28:2 - The continued prophecy against the king of Tyre is a perfect picture of pride coming before the fall. The king of Tyre had been so successful in gaining money and power that he began to claim divine wisdom (A pretty common deal for ego-maniac rulers in the ancient world). Ezekiel makes it clear that though he thinks he is a god...the king of Tyre is simply a man and God will cause him to come crashing down because of his arrogance. There is much to learn for us in these passages, where time after time we see how detrimental pride is to human lives. Where do you see pride rearing its ugly head in your life? How does it impact your relationship with God?
28:12-19 - There are many people who believe that this passage gives us a clear picture of Satan's fall from power in heaven...but unfortunately, that is not really what is going on here. Just as Tyre is not literally a ship as described in chapter 27 and Pharaoh is not literally a dragon (or crocodile) as described in chapter 29...this is not a description of Satan's fall. The prophet is using bold imagery to show us how great the king of Tyre's fall from grace was going to be.
28:14-19 - Ezekiel brings up imagery that is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, where the guardian cherub protects perfect creation, which tells us that the king of Tyre really was quite a man. He is very wise and very powerful...he is almost super-human in his abilities and his creativity, but he wastes his God-given talent on self-service and rebellion against God and he will be thrown down. When we choose to use the gifts that God has given us in corrupt fashion, it is travesty. The more gifted we are in leadership or intelligence...the greater damage we can do if we turn away from God. Reminds me of the words of Jesus in Luke12:48.
29:3 - Again we see a vivid description of one of the rulers of the world: Pharaoh is described as a dragon or a giant crocodile. He claims that he has created the Nile and he feels that he is safe and secure in the confines of the Nile river valley. He fancies himself a great crocodile who is so fearsome that no one would dare approach him. But the creator God of everything is going to show Pharaoh exactly who made the Nile and who is really in charge of everything.
29:4 - Even though Pharaoh thinks he is a crocodile God safe in his domain, he will be captured with hooks like a common wild crocodile by the hunter that God has empowered to destroy Egypt - Babylon.
29:21 - As the kingdoms that surround Israel (Who delighted and mocked as they faced God's wrath) are brought low, the nation of Israel will once again rise to prominence in the world. The horn of victory will sound, the words of the prophet Israel will be validated and the world will know that the God of Israel is the one and only God. Even as all these other nations are addressed and prophesied against, God's plan for the Israelites remains the central focus. His faithfulness knows no bounds, and He is working out his salvation plan for all the earth through these chosen people...Jesus the Savior of the world will come out of the lineage of the people from this small country that has been destroyed and who have been sent into exile.
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