“No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.”
~ Ezekiel 28:24
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you have a superior, arrogant spirit? Do you know a kid – or a guy or gal, who has a conceited, vain spirit? Do you think that it is good for a kid – or a guy or gal, to be smug or self-righteous? Do you think that it is good for a kid – or a guy or gal, to be a know-it-all or bigheaded? What do you think is the difference between a kid – or a guy or gal, who is self-assured and confident and a kid – or a guy or gal, who is haughty and egotistical? Your grandpaa knows how easy it is to pull a city of Tyre or an Ittobaal. The Phoenician city of Tyre was constructed on a rocky atoll off the Mediterranean Sea shore. The only way to get to the city of Tyre was by boat. When Ezekiel scribed his Ezekiel Book, Ittobaal was king over the guys and gals who were living in the city of Tyre. The guys and gals who were living in the city of Tyre thought – because they were living on an islet that was completely surrounded by water, that they were protected from being attacked and annihilated by an enemy nation’s army. Because of the sense of security that the guys and gals who were living in the city of Tyre had, they thought that they could do anything no matter what it was and get away with it. The guys and gals who were living in the city of Tyre at the time that God – as God the Spirit, was breathing on Ezekiel what to write in his Ezekiel Book, did not know or care that God – as God the Father, is in control of what happens on planet Earth. God – as God the Spirit, breathed on Ezekiel to scribe in Ezekiel 28 what God – as God the Father, was going to someday do to the city of Tyre and to the guys, gals and kids who were living in the city of Tyre.
Being the city of Tyre’s top dog – with the city of Tyre being a place that appeared to be completely safe from and utterly impenetrable by enemy miliary forces, Ittobaal let himself be beguiled or fooled into thinking that he was a god. While being the city of Tyre’s ruler, Ittobaal – because of being a very shrewd trader, was able to amass for himself a massive treasury stash of gold and silver. Because Itttobaal allowed himself to be enticed or duped into thinking that he was a god, a pride spirit was able to trap Ittobaal. Has a pride spirit ever tried to trap you? The goal of a pride spirit is to make a guy, gal or kid feel superior or arrogant by puffing him or her up so that he or she will believe that it was only through his or her efforts, abilities, smarts, etc. that led to his or her individual achievements and that God – as God the Father, had absolutely nothing at all to do with his or her success. God – as God the Spirit, lamented or mourned for Ittobaal – as Ittobaal had apparently been a very wise guy. God – as God the Spirit, grieved or was sad for the city of Tyre – as the city of Tyre was apparently a very beautiful place. Ittobaal and the city of Tyre had it made; then the corruption spirit took over. Ittobaal and guys who were living in Tyre used dishonest trade and ruthless violence on the seas to add to their coffers. God – as God the Spirit, tasked Ezekiel to tell Ittobaal and the guys and gals who were living in the city of Tyre that their days were numbered because God – as God the Father, had had enough of their pompous smugness and corrupt evilness. A message that God – as God the Spirit, breathed on Ezekiel for him to pass on to Ittobaal and to the guys and gal who were living in the city of Tyre was that God – as God the Father, was going to have a ruthless foreign army kill them all with their swords. God – as God the Father, will not tolerate having a guy like Ittobaal – who thought of himself as being equal to Him, continue to exist for very long. God – as God the Father, will not tolerate having a nation, country or a people group of guys and gals from a city – such as the city of Tyre, who thought of God’s specially chosen guys and gals – who were the Israelite people group guys and gals, as not being equal to them, continue to exist for very long. Verse 24 is what God – as God the Father, was going to do for His specially chosen guys and gals – “ ‘“No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.”
As Ezekiel scribed the words that God – as God the Spirit, was breathing on him to scribe about the city of Tyre’s impending fate, it is possible that Ezekiel knew about Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army and what Nebuchadnezzar would do to the city of Tyre if he decided that it wanted to raze the place. Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army would capture the city of Tyre in 606 B.C. The real destruction of the city of Tyre – which to grandpaa was what Ezekiel is referring to in his Ezekiel Book, took place in 322 A.D. when Alexander the Great had his army construct a causeway to the city of Tyre where he would dismantle every place on the atoll rock by rock. God – as God the Father, will not allow a pride or arrogant spirit to exist for very long. God – as God the Father, will humble a guy or gal who has in him or her a pride or arrogant spirit as a way to remove the pride or arrogant spirit. Your grandpaa knows that being recognized as having accomplished something or being in a leadership position is a cracked window for a pride or arrogant spirit to squirm into his life. It is very painful to have God – as God the Father, repair a cracked window that is letting in a pride or arrogant spirit but . . . your grandpaa is very grateful that God is continuingly and patiently teaching him to live his life in ways that will bring honor and glory to His name.
Ezekiel 28 (760)