Introduction
We come today to a new section in the book of Ezekiel. Up to this point in the book, Ezekiel’s prophecies — which he announced to the people who were already in exile — were about the fate of Jerusalem and how the Lord was going to destroy the city and the people by sending Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and his army against the city. The Babylonians will lay siege to Jerusalem and it will fall. Indeed, in chapter 24, Ezekiel told the people in exile to mark his words because on that very day — the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of the exile — Nebuchadnezzar had begun the siege. The exiles would not hear about it for some time, because it would take time for the news to reach them. But when the news of the siege finally comes, they will learn that it began on the very day that Ezekiel said it would.
Jerusalem was sure to fall, because the Lord was determined to destroy his people for their persistent sin and unbelief. When they had the chance to repent and to return to him, they did not take it, but they persisted in their rebellion. And so, now he was determined to destroy them.
And the Lord commanded Ezekiel to make this known to them in various ways. For instance, the Lord told him to perform sign-acts or mimes so that Ezekiel had to act out what was going to happen to Jerusalem. The Lord also commanded him to use parables or allegories like the one last week about the two adulterous sisters who represented the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah and how the people were unfaithful to the Lord. The Lord also revealed his will to Ezekiel through visions. So, Ezekiel was given a vision of the wicked things the people in Jerusalem were doing at that time. And in the vision, he saw the glory of the Lord depart from Jerusalem. In different ways, the Lord announced to the exiles that he was determined to bring an end to Jerusalem.
And sprinkled through the messages of doom were little signs of hope for better days to come. The Lord was not going to abandon his people completely, but he was going to restore the exiles to the Promised Land once the land and the city were cleansed of all the people who had spoiled it.
That, briefly, is what the book of Ezekiel has been about up to this point. But now we’re entering a new section and from chapter 25 to chapter 32 the Lord’s message to the exiles is about the other nations. And it’s about how the Lord was going to judge them too. He had seen the wicked things they had done and he was going to punish them. In chapter 25, the Lord’s message is about Ammon and Moab and Edom and Philistia. Chapters 26 and 27 and 28 are mainly about Tyre, although the Lord also has a message about Sidon. And then chapters 29 to 32 are about Egypt. And so, God is going to judge the nations as well as his own people in Jerusalem. And once we get through these chapters, the Lord’s message through Ezekiel to the exiles is much more positive and hopeful. The Lord has good things in store for his people.
Chapter 25
Let’s turn to chapter 25. In verse 1, Ezekiel tells us that the word of the Lord came to him. And you can see in verse 1 that he was commanded to set his face against the Ammonites and to prophecy against them. The Ammonites were descended from Lot, who was Abraham’s nephew. Then in verse 8, the Lord refers to Moab. The Moabites were also descended from Lot. Then in verse 12 he directs his attention to Edom. The Edomites were descended from Esau, who was the brother of Jacob. And in verse 15 the Lord’s message is directed against the Philistines. We’re familiar with the Philistines because they kept harassing God’s people during the time of the Judges and during David’s lifetime. Goliath, for instance, was a Philistine.
According to verse 3, the Lord was against Ammon because the people were pleased when they heard what had happened to Jerusalem. It sounds from what we read in verse 8 that the Moabites had reacted in the same way. According to verse 12 the Lord was against the Edomites for taking revenge on Judah. The Edomites were always fighting with the Israelites. And according to verse 15, the Lord was against the Philistines because they wanted to destroy Judah.
And so, because of their enmity towards his people, the Lord was determined to judge the nations. He says in verse 4 that he’ll give the Ammonites to the people of the East. He’s referring to the Babylonians. He says in verse 10 that he’ll do the same to the Moabites. In verse 13 he says he’ll stretch out his hand against the Edomites and kill its men and animals. And he says something similar about the Philistines: he’ll stretch out his hand and he’ll cut them off. He will punish these nations in his wrath and they will know that he is the Lord. So, they will know that he is Israel’s God and that he takes vengeance on any nation who tries to hurt his people.
Chapter 26
Let’s turn to chapters 26 to 28 which are mostly about Tyre, which was the capital of Phoenicia, which was to the north of the Promised Land. And Tyre, which is often paired with Sidon, was an island city. Imagine if someone built a city on the Copeland Island near Donaghadee with a passage-way across to it. That’s what Tyre was like and it was, of course, a wealthy city because it sent fleets of ships out into the Mediterranean to trade with the other nations.
In chapter 26, the Lord announces its downfall by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. In chapter 27, the Lord tells Ezekiel to take up a lament for Tyre. And the Lord compares Tyre to a magnificent ship which sinks. And in chapter 28, the Lord’s message is about the king of Tyre.
