Material Wealth Above Spiritual Health

Then this further message came to me from the LORD: “Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of Tyre. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty. [Ezekiel 28.11-12]

As I considered these verses and the words addressed to the "king" of Tyre that follow, it occurred to me that previous addresses were made to "Tyre," then to the "prince of Tyre," and finally this address for the "king of Tyre."

In my consideration of "Tyre," I simply searched the Bible for he word, "Tyre" and came up with references to Tyre, often found in conjunction with Sidon (another coastal city north of Tyre).

As it turns out, most of the Bible references I quickly read through about Tyre had to do with "trade." Tyre, being a seaport town, was recognized as a significant trade hub on the eastern Mediterranean Sea and so, Ezekiel 28 really makes sense in its references to the "trade" of Tyre.

Just in reading the text, and without predisposed bias, when coming to Ezekiel 28.11, there is a noticeable shift in the nature and character of the recipient of God's message through Ezekiel. Before, when simply "Tyre" and the "prince of Tyre" were addressed, both messages were easily understood to be directed to humans. However, when Ezekiel's words shifted to the "king of Tyre," the message is clearly to an other-than-human recipient.

The "king of Tyre," if he were human, could have in no way been in the Garden of Eden for two reasons: First, he would have been thousands of years old. And, second, the "king of Tyre" was not among those recorded to have escaped world-wide destruction in the safety of Noah's ark.

So, with the two facts above in combination with the intriguing descriptions of the "king of Tyre," one can begin to understand him as none other than Satan.

With this in mind, it makes sense to me that when God addressed "Tyre" through Ezekiel's words, He was speaking to the people of Tyre. When God addressed the "prince of Tyre," He was speaking to the leadership of Tyre. When God spoke to the "king of Tyre," He addressed the underlying spirit of Tyre.

Again, we should remain mindful that Tyre represented "trade." It is symbolic of merchandise, sustenance, wealth and commerce. In and of itself, Tyre is not a bad thing, however, as seen in a portion of the "prince of Tyre" rebuke, there are distinct dangers involved in commerce:

With your wisdom and understanding you have amassed great wealth—gold and silver for your treasuries. Yes, your wisdom has made you very rich, and your riches have made you very proud. [Ezekiel 28.4-5]

Commerce is good, but it is dangerous.

Without doubt, Jesus was aware of this when He said:

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. [Matthew 6.19-21]

Father, help me to understand the dangers of commerce. Help me to see the fallacy in elevating material wealth above spiritual health...