Tag: Ezekiel 24-28
King of the humble!
Scripture reading for August 25th: Ezekiel 24-28
Satan is not often mentioned by name in the Old Testament. He was a fallen angel who inhabited the body of a serpent in the Garden of Eden and enticed Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. The serpent was told by God that the Seed of woman would crush his head and he would bruise the Seed’s heel. (Genesis 3:1-6, 14-15) In the oldest book of the Bible, Job underwent a trial as a result of Satan’s accusations of him. Satan was given permission by God to test Job by taking his possessions and children and then his health. In 1st Chronicles 21:1, Satan stood up against Israel and enticed King David to number the people and inciting pride in how many fighting men he had. In Zechariah 3:1-2, Satan accused Joshua, the high priest, and was rebuked by the Lord. The only other direct reference is found in Psalm 109:6 where the King James Version has “Satan” as the accuser.
There are two other passages that commentators believe refer to Satan because the descriptions go beyond that of an earthly man or king. One is found in Isaiah 14 and the other in Ezekiel 28:11-19. Ezekiel describes this ‘king’ as being the model of perfection and full of wisdom and beauty. He was in Eden, the Garden of God and covered with many precious stones. He was anointed by God to be a guardian cherub on the holy mountain of God. He walked among the fiery stones and was blameless from the day he was created. Wickedness was found in him and he was filled with violence. God drove him from the mountain of God because of the sin of pride. God threw him down to the earth.
This description seems to fit Satan and not just a man or earthly king. Satan is the king of pride and of all the proud of the earth. All mankind has fallen under his spell because of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden. But God has provided one who has crushed the head of this serpent, Jesus Christ the Lord. The end of time will see Satan (the Devil) cast into the Lake of Fire forever! (Revelation 20:10) Jesus Christ is King of the humble!
King of Pride!
Scripture reading for August 23rd: Ezekiel 24-28
Satan inhabited the body of a serpent in the Garden of Eden and enticed Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in rebellion to God’s command. God told the serpent that the Seed of woman would crush his head and he would bruise the Seed’s heel. (Genesis 3:1-6, 14-15) Job underwent a difficult trial as a result of Satan’s accusations of him before God. Satan was given permission to test Job by first taking his possessions and children and then taking Job’s health. In 1st Chronicles 21:1, Satan stood up against Israel and enticed King David to number the people and take pride in how many fighting men he had. In Zechariah 3:1-2, Satan stood before the Lord and accused Joshua, the high priest. The only other direct reference to Satan in the Old Testament is found in Psalm 109:6 where the KJV has “Satan” as the accuser.
There are two other passages that commentators think refer to Satan. One is found in Isaiah 14 and the other is in Ezekiel 28:11-19. Ezekiel wrote concerning the king of Tyre. This lament describes this ‘king’ as being the model of perfection and full of wisdom and beauty. He was in Eden, the Garden of God and covered with many precious stones. This king was anointed by God to be a guardian cherub on the holy mountain of God. There he walked among the fiery stones and was blameless from the day he was created. Then wickedness was found in him and he was filled with violence and sinned. God cast him out of heaven and down to earth.
This description seems to fit Satan and not just a man or earthly king. If it is Satan, we learn that he was created by God and was beautiful and wise. His beauty caused a selfish pride that got him evicted from Heaven and thrown down to earth. You might say Satan is the king of Pride and of all the proud of the earth. All mankind has fallen under his spell through Adam and Eve’s temptation and disobedience in the Garden of Eden. But God has provided one who has crushed his head, Jesus Christ. The end of time will see Satan cast into the Lake of Fire to endure fiery torment that lasts forever! (Revelation 20:10) Check your own heart for pride today and look to the humble Savior for grace!
Lament for the King of Tyre!