And so, in verse 1 to 6 of chapter 26, the Lord announces Tyre’s downfall. According to verse 2, Tyre said of Jerusalem that the gate to the nations was broken and its doors have swung open to me. The people of Tyre regarded Jerusalem as a rival to its trading supremacy. Tyre, being an island city on the coast, was one gate to the nations. But Jerusalem was another gate because its roads went from Jerusalem to lots of other nations. And the people of Tyre was pleased when Jerusalem fell, because its rival was destroyed and it could take over those trade routes. The Lord depicts Tyre saying: ‘now that [Jerusalem] lies in ruins, I will prosper.’ So, the people of Tyre saw the fall of Jerusalem as to their advantage. They were happy that Jerusalem was destroyed.
And because this was their reaction, the Lord was against Tyre. He says he’ll bring many nations against her. They will destroy her walls and pull down her towers. In those days fishermen would look for a large bare rock to spread out their nets. And that’s what Tyre will become: the buildings will be gone and it will become like bare rock.
And according to verses 7 to 14, the Lord will destroy Tyre by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. He will come with his horses and chariots and his horsemen and his great army. He’ll ravage their settlements on the mainland and he’ll lay siege to Tyre and he’ll direct his battering-rams against its walls to destroy the walls and the towers. And he’ll enter the city and his horses will trample their streets and he’ll kill its people and plunder its wealth and merchandise. Its building will be tossed into the sea. It will be no more.
And in verses 15 to 18, the Lord describes the impact that Tyre’s fall will have on the other nations and cities. The coastlands will tremble. The princes or kings of the other nations will step down from their thrones and they’ll take off their fine robes and they will tremble. This suggests that they’re mourning for Tyre. And sure enough, they’ll take up a lament for the city. But the thought that is perhaps uppermost in their minds is that if it happened to Tyre, then it could happen to them. They are not so much upset about Tyre as they are worried about themselves.
And in verses 19 to 21, the Lord makes clear that he is the one who made Tyre a desolate city. He’ll bring the city down and will make the people dwell in the earth below with those who go down to the pit of death. And they will not return to the land of the living. He will bring them to a horrible end and they will be no more. People will look for you, but they will not find you, because the Lord has destroyed them.
Chapter 27
In chapter 27 the Lord tells Ezekiel to take up a lament for Tyre, this city that was the gateway to the sea. And he says that Tyre once said of itself that ‘I am perfect in beauty.’ And the thing is: the Lord doesn’t disagree. She was once magnificent.
And he goes on to describe Tyre as if she were a well-made and magnificent sailing ship, which is fitting, because Tyre was built on this island and it may have looked from the mainland that it was like a mighty ship on the sea. And if you read down through the verses you can see how he makes clear that Tyre was built with the finest materials by the best craftsmen. And then he lists all these places that did business with Tyre. And the Lord refers to Tyre’s great wealth of goods and its many products and its merchandise and the great variety of goods which Tyre exchanged with other nations.
But look now at verse 26: their oarsmen take you out to the high seas, but the east wind will break you to pieces in the heart of the sea. The Lord is comparing Tyre to a ship which sinks in the sea. He says that their wealth and merchandise and wares and everything else will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of their shipwreck. So, nothing will be left of Tyre.
And when people hear of it, they will raise their voice and cry bitterly over Tyre. They will sprinkle dust on their heads and lie down in ashes and they will shave their heads and put on sackcloth. These are all signs of mourning. The other nations will weep over Tyre with anguish of soul and with bitter mourning. But why are they mourning? It’s not because of the loss of lives, but it’s because of the loss of their goods. Tyre once satisfied the nations. They enriched the kings of the earth. But now that Tyre is shattered, its wares and all its company have gone down with it. So, Tyre is like a ship that has sunk and all its crew and all its cargo has been lost. And the other nations are sorrowful because who will bring them all their stuff? It’s as if Amazon went bust. What would we do? How would we get all the stuff we normally order from Amazon? Some of us might weep and mourn if we heard the Amazon was no more. And that’s what the nations will do whenever the Lord destroys Tyre by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.
Chapter 28
And so we come to chapter 28 where the Lord addresses the ruler of Tyre. From the words of the Lord in verse 2, this ruler or king boasted that he was a god. Perhaps he really did claim to be a god or perhaps he only meant he was like a god in that he ruled the seas. However, the Lord responds by telling him that he’s a man and not a god.
It seems that the king of Tyre also claimed to be as wise as a god. The Lord therefore asks him if he’s as wise as Daniel. He’s probably referring to the Daniel of the Bible who lived in those days and from whom no secret was hidden, because God revealed secret things to him. So, was the king of Tyre as wise as Daniel? We’re expecting the answer no, but in fact the Lord goes on to make clear that the king of Tyre was wise. At least, he was wise when it came to making money. He knew the secrets of obtaining wealth. By his wisdom and understanding he gained wealth for himself. By his great skill in trading, he increased his wealth.
