Tyre

I wrote this blog almost two years ago. It was given to me as I worked in the yard, and seemed at the time very relevant as a warning.

It seems even more relevant to me today now that we have a President who says our country is not a Christian country (better check the history books) and has the name of Jesus covered at Universities where he gives talks.

Here it is for your review:

Isaiah 23

This chapter is the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the destruction of Tyre, a coastal city of grand splendor and wealth as a result of free trade in shipping. It was a daughter city, first established by the Assyrians forty years before Solomon’s Temple and then populated by many area people of various trades and skills. It was a city of great renown and possibly the greatest city of the time other than Babylon. It was the chief city of Phoenicia.

The society was then a wide mixture of people, and a city with great towers and fortifications; a mighty city with great security.

It was also a city grown so wealthy that the people were puffed up, spent great sums on luxury and entertainments, and somehow thumbed their political noses at the rest of the world. They were able to resist war efforts by other nations until the time after Isaiah began this pronouncement against Tyre.

Another aspect of this society was the economic character: free trade was not without the corruption of merchants and the government who used unfair weights of measure. Moral character was very low in both the government and on the personal level.

So great is the security of this city and its trade importance, that many other cities and nations depended on her for their own financial stability.

The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that
there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

Tarsus is a Spanish port from which Tyre had much gold and silver, but Tarshish also means the Sea, and represents all sea traders that are being warned of the failure of trade with Tyre soon to come.

Chittim (Kittim son of Javan) is the Greeks and Macedonians and is where Alexander arises from. This references the mechanism by which Tyre will be destroyed by Alexander. It also is the origin of the travelers who bring news of this destruction to Tyre.

Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon,
that pass over the sea, have replenished.
And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her
revenue; and she is a mart of nations.
Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the
sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up
young men, nor bring up virgins.

Zidon is the parent city of Tyre, and more ancient than Tyre. It is being warned to not replenish the population of Tyre.

As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the
report of Tyre.
Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.
Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet
shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

The prophet is warning the surrounding economic forces of the impending doom of their trading port. He is also pointing out to the local commerce cities that their famous and wonderful city is going to be transported away and be no more.

Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose
merchants are princes, whose traders are the honorable of the earth?
The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory,
and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.
Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more
strength.
He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath
given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strongholds
thereof.
And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of
Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.
Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian
founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers
thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.
Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy
years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall
Tyre sing as a harlot.

God brought about the destruction of this great city, and Babylon, and Egypt for exactly the same reasons: Puffed up, Sinful and rebellious societies. Great wealth and earthly success brought about a change in the fabric of the societies and they forfeited the old paths for the sensual and self-indulgent lifestyle. In each case, no real city remains. In each case, the society no longer carries any influence in the world that resembles their former estate. The city of Babylon was rebuilt, but not a soul lives there. Tyre is now a small fishing village whose inhabitants barely eek out a living. Egypt is a dust bowl of major proportions, and rules no other lands, controls no other economics, and is surviving only because of the hard effort to coexist with her neighbors.

Isaiah is giving the word to Tyre that her days are numbered, and when she returns after seventy years, her export will be the righteousness of God, and holiness. Interestingly, this is a city where Paul passed through and was protected by some disciples found there.

And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD
will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication
with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not
be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell
before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

We are at the same place as Tyre, Babylon, Egypt, and many others that God has chastised. The United States has many enemies within and without. It would be an easy thing for the government of this country to swiftly change to a destructive one. We could easily fall prey to many different threats. We need to wake up to the fact that we are all little people living in a land that has great big attitude, but is on a spiritual precipice and about to fall.

Are we going to be like Lot, who barely escapes the destruction of Sodom because Abraham was trying to convince God not to destroy the city for the sake of the righteous? God did not have much respect for Lot, He only allowed his miserable survival because of His promise to Abraham. The sin of that society destroyed Lots testimony of righteousness, and ruined his life.

Will there be enough righteous in this country to prevent another Tyre happening here? What is it that we think makes us an exception to those other destroyed places? One Nation Under God is not simply a National motto, but almost no one believes it anymore. People are afraid to acknowledge God publicly as a result of the ACLU and politically correct mandates in our country.

Like Lot, we are immersed in our society, bound to its economics, fixed in our perception of reality through the eyes of a wealthy and prosperous nation. Our population would laugh in our face if we told them that they must give up the attitude, the economic necessity to succeed, the sensuous lifestyles and the entertainments, and seek Gods face or be destroyed. The government as a whole is not aware of any word from God, because they do not see Him. They must be politically correct, and not mention His name. To appear to listen to God would mean that they acknowledge His dominion over them.

God is warning us now. Repent.

Will there be any crowns of righteousness from the USA of today? Will our miserable existence allow us to find a room in heaven?

The United States is not special in this respect. It may be destroyed like all other nations who usurped Gods authority in the land.

Repent.

We must find a way to shed the influences of our society, and take off the rose colored glasses and see our nakedness, or poverty, our lack. Yes, us. The anointed, the spirit filled as well as the not-so-righteous people of this country are warned to repent. What happens to the USA happens to God's people as well. There is something wrong with some of us. We must return to the old paths. Our elders are rapidly disappearing from the scene. They are the last of a generation of people in American society as a whole which feared God. The many remaining have been raised in a society much like Tyre and Sodom. How will we fair at judgment?

When is the last time we prayed all night, or fasted for three days. When is the last time to go out to the streets to visit with people? When was the last time people were convicted of their errors during a sermon at your church?

Now, people think you are a psychopath if you walk up to them on the street and introduce yourself. Our modern society is not receptive to God at all, largely because of the sophistication of people’s thoughts and manners, and the deviations in good behavior found in so many people. It is just not safe to let people approach you on the street.

So we shy away from this approach because we are worried that people are going to rebuff our effort. Is this not what God said would happen to us? Should we not proceed anyway? Remember Jonah and Nineveh. Maybe our citizens will repent as well, just as Nineveh did; we must not run from it like Jonah did, however.

A word from the Psalms (19:11-13):

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD
are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also
than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great
reward.
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion
over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great
transgression.

The great transgression spoken of here is rebellion. By definition, rebellion is bitterness. It derives from a Hebrew word that means the head waters of a stream. Often, these waters are bitter because the water stands and stagnates. This morning in Sunday School we read from this passage in Matthew 24:9-14:

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye
shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate
one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax
cold.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

I believe we are there now. This seems to be the crucial time, the changing of the guard, so to speak, in the world status of nations and people.

This seems very negative, and quite disturbing. I think that this is necessary for me to understand that I can only remedy this situation in my life by following the Psalmist advice. I believe this was for my benefit, but is also a cry to all others. This Nation may receive a wake-up call soon.

Please preachers, preach conviction, castigate sin, make us aware! We must no longer feel that filling the pews by making it a kinder, gentler Gospel is the point of our efforts, but to bring in “whosoever will” and give them the real deal. Do not soft-soap the truth, but lay it out from the beginning to the end, including the hard, insensitive-seeming parts. Maybe repentance can be found. Maybe our nation will remain. Maybe there will be crowns of righteousness yet.

Please God, keep me from the presumptuous sins, give me the true judgments of God rather than financial success, luxuries of entertainments, sensuality, and attitude. Do not let me become a Jonah, but let me walk in righteousness, even though my society may never do so.