Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Ezekiel Chapters 25-27

25:3 and 6 - "Aha!" is the ancient equivalent to cheering. The people of Ammon cheered at the destruction of Judah...they celebrated, clapped their hands and rejoiced. And because of their glee at Judah's failure, they will be met with destruction themselves. It is a particularly twisted form of evil when you rejoice in an other's downfall. Make sure this kind of attitude has no place in your life.

25: 8 and 9 - Moab and Seir also mock the fall of the Israelites. They say, "See, the Jewish people are just like everybody else!" This is highly offensive to God, because what they mean is that the people of Israel are not special...their God is not powerful...they are just like every other human kingdom - which is absolutely not true. Because of their evil celebration and false claims they will pay the price. The irony of the whole matter is that they were actually right in what they had said - just wrong in the meaning behind the words. Judah had become idolatrous and rebellious like the rest of the world and that is exactly why they were facing judgment. As Christians, we must remember to stand out as different than the rest of the world. Yes, we are going to face trials and hardships like everyone does - but we can choose to react to those things differently. We can choose not to reflect the flawed beliefs of our culture and instead reflect the nature of God into the world.

25:12 and 13 - Remember that the Edomites are actually close cousins to the Israelites. The Edomites came from the line of Esau who was the brother of Jacob. Yet instead of being heartbroken at the demise of their cousins...they actually join in on the slaughter and pillaging of Judah. And just as they took part in the destruction...they will face destruction themselves.

26:2 - Tyre gets two and a half chapters of prophecy against them because they took the mocking of Israel one step further than the ones who have already been mentioned. They do not just mock the Jews, they want to step in as the replacements. When this passage says that the door has swung open, they mean it is their turn to rise up as the chosen city...the nation to which all others are drawn. And because they seek to set themselves above God's chosen people and outside of His will...they will be utterly wiped off the face of the earth.

26:19 - Tyre was an island city, surrounded by water on all sides. This is why Ezekiel uses the sea imagery to prophecy about the city's destruction. The waves of surrounding empires will rise against them and total cover the city. Tyre will be like an island that sinks into the sea - gone forever.

27:3-7 - If you look at the imagery Ezekiel uses her, it is as if he is describing the building of a beautiful ship. Because Tyre was a powerful seaport, the ship imagery works very well. The city is described as an almost perfect ship that has begun sailing the ocean. Unfortunately, the people who captain the ship have become overconfident in themselves (Much like the builders of the Titanic)...they think they have become invincibly powerful and will get a rude awakening.

27:25-27 - Ships should never be overburdened when they sail in the open sea, because it throws off the balance and functionality of the ship. Here Ezekiel describes Tyre as a ship that is over-full with cargo from all over the world, that sails the stormy seas regardless...they pride will be their downfall. So even though they had everything going for them: great position on the ocean for trade, great defensible position surrounded by water, etc...the beautiful ship that is Tyre will be sunk by the will of God. Pride separates us from God and causes innumerable problems in our lives - where do you see pride rearing its ugly head in your life? What do you need to do to keep it in check?

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