her by the sword upon
her on every side
They shall know that I am the LORD
I shall have gathered the house of Israel from
the people among whom they are
scattered and shall be sanctified in
them in the sight of the heathen
THEN shall they dwell in their land
that I have given to MY servant
Jacob verse 25
LORD their God verse 26
I have executed judgments upon all
those that despise them round
about them
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)
Anointed cherub = Satan (?) verse 11- 19
Full of wisdom
Perfect in beauty in Eden
Precious stone was covering
Created being
Upon the holy mountain of God
Walked up and down midst of stones of fire
Perfect in ways
Iniquity found
Violence
Sinned
Cast out of mountain of God
Covering cherub
Heart lifted up
Corrupted wisdom
Upon the holy mountain of God
Walked up and down in the midst of
the stones of fire
You have sinned
You have defiled your sanctuaries by
the multitude of your iniquities
by iniquity of your traffic
You shall be a terror and never shall
you be any more
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Prince of Tyrus verse 2
Strangers (terrible of the nations) verse 7- 10
draw swords against your wisdom
defile your brightness
bring you down to the pit
Uncircumcised verse 10
King of Tyrus verse 12, 13
you sealest up the sum full of wisdom,
perfect in beauty
you have been in Eden the garden of
God
every precious stone was your covering
sardius, topaz, diamond, beryl,
onyx, jasper, sapphire, emerald,
carbuncle, gold
created
anointed cherub
Eden – garden of God verse 13
People will be astonished at fall of Satan verse 19
Zidon verse 21
Heathen verse 25
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Heart lifted up verse 2, 5, 17
Saying I am God verse 2, 9
Say I sit in the seat of God verse 2
Human wisdom verse 4, 5, 7, 12
Human understanding verse 4
Trusting in riches verse 4, 5
Lifting up self because of riches verse 5
Set heart as the heart of God verse 6
Defile verse 7
Say I am God verse 9
Perfect in beauty verse 12
Iniquity verse 15, 18
Violence verse 16
Sinned verse 16
Heathen verse 25
Despise verse 26
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Prophesy verse 21
Know the LORD verse 22- 24, 26
Sanctified verse 22, 25
Servant verse 25
Confidence verse 26
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Son of man = Ezekiel verse 2, 12, 21
Take up a lamentation
Set your face against Zidon and
prophesy against it
Daniel verse 3
House of Israel verse 24, 25
no more pricking briers
They shall know that I am the Lord God verse 24
Jacob verse 25
Shall dwell safely in land verse 26
Shall build houses
Plant vineyards
Dwell with confidence
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Pit verse 8
Die verse 8
Death verse 8
Die the death of the uncircumcised verse 10
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QUOTES regarding passage
28:21 Sidon. Sidon (vv. 20–24) is a sister seaport to Tyre in Phoenicia, 23 mi. N. Even in the time of the judges (Jdg 10:6), the corrupting influence of this place had begun. It was the headquarters for Baal worship. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Eze 28:21). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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28:25–26 These two verses add to the summary statement of v. 24. They plant the seed of hope of restoration for Israel that germinates, grows, and blossoms in 33:1–39:29. These verses anticipate the day when Israel will be regathered and restored (v. 25). The nation will dwell in safety and again enjoy divine protection (v. 26). “Build houses” and “plant vineyards” are operations that only were undertaken in a time of security. Those fellow travelers who either endorsed or condoned the rule of the ungodly also would be judged (28:20–26). (Cooper, L. E. (1994). Ezekiel (Vol. 17, p. 271). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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25–26 The judgment of the nations around Israel was given to encourage the exiles that God would faithfully exercise his righteousness against the nations as well as Judah. Ezekiel encouraged the Judeans further with a reminder that the Lord would regather them from among all the nations where they had been scattered by God’s judgment. This restoration to Palestine would take place when God executed his judgments on the nations, judgments that would not he completed fully till the end times. By regathering Israel God would demonstrate to all nations that he was the holy God, unique and distinct. None of man’s proposed deities had ever been able to accomplish a restoration such as this, and they never would; for the Lord alone was God and none other.
