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Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Again and again you said, “Then they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezek 26:6; 28:23; 29:9; 30:8; 32:15). Sadly, these words always followed the pronouncement of some doom: the scarlet stain of blood or the putrid stench of pestilence. How tragic that people will not acknowledge you as God, but are ungrateful for the light they have, resisting and suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. I want to praise you today and honor your name, for you are indeed “the Lord,” the great “I Am”! Hallelujah! Today in Your Word Today you told me about the reaction of Tyre to the news of Jerusalem’s destruction. Instead of being sad at the devastation the Babylonians had wreaked on the city, the Tyrians chortled with glee: “Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste” (Ezek 26:2). At the time, Tyre controlled the sea trade routes, while Judah controlled the land trade routes. Controlling trade routes enabled a nation to impose tolls and obtain revenue. Now that Jerusalem was destroyed, the Tyrians could seize control of this important income. I can’t help but shake my head at the stupidity of their reaction to Jerusalem’s fall. It is not a smart idea to laugh at the judgment you bring on your own people! (cf. Prov 24:17–18; Obad 1:12). You turned from Jerusalem and looked north to Tyre: “Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves” (Ezek 26:3–5). The first wave of judgment brought Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians (Ezek 26:7–11). He besieged Tyre for 13 years, and when he was done, the mainland city lay in ruins. The second wave of judgment brought the Persians, who subjugated the Tyrians around 525 bc. The third wave of judgment brought the mighty king of Greece, Alexander the Great (Ezek 26:12–14). He marched against Tyre in 332 bc, some 255 years after Ezekiel’s prophecy. Alexander destroyed the mainland city and used the debris to construct a causeway across the water to the island stronghold. This fulfilled your words that Tyre’s enemies would “throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water” (Ezek 26:12). The description of Tyre’s demise is one of the most detailed in Scripture, and its fulfillment is evidence for the truth of your word. Today the island stronghold of Tyre is still a pile of rubble, a testament to your judgment on sin! Reflection Tyre was obsessed with its beauty (Ezek 27:3), and you depicted the king of Tyre as a type of Satan, the angelic creature whose beauty became a source of pride (Ezek 28:12–15). Pride is such an insidious thing. It can worm its way into even the most righteous of hearts. Am I being careful to remain humble before you? Request Father, physical beauty and material possessions are fleeting and deceptive. Keep me from desiring these things and remind me that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6). Thanksgiving Thank you for the warning that comes to me from your message to Tyre. Those whose hearts are lifted up because of their wisdom and riches are only setting themselves up for destruction! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Suggested Hymn: “Do You Love the World?” — Barney E. Warren. Meditation Verse: Ezekiel 28:22.