Wednesday, March 25 2009
ISAIAH 23
Key Verse: V9 “The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.”
Tyre was a great commercial, entertainment and political city of the ancient world. The people in Tyre were busy making money and enjoying life and they had forgotten that all that they had was from God. Hence, the Lord humbled Tyre by allowing the Chaldeans to defeat them and put them under captivity for 70 years. (V15 “…Tyre shall be forgotten 70 years, …”)
1. Greed
V1 “The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.”
Three sins that God hates most are greed, pleasures and pride. The people of Tyre might be mighty and strong but their greed had taken over their love for God. Does this not remind us of the recent collapse of the titans of Wall Streets, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch and other great financial institutions? The root problem of this financial fiasco was due to the greed of mankind as people bought what they could not afford and went on credit that ultimately caused this financial disaster.
2. Pleasures
V7 “Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity (origin) is of ancient days? Her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.”
Tyre was known as the city of pleasures involving sexual immorality and drunkenness. It was a sinful city and God had to judge them in their sins. Does this not remind us of the many cities which are aiming to be the great entertainment centers of the world?
3. Pride
V9 “The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, …”
If there is one sin that God hates most, it must be prIde, with “I” in the center of the word, “prIde.” Success has gone into the heads and hearts of many people and they have become proud and have forsaken God who created them. Does this not remind us of the origin of the devil or Lucifer, the most beautiful archangel ever created by God, who fell into sin because of pride when he wanted to be like God! Ezekiel described Lucifer as the prince of Tyrus or Tyre.
Ezekiel 28:2 “Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, …”
Food For Thought
A creature shall never be like His Creator.