But there’s the thing: his great wealth made him proud. Possessing wealth is not a problem in and of itself. There are wealthy believers who know how to use their wealth for good and who remain humble, trusting in the Lord for all things. But the king of Tyre’s wealth has made him proud. Because of his wealth, he thinks he’s godlike.
And since that is the case, the Lord’s pronounces his sentence on the king of Tyre in verses 6 to 10. God is going to bring foreigners against him. In fact, he’s going to bring the most ruthless of nations against him who will draw their swords and pierce his shining splendour. And we already know from chapter 26 that the Lord is referring to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. They will bring him down to the pit of death and he will die a violent death. And when he’s surrounded by those who intend to kill him, will he claim that he is a god? Will he boast about being godlike when he’s about to lose his life? When the Babylonians come against him, it will be clear that he’s only a man and not a god.
And in verse 11 the Lord commands Ezekiel to take up a lament for the king of Tyre. And it’s an interesting lament because the Lord likens him to a kind of supernatural being in the Garden of Eden. The Lord is perhaps referring to an angel — satan even — who was created a glorious being, but who fell from the Lord. So, every precious stone once adorned this supernatural being. He was anointed as a guardian cherub and he was on God’s holy mountain and walked among the fiery stones. He was once blameless in his ways. But then wickedness was found in him and he was filled with violence and he sinned. His heart became proud on account of his beauty and glory. And so, the Lord drove this fallen angel from the Lord’s holy mountain and the Lord expelled him from his presence. God threw him down to earth and made a spectacle of him.
As I say, the Lord seems to be likening the king of Tyre to this once-glorious, angelic being who fell from the Lord due to his pride. And the king of Tyre has done likewise, because his wisdom brought him great wealth. It made him glorious. But then his heart became proud and the Lord was determined to bring him down. By his many sins and dishonest trade, he desecrated sanctuaries. So, God made fire come out from him to consume him. And all the nations who once knew the king of Tyre will be appalled because he has come to a horrible end.
And in verses 20 to 23, the Lord turns his attention from Tyre to Sidon. Sidon was located near Tyre. And the Lord announces that he is against Sidon and he will inflict punishment on her. He’ll send a plague on her and will make blood flow in her streets. And the slain will fall in her streets.
Application 1
And so, the Lord has announced his judgment on Ammon and Moab and Edom and Philistia and on Tyre and on Sidon. And in this way it becomes clear that the Lord our God rules over the nations. They are in his hands and he is able to do what he likes with them. He is able to raise up and tear down. The Lord will raise up Babylon and use it to tear down these nations who had provoked his wrath by their reaction to Judah’s suffering and by their foolish pride.
As the psalmist declares in Psalm 24 the earth is the Lord’s and everthing in it, the world and all who live in it, for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. This earth belongs to the Lord; and all who live in it belong to the Lord. We are his because he made us and he can do with us whatever he wishes; and we are accountable to him for what we have done.
And so, in the days of Ezekiel, the Lord announced what he intended to do to the people of these nations. The people in these nations may have worshipped their own gods and believed that their gods controlled their fate. But the truth is that the Lord, the God of Israel and Judah, is the one true and living God. The gods of the nations are nothing, but the Lord, the God of Israel and Judah, is the true God and he’s able to determine what will happen to each and every nation.
And since our God is unchangeable, then it’s still the same today. The nations of the world and the people who live in them are under the sovereign control of our God, who, for now, upholds them according to his providential control of all things. The nations may seem mighty and powerful and permanent to us, but they are as nothing to him. They are like a drop in the bucket and they are like dust on the scales. They are in his hands and they will only last as long as it pleases him.
And so, we should bow before the Lord our God and humble ourselves before him, because he’s the great king over all. He is the Most High God who rules over all the nations and all the people. And so, he is not a small God. He is not weak. He is almighty and all-powerful and he is worthy of our worship. And we should therefore humble ourselves before him.
Application 2
And this great and almighty God has appointed a day when he will judge the nations. The judgment he announced in these chapters was only a foretaste of the great and terrible day of the Lord when all people from every nation will come before him to be judged according to his perfect righteousness. And everyone who has not trusted in his Son for salvation will be condemned by him for what they have done wrong in this life and they will be thrown into eternal torments and punished with everlasting destruction.
The judgment the Lord announced in these chapters was only a foretaste of the judgment to come, when God sits on this judgment throne to judge all the nations and to punish the wicked.
Application 3
But the good news of the gospel is that everyone who believes in his Son will be acquitted on that day and declared to be right with God. And so, instead of being thrown into eternal torments and punished with everlasting destruction, which is what we all deserve, those who trust in Christ will be brought into the presence of God, where we’ll be able to see the glory of God and where we’ll be perfectly holy and happy for ever and we’ll be lost in wonder and praise as we gaze on the beauty of the Lord. People once marvelled at the king of Tyre and his earthly glory. But his earthly glory is nothing compared to the heavenly and everlasting glory of the Lord our God. And we will behold his glory for ever and for ever.