When the Lord would restore Israel to Canaan, he would show his immutable character of faithfulness. He promised this land to Abraham (Gen 12:7), Isaac (Gen 26:3), and Jacob (Gen 35:12) in the Abrahamic covenant. The Lord would cause his people to live in that land in security and prosperity. At that time they would know without doubt that he was the Lord their God.
This brief message would be a source of encouragement to the exiles. Moreover, it was only a preview of the fuller development of the restoration message that would be given in chapters 33–39. (Alexander, R. H. (1986). Ezekiel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, pp. 887–888). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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28:25–26. The second part of Ezekiel’s prophecy against Sidon focused on the results of the destruction for Israel. As God would reveal His holiness by destroying Sidon (v. 22), so He would reveal His holiness by rescuing Israel from the nations. Several times in the Book of Ezekiel God said, I will show Myself holy (20:41; 28:22, 25; 36:23; 38:16; 39:27). God punished Israel for her sin, but He has not abandoned her. She is unique among all nations because God had established His covenant with her. Though all nations would be punished, only Israel was promised a restoration of fellowship. The land promise made to Abraham (Gen. 13:14–17; 15:17–21) and renewed to Jacob (Gen. 35:11–13) has not been revoked. Israel will live in her own land, because God has given it to Jacob.
Restored to her land, Israel will enjoy God’s blessings, including safety and prosperity. This promise, made through Ezekiel, has never been literally fulfilled; it awaits fulfillment in the millennial kingdom. After the Babylonian Captivity, some Israelites did go back to the land (cf. Neh. 1:3) but they did not live there in safety. When God finally punishes Israel’s enemies and blesses His Chosen People, they will recognize their Lord: they will know that He is the Lord their God. (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Ezekiel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 1284–1285). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The regathering of Israel (Ezek. 28:25–26). One of the major themes of this book is the deliverance of the Jewish exiles from Babylon and the future regathering and reuniting of the nation. After the seventy years of exile and the Persian conquest of Babylon, God did cause Cyrus to allow the Jewish people to return to their land and rebuild the temple (2 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1). But the return of about 50,000 people (2:64–65) in 538–537 b.c. didn’t completely fulfill the promises in Ezekiel, for they have an application in the end times. Certainly the Jewish remnant that returned with Zerubbabel didn’t “dwell safely” (Ezek. 28:26) because they had all kinds of problems with the people in the land. Furthermore, Ezekiel mentioned “nations” (plural) and not just the one nation of Babylon where the Jews were in exile.
There is coming a time when God will call His chosen people together into their own land, judge them, cleanse them, and establish His glorious kingdom (Zech. 10:8–12; 12:9–13:1; Matt. 24:31). God gave the land of Palestine to Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 13:14–18; 15:7–17) and He renewed the promise to Jacob (28:10–15; 35:12; Ps. 105:8–11). The Jews owned the land because God gave it to them, but they possessed the land only when they obeyed the terms of the covenant God gave them. During the exile in Babylon, they were out of the land because they had rebelled against the Lord.
Ezekiel will have more to say about Israel’s future in chapters 37–48, but this brief promise must have brought encouragement to the faithful remnant among the exiles, just as the sure promise of Christ’s return brings encouragement to His people today. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be reverent (pp. 131–132). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor/Cook Communications.)
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These verses are to be taken as literally as the many passages that speak of the desolations of Jerusalem and the scattering of the people of Israel among the nations. The day will come when a repentant remnant will ask the way to Zion, and the Lord will reveal Himself to them and eventually settle them again in their own land where they will dwell securely, building houses and planting vineyards. This is not a picture of the coming glory of the Church in its heavenly inheritance, but is very distinctly a prophecy of blessing upon the earth in the land of Palestine for the restored people of Israel.
