What Happened to Tyre – The Saturday Morning Post
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 19 – 23 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 23 – 24; Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)
Read the “0803 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished. And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations. Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins. As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle. Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn. Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth? The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.” (Isaiah 23:1-9)
Good morning. The city of Tyre was part of Lebanon. Partially on land and partially on an island. Tyre was described as a strong city in Joshua…
”…And then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib…” (Joshua 19:29)
King Hiram was ruler there, and was friends with both David and Solomon. He sent cedar trees, and craftsmen to David to build his house. Solomon made the same deal with Hiram, and was sent more cedar trees, and craftsmen for the Temple project. And if Tyre had the craftsmen, skilled workers, for David and Solomon, can you imagine what Tyre itself looked like? It must have been a beautiful city. The people must have been proud, and that was the problem.
“Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.” (Proverbs 16:5)
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
And the LORD said in our passage about Tyre…
“The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.” (Isaiah 23:9)
And who here are the honourable of the earth? They are the trafficers: the merchants: those who are there to make money.
“Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?” (Isaiah 23:8)
And who is the king of pride? The biggest self-worshiper of all time? Tis the devil himself…
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?” (Isaiah 14:12-17)
So what can we do if the devil snares us with pride? Humble yourself.
1) Confess it as sin.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)
2) Don’t be proud of your Salvation: you did nothing, it was God’s gift to you.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
3) Realize that you cannot do nothing on your own.
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John15:5)
So what happened to Tyre? God kept His promise. The mainland portion of Tyre was conquered a few times but the island portion was not conquered until Alexander the Great. He tore down the mainland city and used the cut stone to build a causeway over to the island. It is not the great merchant city that it was, but is a tourist city for visitors to Lebanon.
Peace.
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