And this is true because the Lord Jesus Christ gave up his perfect life on the cross to pay for our sins and shortcomings and to cleanse us of all our guilt. And through faith in him, we are pardoned by God. And more than that, through faith in him, we are covered over by his perfect righteousness. Though we may have done everything wrong he treats us as if we’ve done everything right because of Christ who obeyed God perfectly on our behalf.
And so, for those who believe, there’s the hope of everlasting life in the presence of God, where we’ll worship him for his infinite grace and mercy and love towards us in Christ.
Application 4
And this good news is for everyone. It’s for the whole world. God’s grace and mercy is not restricted to one nation only.
So, in the days of Ezekiel, God’s message to the nations was a message of judgment. They had sinned against the Lord by gloating over Jerusalem’s downfall and by their foolish pride. And the Lord’s message to them was only of judgment to come. But ever since Christ died and was raised, God has been sending preachers into all the world to proclaim the good news of salvation to all the nations. And the Lord’s promise is that whoever believes will be saved.
And we should pray to the Lord to send preachers into all the world, to proclaim to the nations, not a message of judgment, but a message of salvation and a message of God’s abounding love and grace towards sinners. Sin abounds in every nation, but God’s grace and mercy is super-abounding. And so, we should pray to the Lord to send preachers into all the world to tell them the good news of salvation and of the goodness of God who promises eternal life to everyone who believes.
Application 5
And before we close this evening, let me point out to you the good news at the end of chapter 28. After announcing judgment on Jerusalem for 24 chapters and after announcing judgment on the nations in chapters 25 to 28, the Lord announces good news for his people in exile.
He says in verse 24 that no longer will Israel have malicious neighbours who are like painful briers and sharp thorns. We all know how painful briers and thorns can be. And that’s what the nations were like for the Lord’s people in Israel. Think of the days of the Judges and how the Philistines and others kept attacking them and how they made their lives miserable. Think of the days of David’s life, and how David had to go to war against foreign nations who were attacking them. The Lord’s people were trying to live in peace in the land the Lord had given them, but the nations were like briers and thorns and kept hurting them. And so it continued through the generations.
Often the Lord used the nations to punish Israel for their waywardness. But while the Lord intended it for good, the nations did it because they hated God’s people and wanted to destroy them. And by destroying these nations, the Lord was giving his people relief from their enemies.
And look now at verse 25 where the Lord says that when he gathers his people from the nations, he will show himself holy among them. So, the Lord’s plan was to bring his people in exile back to the Promised Land. Though in his anger he sent them away, the time was coming when he would bring them back and restore them to the Promised Land. And he will demonstrate to his people and to the nations that he is holy. So, for a time, his people had dishonoured him by the wicked things they did and said and the nations regarded him as nothing. But now the name of the Lord will be honoured by all.
And his people will live in their own land, which is the land the Lord gave to Jacob and his descendants. And they will live there in safety and they’ll build houses and they’ll plant vineyards. It will be like the days of Solomon when there was peace in the land and everyone sat under his own vine. Do you remember that picture of peace and contentment? And the Lord is saying to his people in exile that this is what it will be like for them in the future. And they will know that he is indeed the Lord their God. He’s their covenant-keeping God who has promised to be their God and to take care of them always. And he will take care of them.
And in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Lord brought his people back to the land and they were able to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and to settle there. They planted vineyards and enjoyed peace for a time.
God kept his promise to them. And his promise to them will be fulfilled in a far better way in the new and better world to come where all of God’s people from every nation will be gathered from the nations to live in Promised Land of Eternal Life, where there will be no one to trouble us: no wicked person who will hurt us like a painful brier or like a sharp thorn. There will be no one to hurt us in the presence of the Lord. And there will be no more tears or sorrow or sadness or death or mourning, but only perfect peace and rest and happiness for ever and for ever.
That’s the Lord’s promise to his people in every generation. That’s his promise to us today. He wants us to keep looking ahead to what we will have, and to what we will enjoy, when Christ comes again. He wants us to remain committed to him and not to give up the faith. He wants us to persevere along the narrow path that leads to life. He wants us to keep ourselves from sin and to walk in his ways. He wants us to keep going, because he has something wonderful in store for us which is right around the bend.
So keep going. Keep trusting in him. He’ll work out his plans and purposes for the nations and he’ll do with them whatever seems good in his sight. And we’re to keep going, because one day he’ll gather his people from the nations into his presence where we’ll see his glory and we’ll worship him for ever.
Sermons and Stuff 