THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Ezekiel: Effective Ministry To The Spiritually Rebellious

Part XLI: Lamentation For The Sin And Fall Of The King Of Tyre

(Ezekiel 28:11-19)

 

I.               Introduction

A.    The overwhelming pride of the human ruler of Tyre, what Ezekiel 28:2 calls "the man at the top" (nagid), was the same sin that Satan committed, leading to his fall, Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1282. (cf. 1 Timothy 3:6)

B.    Incidentally, Ezekiel predicted the fall of Satan himself who was behind the human ruler of Tyre, doing so in Ezekiel 28:11-19, and we study this passage for our insight and edification (as follows):

II.            Lamentation For The Sin And Fall Of The King Of Tyre, Ezekiel 28:11-19.

A.    The "king" of Tyre behind the human ruler (nagid) of Tyre was Satan himself, for though the human ruler of Tyre claimed to be a god while he was just a man (Ezekiel 28:1-2), Ezekiel 28:11-19 described the "king" of Tyre in terms that could not apply to just a man, but rather to Satan (as follows, Ibid., p. 1283):

1.      The "king" of Tyre had been in the Garden of Eden back in Genesis 2:8-3:24, what no man but Adam had experienced, and Adam had long since died, Genesis 5:5. (Ezekiel 28:13)

2.      The "king" of Tyre had been a guardian cherub, and angel, not a mere man, Ezekiel 28:14a.

3.      The "king" of Tyre once had access to God's holy mountain (Ez. 28:14b), what no man on earth has had.

4.      The "king" of Tyre had been sinless from the time he was created (Ezekiel 28:15), what no one but Adam had experienced until his fall, and Adam was long since deceased. (Genesis 5:5 with Genesis 2:25; 3:6-7)

B.    Accordingly, Ezekiel 28:11-19 was a lament for the fall and judgment of Satan himself (as follows):

1.      Before his fall, Satan possessed special privileges as the greatest of God's created angels, Ezek. 28:11-15a:

                         a.        Being without sin, Satan was created by God as the model of perfection, Ezekiel 28:11-12a NIV.

                         b.        He was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, being in the Garden of Eden, Ezekiel 28:12b-13a.

                         c.        Satan had every precious stone as his covering or robe, including sardius, topaz, diamond, beryl, onyx, jasper, sapphire, emerald and carbuncle, Ezekiel 28:13b ESV; Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Ezekiel 28:13.

                         d.        The sockets and grooves used as the settings for these precious stones were crafted in gold in the day that Satan had been created and prepared by the Lord, Ezekiel 28:13c ESV; Ibid.

                         e.        Satan was the anointed guardian cherub, the "'inner circle' of angels who had the closest access to God and guarded His holiness (cf. 10:1-14)," Ezekiel 28:14a; Ibid., Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1283.

                          f.         God had placed Satan on His holy mountain so that he walked "in the midst of the stones of fire," whatever that phrase means, but conveys that he had the closest access to God, Ezekiel 28:14b.

                         g.        Satan was blameless in his ways from the day of his creation, Ezekiel 28:15a.

2.      However, one day, God found unrighteousness in Satan, Ezekiel 28:15b.

3.      Satan's fall from glory, what actually occurs in stages, is described in Ezekiel 28:16-19 (Ibid., p. 1284):

                         a.        Satan's wickedness was very influential due to his broad contact with large portions of God's creation, contact that also involved evil violence in his effort to oppose God, Ezekiel 28:16a NIV; Ibid.:

                                       i.           The Hebrew word for "merchandise" (KJV) or "trade" (NIV, ESV) in verse 16a is rakal, "to go about from one to another," used in the nearby context of the city of Tyre's commercial trade, Ibid.

                                     ii.           However, this word can have a broad meaning, and here it refers to Satan's broad contacts, Ibid

                                   iii.           Thus, Satan's broad contacts in God's creation caused his fall into sin to become widely harmful.

                         b.        God thus drove Satan in disgrace from His holy mount, removing him from God's inner circle of angels, Ez. 28:16b.  [Satan still has access to heaven to accuse believers of sin (Rev. 12:10) but he will be removed from that access in the middle of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 12:9).  At the start of Christ's Messianic Kingdom, Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit (Rev. 20:1-3) only to be released to deceive the nations after that (Rev. 20:7-9) before finally being cast forever into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).]

                         c.        Satan's pride over his beauty (Ez. 28:17a) and corruption of his wisdom over his splendor (Ez. 28:17b) led God to cast him to the earth (Ez. 28:17c) [in the middle of the Great Tribulation, Rev. 12:9] before others, ending in destruction by fire [lake of fire, Rev. 20:10] to the shock of onlookers, Ez. 28:18-19.

                                              

Lesson: Though Satan was created as the greatest angelic being in God's creation and given the highest and closest position to the Lord, his sin of pride caused his great fall that will ultimately lead to his eternal punishment.

 

Application: May we avoid the sin of pride, for it is so destructive and so opposed by a righteous God!