Monday, June 06 2011
Ezekiel 28
Verse of the Week: V2 “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, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:”
1. The Pride (V1-6)
V2 “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, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:”
What pride that Tyrus would claim that he was God when he was just a creature of God! God created Tyrus with perfect beauty and wisdom, and blessed him with riches and fame, yet instead of being grateful to God, he became proud and desired to be God.
V4 “With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:”
2. The Punishment (V7-19)
V14 “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.”
The anointed cherub, Lucifer, fell from grace because of pride and became the Devil or Satan. The anointed cherub like Tyrus was created with perfect beauty and wisdom, yet like Tyrus, he too fell from grace because of pride. God punished the people of Tyrus as well as the anointed cherub as no man or angel can claim to be God, except God Himself.
V17 “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.”
3. The People (V20-26)
V25 “Thus saith 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.”
Indeed, God punishes the proud and blesses the humble. God promises to bless and sanctify His people including the nation of Israel if they humble themselves and seek His face and turn from their sins of pride and rebellion.
Prayer of the Week:
Dearest God, I need You as You are my God and I am just Your creation.
