August 29

Ezekiel 28
Am I a god? The prince of Tyre unconsciously came to that conclusion. Tyre was a magnificent city at the time of Ezekiel. Sitting on the eastern end of the Mediterranean it had become wealthy through its merchant trade that spanned from Spain in the west to its location in the east. Centrally located, it could receive goods from a thousand miles inland to the east and distribute it throughout the Mediterranean world. The merchants of Tyre did great business. Ithbaal II, the prince of Tyre in Ezekiel’s day, attained great wealth through his portion of the trade and through taxes levied on commerce flowing through his port city. Exalted and wealthy and possessing a great business mind, he became quite proud without probably even realizing his pride. After all, he was able to gain this wealth and power through his great business skills. He came to feel that he was the author of his wealth and wisdom. He needed to submit to no one. Only God is the author of true wealth and wisdom. Are you a god?
Two thousand seven hundred years later we fall into the same trap. Here in the USA, we live in a culture that makes it possible for individual wealth and power to be gained for the individual who knows how to manipulate the wisdom of this world. A decade ago it prompted a famous secular author to state that if anyone in the USA made less than $250,000.00 per year, then he was not pulling his own weight. We might quibble on where he set the bar, but I suspect that most Americans would agree. The question is, “Where do we set the bar--$25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $250,000?” Most of us would say that we are rich, have become wealthy and have need of nothing. We have become gods, or so we think.
The problem is that there is only room for One God. He destroys all others; that is part of His glory. He takes all who seek to be gods and throws them into the pit. Those princes who seek to be gods end up like their father, the king of Tyre. He is the one who started it all. The last half of Ezekiel 28 has baffled theologians for years. Many aspects of it make it seem to be directed toward someone who is more than a man, but then he is addressed as a Man. He is called the anointed cherub. From Exodus 25:18-22, we can deduce that the role of cherubim was to protect and proclaim the holiness of God. Satan, the king of Tyre once did that, but he corrupted his wisdom for the sake of his own splendor. We do the same. God allows no room for it. There is after all only One God. There is no room for another. That is His glory. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john