Scripture reading for August 25th: Ezekiel 24-28
Ezekiel was also a prophet to the nations of his day. God gave him a message for Tyre, in the form of a lament or funeral song. Tyre was a city/nation on the Mediterranean Sea that was located partially on an island. Tyre was populated by a proud group of sea people who controlled much of the commerce on the sea and surrounding areas. These people were very rich from their trading. They boasted that they were invincible and were celebrating the fall of Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 26:1-6) God had Ezekiel read a prophetic warning and pronouncement over Tyre. God’s goal was to help them know that “I am the Lord“. (Ezekiel 26:6) The end decreed by God for Tyre: “I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 26:14) Ezekiel wrote a lament at God’s direction for Tyre.(Ezekiel 27) By the way, Tyre does not exist today, except in ruins!
Following that lament, God gave Ezekiel another lament for the ruler of Tyre. The King of Tyre felt that he was “god” and possessed great power, wisdom and wealth. (Ezekiel 28:2) This “king” was proud and felt invincible, but God decreed his removal by death. Pride goes before destruction!
Ezekiel’s strange lament spoke of this “king” being in the Garden of Eden and a model of perfection. (Ezekiel 28:11) He told of being anointed by God to be a guardian cherub on the holy mount of God. It spoke of iniquity being found in this perfect being and God’s removal of him in disgrace. The reason for removal was pride in his beauty and splendor. (Ezekiel 28:17-18) Many commentators feel that this lament speaks of the fall of Satan from heaven as well as the earthly King of Tyre.
We do know that pride causes destruction. As citizens of one of the most powerful nations on earth, we must guard against the sins spoken of concerning this “king” of Tyre. Many have become proud of our wealth and our power, and feel invincible. Many have forgotten that God is sovereign, and act in brazen sin and dishonesty. Satan has been cast down to earth and is at work. A day of reckoning is coming! These laments remind us that God weeps over sin and it’s destruction of people He loves!
King of Pride
Scripture reading for August 25th: Ezekiel 24-28
Satan is not mentioned by name often in the Old Testament. This fallen angel inhabited the body of a serpent in the Garden of Eden and enticed Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in rebellion to God’s express command. The serpent was told by God that the Seed of woman would crush his head one day and he would bruise the Seed’s heel. (Genesis 3:1-6, 14-15) In perhaps the oldest book of the Bible, Job underwent a difficult trial as a result of Satan’s accusations of him before the throne of God. Satan was given permission to test Job by first taking his possessions and children and then taking Job’s health. In 1st Chronicles 21:1, Satan stood up against Israel and enticed King David to number the people and take pride in how many fighting men he had. In Zechariah 3:1-2, Satan stood before the Lord and accused Joshua, the high priest, and was rebuked by the Lord. The only other direct reference is found in Psalm 109:6 where the KJV has “Satan” as the accuser.
There are two other passages that commentators say refer to Satan because the descriptions go beyond that of an earthly man or king. One is found in Isaiah 14 and I have already written on that one. The other is here in Ezekiel 28:11-19 and is a lament composed by Ezekiel concerning the king of Tyre. This lament describes this ‘king’ as being the model of perfection and full of wisdom and beauty. He was in Eden, the Garden of God and covered with many precious stones. This king was anointed by God to be a guardian cherub on the holy mountain of God. There he walked among the fiery stones and was blameless from the day he was created. Then wickedness was found in him and he was filled with violence and sinned. God drove him from the mountain of God in disgrace. The sin was pride because of his beauty and wisdom. God threw him down to earth and by his many sins and dishonest trade he desecrated his sanctuaries. God brought him to a fiery end and reduced him to ashes in the sight of all who watched.
This description seems to fit Satan and not just a man or earthly king. If it is Satan, we learn that he was created by God to be close to God. He was beautiful and wise. His beauty went to a selfish pride that got him evicted from Heaven and thrown down to earth. There he corrupted many and ended up destroyed by God’s wrath. You might say Satan is the king of Pride and of all the proud of the earth. All mankind has fallen under his spell because of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden. But God has provided one who has crushed the head of this serpent, Jesus Christ the Lord. The end of time will see Satan (the Devil) cast into the Lake of Fire to endure his fiery torment that lasts forever! (Revelation 20:10) Check out your heart for pride today and allow the cleansing blood of Jesus to wash it away!