What happens when national pride collides with divine purpose? Diving deep into Ezekiel chapters 28 and 29, we uncover one of the Bible's most overlooked themes: God's sovereignty over nations.

The age-old question of Israel's future finds surprising clarity in these ancient texts. While many believers focus exclusively on personal salvation (and rightly so), we discover that God's redemptive plan is far more comprehensive. Through careful examination of Ezekiel's prophecies, we uncover three distinct redemptions woven throughout Scripture: the redemption of mankind, creation, and nations.

When God declares "I will gather the house of Israel" to live securely in "their land which I gave to Jacob," He makes a promise that history confirms remains unfulfilled. Despite returns from Babylonian captivity and the Maccabean period, Israel has never experienced the enduring security promised in these passages—suggesting a future fulfillment still awaits.

Egypt's story proves equally fascinating. For 2,500 years, this mighty civilization dominated the ancient world, with Pharaohs claiming divine status as they ruled from their Nile-centered kingdom. God's response? "I am against you, Pharaoh... the great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers." With vivid imagery of hooks in jaws and fish clinging to scales, God pronounces judgment on Egyptian pride, ultimately using Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon as His instrument of discipline.

The historical accuracy is striking—from descriptions of battle-worn soldiers with baldness from helmets and raw shoulders from equipment to precise dating of prophecies. These details remind us that we're dealing with genuine history, not merely spiritual allegories.

As world events continue to unfold today, these ancient prophecies remind us who truly controls the rise and fall of nations. Every leader, every empire serves at God's pleasure. What might this reveal about our own nations and times?

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Pride has been humanity's downfall since Eden, and Ezekiel 28 provides one of Scripture's most penetrating examinations of this spiritual cancer. The chapter opens with God's indictment of Tyre's ruler who, intoxicated by his own success, declared "I am a God." This represents the ultimate expression of human arrogance—a mortal claiming divinity.

But what makes this passage truly extraordinary is what follows. After addressing the human prince, God speaks to the "king of Tyre" using language that transcends human description. This being was "in Eden," was a "covering cherub," was "created perfect," and walked among "fiery stones." Biblical scholars widely recognize this as a rare glimpse into Satan's original position and subsequent fall—a being of extraordinary beauty and wisdom who became corrupted by pride in those very qualities.

The text reveals a profound spiritual dynamic that operates throughout history: behind human pride often stands spiritual wickedness. The prince of Tyre didn't merely develop arrogance independently—he aligned himself with the original rebel against God's authority. This pattern continues today as leaders who reject divine authority often find themselves spiritually influenced by forces they may not acknowledge.

What practical wisdom can we draw from this ancient text? First, success, beauty, intelligence, and power—while potentially beneficial—can become corrupting influences when they lead to self-exaltation rather than gratitude to God. Second, we must recognize that spiritual battles underlie human affairs, with pride being Satan's primary tool for leading humans away from God. Finally, we're reminded that God remains sovereign over all nations and rulers, establishing and removing them according to His purposes.

The antidote to pride remains consistent throughout Scripture: "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time." When we acknowledge our dependence on God and recognize Him as the source of every blessing, we position ourselves to receive His grace rather than His opposition.

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Ezekiel's prophecy against Tyre stands as one of the most remarkable and precise predictions in biblical literature – a stunning demonstration of divine foreknowledge that unfolded over centuries exactly as foretold.

The ancient city-state of Tyre was no ordinary settlement. By Ezekiel's time, this 2,000-year-old Mediterranean powerhouse had accumulated wealth beyond imagination. With a monopoly on precious purple dye and control over eastern Mediterranean shipping routes, Tyre had established colonies throughout the region and conducted business with kings worldwide. Their ships featured embroidered linen sails, ivory inlays, and the finest imported woods. Zechariah described their prosperity in striking terms: silver "heaped up like dust" and gold like "mire in the streets" – an observation confirmed by gold flecks that remained in Tyre's beach sand into modern times.

Against this backdrop of seemingly invincible prosperity, Ezekiel delivered God's judgment: wave after wave of nations would attack Tyre, ultimately reducing this mighty commercial empire to nothing more than "a bare rock" where fishermen would spread their nets. The prophecy detailed that Nebuchadnezzar would come first, followed by others who would cast Tyre's stones, timber and debris into the sea.

History records the astonishing fulfillment of these predictions. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre for thirteen years, conquering the mainland but unable to take the island fortress. Later, Alexander the Great accomplished what Babylon couldn't by building a causeway to the island using mainland rubble – literally fulfilling the prophecy about casting materials into the sea. By the time of the New Testament, this once-wealthy nation was begging for food supplies, and 17th-century European explorers found nothing but ruins inhabited by about fifty poor families who survived mainly by fishing.

Skeptics attempt to discredit this prophecy, but careful examination reveals its precise fulfillment. The story of Tyre reminds us that God deals with nations as well as individuals, and His word proves trustworthy across millennia. What world powers today might be risking divine judgment through their actions? How might God's patience be working in our own time?

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve