2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Yesterday I promised to discuss EZK 28: 11-19, which gives us some very interesting "combat intelligence" about the origins and more of the traits of the devil. We need this kind of knowledge so that we have a better idea of the enemy who shoots us with his arrows, challenging our faith, and who levels his hatred at God and all those who have faith in God. By imparting this knowledge to us, the Lord helps to equip us for victory in Christ's name against the adversary. So, our time is not wasted in taking a good look at this passage.
EZK 28: 11-19, "The Lord, spoke to me again, 'Mortal man,' He said, 'grieve for the fate that is waiting for the king of Tyre. Tell him what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: You were once an example of perfection. How wise and handsome you were! You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and wore gems of every kind: rubies and diamonds; topaz; beryl, carnelian, and jasper; sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. You had ornaments of gold. They were made for you on the day you were created. I put a terrifying angel there to guard you. You lived on My holy mountain and walked among sparkling gems. Your conduct was perfect from the day you were created until you began to do evil. You were busy buying and selling, and this led you to violence and sin. So I forced you to leave My holy mountain, and the angel who guarded you drove you away from the sparkling gems. You were proud of being handsome, and your fame made you act like a fool. Because of this I hurled you to the ground and left you as a warning to other kings. You did such evil in buying and selling that your places of worship were corrupted. So I set fire to the city and burned it to the ground. All who look at you now see you reduced to ashes. You are gone, gone forever, and all the nations that had come to know you are terrified, afraid that they will share your fate.'" Upon first inspection one might ask: How do I know this is not talking about the human king of Tyre? How do we know this is the devil?
To best answer this question it is necessary to go back to the Hebrew word used for the word "king" here. Previously in EZK 28: 2, the word "nagid" is used, which means "ruler," "leader," "prince," "captain," or "king." This word wouldn't be used for other than a human entity. "'Mortal man,' He said, 'tell the ruler of Tyre what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to him: Puffed up with pride, you claim to be a god. You say that like a god you sit on a throne, surrounded by the seas. You may pretend to be a god, but, no, you are mortal, not divine.'" Thus, EZK 28: 1-10 is clearly speaking about a human being. However, there is an important shift beginning in EZK 28: 11. Instead, the Hebrew word "melek" is used for the king of Tyre. As we have seen in other places in the Bible, notably DN 11: 36, a modification in the meaning occurs and it refers to a subject that transcends and has broader meaning than the life of an individual like the human kings of Tyre and Syria. The word "melek" in Hebrew means "emperor," "chief magistrate," or "chieftain," and is much more applicable to a non-human entity, in this case-Satan.
When we look at EZK 28: 11-19, it can be recognized as a funeral lament. The Reverend Billy Graham writes in his book, "Angels," about what a great catastrophe occurred when God's most favored angel, Lucifer, His chief angel in charge of worship in heaven, defied Him and brought about God's decision to cast him out of heaven with one-third of the heavenly host (other angels who decided to follow him). The pain that this caused God is evident in the words of EZK 28: 11-19. The apostle Paul referred to this defiance on Lucifer's part as the "mysterious wickedness [iniquity]" in 2 THESS 2: 7. We don't know why such disobedience and defiance happened in heaven but are told in 2 PET 2: 4, "God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell, where they are kept chained in darkness, waiting for the Day of judgment." JUDE 6 lends further support, "Remember the angels who did not stay within the limits of their proper authority, but abandoned their own dwelling place: they are bound with eternal chains in the darkness below, where God is keeping them for that great Day on which they will be condemned." Other places in the Bible refer to this holding place for the lost as "torments" [NU 16: 33; LK 16: 23-26]. Some versions of the Bible use the word "cherb" in EZK 28: 13, indicating that the subject here is not a human being. There is more to say about this passage, and I will go on in tomorrow's message.
There is an over-arching truth that must not be forgotten in all this discussion of the adversary and his followers. That truth is that we have the same power that God used to raise Christ from the dead as armament in our battle with Satan [EPH 1: 18-20]. That is why we don't have to feel hopelessly lost or that we have to be the devil's victims. We can don God's full armor [EPH 6: 10-20] which He gives us, endure in our faith, and go on to victory in Christ's name.
PRAYER: O Lord, PS 76 describes You as the Victor. We need to recognize that You have asked us to be on Your team to fight against the forces of evil. If we have faith in You and obey Your commands, we can rest assured that we are on the winning team. PS 76: 7-9, 12,: "But You, Lord, are feared by all. No one can stand in Your presence when You are angry. You made Your judgment known from heaven; the world was afraid and kept silent, when You rose up to pronounce judgment, to save all the oppressed on earth...God makes men fear Him; He humbles proud princes and terrifies great kings." Satan and his followers are proud. Unfaithful kings like King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia can be made afraid and brought to faith [DN 4: 34-37]. You, Lord, are the Supreme Sovereign over all. When You impart Your power to us in battling the enemy, we can go on to victory. You keep Your promises to us and are ever-faithful. We come as sinners to offer You the heartfelt praise that You so richly deserve. We dedicate and consecrate ourselves to live lives of holiness and to be on Your team, enduring through whatever suffering and pain befalls us. We might even lose our physical lives, but we will rest in the comfort of knowing that You will keep Your promise to grant us life eternal with You. We will conquer spiritual death, just as Your Son, Jesus Christ, did, because You have told us that "He is the first among many brothers" in RO 8: 29. We adore, worship, trust, obey, glorify, honor, praise, and thank You for Your constant presence and leadership in our lives. In Christ's name, amen.
Tomorrow, as promised above, we will go on examining this remarkable passage from the book of Ezekiel. There is a wealth of "combat intelligence" for us to mine out of it, information which is a gift from our loving Abba. Today, I hope you are feeling the same aura of warmth, love, and comfort that I feel as I write to you about the Lord I love so much. He is a Source of encouragement, correction, direction, protection, provision, and teaching for each of us. He trains us in righteousness with His word and gives us a open channel for communication with Him through prayer. I have seen the power that prayer has with my own eyes and know that there has never been a kind of life-giving love available from any other source in the universe. His love is there for any of us who are willing to live "in Christ" and endure in our faithful obedience to Him. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn