18 August 2020

18 August 2020

Thus says the Lord God (to the prince of Tyre):
Because you compare your mind
with the mind of a god,
therefore, I will bring strangers against you,
the most terrible of the nations;
they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom
and defile your splendour.

Will you still say, ‘I am a god’,
in the presence of those who kill you,
though you are but a mortal, and no god,
in the hands of those who wound you?.
From Ezekiel 28: 1-10 (NRSV)

Ezekiel was not just a prophet to the people of Israel but made several to some of the surrounding nations. Most of these were small but their leaders were extremely powerful in their own kingdom. This often led them to begin to believe that they were gods – that they were worthy of the homage that they demanded from their subjects and that all their wealth and honour was brought about by their own power. God has little patience with such people – especially when their wealth is born of the exploitation of others. God knows that, eventually, people will rise against them – either their own people or neighbouring rivals will attack and all that the ruler thought would last forever will be be taken by others.

    • What do prophecies to other countries tell us about God’s interest in the lands beyond Israel?
    • Are their leaders in today’s world who might need to ponder the words of Ezekiel?

Pray today for leaders – especially those who are in danger of seeing themselves as “gods”.