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Ezekiel 28 (ESV)
20 The word of the Lord came to me: 21 “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her 22 and say, Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,
and I will manifest my glory in your midst.
And they shall know that I am the Lord
when I execute judgments in her
and manifest my holiness in her;
23 for I will send pestilence into her,
and blood into her streets;
and the slain shall fall in her midst,
by the sword that is against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
24 “And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.
25 “Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”
REFLECTION:
Sidon is another important seaport in Phoenicia and the oldest Phoenician city-state, located 40 kilometers north of Tyre. Tyre and Sidon are sister cities and are often regarded as one. The biggest difference between Sidon and Tyre is that it lacks the defensive advantage of a fort and is easily controlled by foreign enemies. During the Babylonian Empire, Sidon was also an ally of Egypt, who incited Judah to rebel against Babylon. After the destruction of Jerusalem, Sidon also surrendered to Babylon and later became a vassal state of the Persian Empire. In 351 BC, after the defeat of Persian King Artaxerxes III’s first battle in Egypt, Sidon King Tennes took the opportunity to declare independence from Persia, but he failed and was killed. Sidon was burned and 40,000 people were killed in the fire, fulfilling God’s judgment. “Behold, I am against you, O Sidon” (v22) and “Behold, I am against you, O Tyre” (26:3) is an echo indicating that God’s judgment on the sister cities of Tyre and Sidon is actually the same. Therefore, God did not specifically point out Sidon’s sin, but declared that Sidon was judged to reveal God’s own glory. Tyre and Sidon are symbols of civilization and prosperity in the eyes of people, but in God’s eyes they are typical of people relying on themselves and worshiping idols. Tyre and Sidon glorified their wealth and wisdom, and tempted the people of Israel to follow. They were wicked and unable to “dwell securely” in the Promised Land and enjoy God’s grace, which became the greatest challenge to rest in peace. Reflect on our peace today, is it built on the foundation of prosperity, or on the foundation of God’s Word? May we take Tyre and Sidon as a lesson and understand that only the embrace of God can make us truly rest in peace.
PRAYER:
Come to God quietly and ask God to examine what kind of foundation your inner peace is built on? If your peace comes from your wealth and achievements, or something else, ask God to cleanse your heart and give you more courage, so that you can bravely put aside your dependence on the world and receive true peace from God’s word to live a holy life.
HYMN:
It Is Well With My Soul – youtu.be/zY5o9mP22V0
