Oracles against the Nations—Again!

Ezekiel 25-27

            We’ve been over this ground before. Two things stand out this time. First, the reason for the condemnation is that the nations rejoiced over Israel’s fall. In His righteous judgment, the Lord punished His holy people for their unfaithfulness. But they are still His people, and He will not tolerate other people abusing them. We discovered a similar phenomenon early in our marriage. We would each complain about our parents, but if we complained about the other’s parents, that felt out-of-bounds. We could criticize our own families, but don’t you dare criticize my family! There’s a Gospel twist here: even under judgment, the Lord treasures His people.

            The second thing that stands out I don’t have an explanation for: the city of Tyre comes under lengthy judgment—3 chapters! I don’t know quite why. Tyre was not historically a prominent enemy of Israel. It was a city known for its pride. A city on an island, connected to the mainland by a causeway, Tyre was unconquered until Alexander the Great conquered it n 332 BC. Ancient historians tell us that Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city for 15 years without success. (With an unparalleled reputation for seamanship, Tyre could resupply itself through overseas trade.) But, for whatever reason, Tyre draws the Lord’s ire…