They are going back now to their land in unbelief; going back, little as they realize it, to greater sorrows than they have ever known among the Gentiles, even to the days of the great tribulation. But when all that is passed and the Lord Jesus is revealed to them as the Messiah for whom they have waited so long, they will look upon him whom they have pierced, and bow in contrition at His feet, and thus be restored to Jehovah, and so settled in their land in perfect peace. (Ironside, H. A. (1949). Expository notes on Ezekiel, the prophet. (pp. 194–195). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 25. Thus saith the Lord God, when I shall have gathered the house of Israel, &c. Not at the return of them from captivity in Babylon; for the ten tribes or house of Israel did not then return; though there might some few of those tribes, as a pledge of what would be hereafter; but in the latter day, upon the destruction of antichrist, when all Israel shall be saved: and when they will be collected from the people among whom they are scattered; in the several nations of the world, in Asia, Africa, and Europe: and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the Heathen; being believed in by them; prayed unto and worshipped in a spiritual manner by them; professed and owned to be their Saviour and Redeemer in the face of the whole world, Christians and even Heathens, whom before they rejected: then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob; the land of Canaan, given by promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; which last is only here mentioned, because it was his posterity that was to possess it; not all Abraham’s, only those in the line of Isaac; nor all Isaac’s, only those in the line of Jacob; but all his; and this they will do when they are converted in the latter day, and be no more a vagabond people, as they now are. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 149). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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This “king” had appeared in the Garden of Eden (v. 13), had been a guardian cherub (v. 14a), had possessed free access to God’s holy mountain (v. 14b), and had been sinless from the time he was created (v. 15).
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The best explanation is that Ezekiel was describing Satan who was the true “king” of Tyre, the one motivating the human “ruler” of Tyre. Satan was in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-7), and his chief sin was pride (1 Tim. 3:6). He also had access to God’s presence (cf. Job 1:6-12). Speaking of God’s judging the human “ruler” of Tyre for his pride (Ezek. 28:1-10), the prophet lamented the satanic “king” of Tyre who was also judged for his pride (vv. 11-19). Tyre was motivated by the same sin as Satan, and would suffer the same fate. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Eze 28:11–19). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Cindy writes (NY): Church was pretty much made for me this morning: old hymns, a new song, a Puritan prayer, references to not one but *two* CS Lewis books in a sermon based on Psalm 4, and then Hebrews 13 as part of the benediction. So many of my favorite things. So much space for good thoughts, for quiet gratitude.
As we started service with a slow and beautiful version of “How Great Thou Art,” I was transported back several decades to St. Paul’s Lutheran in Ellicottville, sitting in a pew next to all of my cousins at Grandma Adams’s funeral. I can picture the old-fashioned font in the hymnal and can distinguish my dad’s voice (best singer in the family, by a mile) from everyone else’s, “Then sings my soul….”
Then my all-time favorite hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” a hymn that I found difficult to listen to during some very difficult years but that has been restored to me along with so much else…and I had a flashback to so many Sundays of sharing a red hymnal in the back row at the early service with my Grandma Kriz…after all the losses and pain in her life, I can still hear her singing, “There is no shadow of turning with Thee.”
On Memorial Day weekend, we remember the voices from the past and we are so thankful for the sacrifices of many. We decorate the graves of fallen soldiers and of the family members we miss. And one of the voices I hear most strongly this weekend is Lincoln’s from Gettysburg: “We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom…”
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Every day, a new birth of freedom. Every day, honoring the sacrifices. Every day, grateful for blessings. Every day, new mercies I see. Every day, they shall not have died in vain. Every day, I scarce can take it in.
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We ought to be thankful that the Lord isn’t so fickle when it comes to the church, that HE doesn’t withhold HIS blessing from struggling and imperfect congregations. (p. 140)
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This is the Lord Jesus Christ in all His majesty. He is holy and one with the Father. He is true, and there is none other like HIM. He is omniscient, sovereign, and omnipotent, and the keys to eternal blessing are His alone. This is the Lord who looks at the church in Philadelphia and finds nothing to rebuke them for, nothing to condemn. This is wondrously, graciously encouraging, not because they were a perfect church – they weren’t – but because they were faithful. And the Lord and Head of the church blesses faithfulness. (p. 144)
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So did the faithful in the church at Philadelphia. The power of the Holy Spirit was at work in and through them. They obeyed God’s Word. They were loyal to Christ in the face of persecution. And they endured trials and hostility, proving their love for Christ. Those were the qualities that united to create their faithfulness. And these remain the qualities every church must cultivate to be known by the Lord as faithful. (p. 147)
(Christ’s Call TO REFORM the Church by John MacArthur)
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