THIS third chapter dealing with the ancient market city of Tyre takes up first its “prince” (verses 1 to 10) and afterward its “kind”. The “prince” (and the “king”) here addressed, may very well have been the then ruler of the city, but what is written about him is as the representative of what was characteristic of the place. Tyre was a proud city; its people were world-traders, and their markets had brought them great wealth. The spirit of the Tyrians was the spirit of the world then, and it is the character of the world today as a great commercial system.
The same principles may be traced in Nebuchadnezzar in the grand palace of Babylon (Daniel 4:29, 30), in the thoughts of the “certain rich man” of Luke 12:16-20, and in the language of the Assyrian conqueror in Isaiah 10:7-14.
In these representative cases God is forgotten; it is as though He were not, and that man is altogether master of himself and of the world in which he was born and grew up, and in which, unless converted, he will in due time, die under the appointment of God, and meet His judgment.
Full of pride and ignorant of the truth of God, he readily thinks of himself as supreme, as wiser than Daniel (Daniel 1:17-20, etc.); nothing secret is difficult for him to solve. That is man’s boastful opinion of himself, when business success has crowned his efforts, and he stops to take measure of his accomplishments. God, however, is not thus to be disposed of, and verses 6 to 10 promise a certain end to the pride, the wisdom, and the glory of man. There was a day coming in which Tyre should be humbled, and there is a day fixed by God when judgment will overtake all who will not before its dawn have fled for refuge to lay hold of His offer of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verses 11 to 19, while addressed to the ruler of Tyre under the title of “king”, as the earlier portion of the chapter gives him the lesser title of “prince”, are belied to have a much deeper significance than could have attached to the seaport of ancient renown and its head. The language of these verses, telling of a very exalted person who, enjoying God’s favor, but carried away with pride-and, rejected by Him, is to be dealt with in consuming vengeance, goes deeper than the position of Tyre, and of the world at large, pointing in fact to God’s enemy, the prince and god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4; John 12: 31 and 14:30).
Applied to Tyre, verses 11 to 17 present the position of the city before God gave Hp Israel, while His earthly people were still in the land and His throne was in Jerusalem. Israel was then the center of His government and of blessing on earth. Tyre, being within its borders (Joshua 19:24-31, Judges 1:31, 32) was in the garden of God—a term which, however, included the nations bordering Israel (see chapter 31:8, 9), if not, broadly, the whole world as God’s creation.
In a special way, the king and people of Tyre had enjoyed a relationship with Israel (see 1 Kings 5, and 2 Samuel 5:11), but this position of favor was despised as pride filled the heart; they exalted themselves against God, boasted their equality with Him. Privileges despised bring greater judgment.
Now the world has enjoyed God’s favor, as His Word fully shows, but how has it treated Him? The same Book declares this, also, and the centuries since the apostles’ days have not altered the character of man before God, except as there is evidently progress downward, away from God, where there is not faith in exercise. Judgment, therefore, draws near. And the judgment of the world and its god, its usurping ruler, will take place at the same time (Rev. 12:7-17; 19:11 to 20:15).
In so far as the language of verses 12 to 17 appears to be applicable to Satan, it describes the position of an exalted person among the angels of God. He was the (or an), anointed covering cherub, acting in the government of God; he had been on the holy mountain of God (where God’s authority was exercised). He walked up and down in the midst of stones of fire, Where the moral perfections of God were displayed in a glory before which evil could not abide. No outward temptation (as with man) befell this person; “thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness” (verse 17).
Verses 20 to 24 state the judgment of Sidon, north of the city of Tyre. Thrice in these verses is it said that “they shall know that I am Jehovah”; this is a prose, not of salvation, but that the subjects, of His judicial dealings would be compelled to own His power.
The last two verses of the chapter foretell that blessed time on earth when God shall have gathered the house of Israel (all the twelve tribes). Then shall they know that He is Jehovah, their God. Surely the dawn of that day must be near, ushered in, we know, with fearful events, but preceded by the resurrection and the rapture—the coming of the Lord for His heavenly people according to 1 Thess. 4:16, 17, and 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52.
Are we who know Him, prepared for that meeting in the air? The time is at hand!
ML-12/15/1935