Ezekiel 26:1-21 - Homilies By W. Jones

The sin and doom of Tyre.

"And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying," etc.

I. THE SIN OF TYRE . "Son of man, because that Tyre hath said against Jerusalem, Aha! she is broken that was the gate of the peoples; she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste." The sin which is here charged against Tyre is extreme and cruel selfishness. There is no evidence in this chapter that the Tyrians were animated by any hostile feelings towards the Jews, as the Ammonites, Edomites, and Philistines were. But Tyre was a great and prosperous commercial city, and the inhabitants thereof rejoiced in the destruction of Jerusalem because they thought that they should profit thereby. This is made quite clear in the verse before us. The Tyrians are represented as speaking of Jerusalem as "she that was the gate of the peoples." The plural expresses the fact, says the 'Speaker's Commentary,' "that many peoples passed through Jerusalem as the central place on the highway of commerce. This was eminently the case in the reign of Solomon, when for the time Jerusalem became the mart to which was gathered the trade of India and of the far East. The fame of its early greatness as the emporium of Eastern commerce still clung to Jerusalem, and this city, even in decadence, kept up enough of its original trade to be viewed with jealousy by Tyre, who owed her greatness to the same cause, and in the true spirit of mercantile competition exulted in the thought that the trade of Jerusalem would now be diverted into her markets." Their greed of gain had rendered them unfeeling and even cruel in their attitude towards their suffering neighbors, with whom in former times they had been in friendly relations. They rejoiced at the calamity of others because they believed it would contribute to their prosperity. They exulted in the downfall of others if it was likely to promote their own rise. This spirit is unbrotherly, selfish, mean, cruel. It is utterly opposed to the Divine will, and awakens the stern displeasure of the Almighty. Here is solemn admonition to persons, companies, societies, and nations, who would secure prosperity without regarding the means which they employ to do so. Are there not many today who care not who is impoverished if only they are enriched, who suffers if only they succeed, or who sinks provided that they rise? However their spirit may be tolerated or even approved by men, it is abhorrent unto God.

II. THE JUDGMENT OF GOD .

1. Its Author . "Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up." God himself in his providence brought upon Tyre the punishment of her extreme selfishness and cruel boastings against fallen Jerusalem. Ill fares it with any city which has the Lord against it.

2. Its instruments . "I will cause many nations to come up against thee … I will bring upon Tyre Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon," etc. ( Ezekiel 26:7 ). Nebuchadnezzar had conquered many kingdoms. He was a "king of kings," and the army which he led against Tyre was recruited from "many nations." He was the first instrument employed by God to punish Tyre for her sin. And ages afterwards, Alexander and his forces inflicted terrible sufferings and losses upon the people of the proud city.

3. Its nature . Several features of the punishment of Tyre are exhibited by the prophet.

III. THE LAMENTATION FOR TYRE . (Verses 15-18.)

1. The deep and widespread impression made by her destruction . "Thus saith the Lord God to Tyre; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall," etc.? (Verse 15). The coasts and islands of the Mediterranean are represented as shaking at the fall of the proud city, because her fall would denote the instability of all things. When Tyre is overthrown, what place can be deemed secure?

2. The consternation produced by her destruction . "Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones," etc. (Verse 16). By "the princes of the sea," we should probably understand the chief men in "the settlements of the Phoenicians in the Sidonian and Tyrian period along the various coasts, in Cyprus, Rhodes, Malta; in Spain, Sicily, Sardinia," etc. These are represented as changing their splendid robes for the garb of mourners, as coming down from their exalted and luxurious seats and sitting upon the ground. Persons in great affliction or sorrow are frequently represented as seated or prostrate upon the ground (cf. Job 2:8 , Job 2:13 ; Isaiah 3:26 ; Isaiah 47:1 ; Lamentations 2:10 ). Shakespeare, in 'King John,' makes Constance say—

"My grief's so great,

That no supporter but the huge firm earth

Can hold it up: here I and sorrow sit;

Here is my throne, bid kings come bow to it."

These great men, moreover, were seized with amazement and continual trembling.

3. The lamentation awakened by her destruction . "And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed," etc.! Thus would the fall of the prosperous island-city be bewailed by neighboring peoples.

CONCLUSION . Certain lessons stand out with impressive clearness and force.

1. The insecurity of worldly greatness, glory, and power .

2. The heinousness of the sin of selfishness .

3. The evanescence of the prosperity which is attained without regard to the rights or interests of others .—W.J.