TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
Ezekiel 27:1-28:26
Hebrews 11:17-31
Psalm 111:1-10
Proverbs 27:15-16
Ezekiel 27:3 — Tyre was the World Trade Center of its day. “A merchant of the people for many isles.” Forty-two different places are listed in this chapter that had commerce in Tyre. Oftentimes, biblical passages don’t strike us because the places are unfamiliar. That’s okay because Ezekiel was not writing to 21st-century Americans; he was writing to 6th-century-BC Greater Mesopotamian Jews! The closest we can get to understanding what this would be like is if someone at the turn of the last millennium prophesied that the commercial hub of the world, New York City, would be destroyed in such a way that all the inhabitants would be astonished (Ezekiel 27:35).
Ezekiel 28:2 — There is a clear difference between God and man. That is why the deity of Jesus Christ is so important, and why religions from Anthroposophy to Zen Buddhism deny the deity of Jesus. Jesus made divine claims about Himself. The best resource on this topic is the book Putting Jesus in His Place. God is a jealous God and will not share His glory with another (Exodus 34:14), and so …
The city of Tyre was the recipient of some of the strongest prophetic condemnations in the Bible (Isaiah 23:1–18; Jeremiah 25:22; 27:1–11; Ezekiel 26:1–28:19; Joel 3:4–8; Amos 1:9-10).
Ezekiel 28:14 — Wait a minute! How is the king of Tyre an anointed cherub in the holy mountain of God, perfect at creation? This isn’t the sarcasm of Ezekiel 28:3. This seems to be a prophetic jump (see Isaiah 7:14) where the prophet jumps from the temporal to comparing them to events that shook eternity, i.e. the fall of Lucifer.
Hebrews 11:17 — In contrast to Tyre and Lucifer who thought it wasn’t fair to be less than God, Abraham didn’t care about whether it was fair to be asked for “his only begotten son.” This is the same phrase used in John 3:16 and elsewhere in John’s writings to show how Abraham’s action was a foreshadowing of God’s action.
Hebrews 11:28 — The Passover is a seemingly weird ritual. Publicly marking your house with blood? Yet, Moses was rewarded for his faithfulness in keeping the Passover.
Psalm 111:1 — Why does the Psalmist say “my whole heart?” Perhaps as you look around during the song portion of your church service you will notice people singing without their “whole heart.” Perhaps you’ve even caught yourself – the music is familiar and your mind is elsewhere. Praise the LORD with your whole heart, not just Sunday but everyday!
Psalm 111:8 — The commands of God, preserved in His Word, shall stand fast for ever and ever! Yes, the Bible stands!
Proverbs 27:15 — A “contentious woman” is compared to a “continual dropping.” From Forever Be Sure:
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