July 25, 2023 - Ezekiel 25-32

Ammon, Moab and Seir, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, and all the nations surrounding Israel. They are rebellious and wicked, and Ezekiel has a word for each of them in turn. And though they think themselves strong and incapable of suffering disaster, disaster will come upon them. Consider Tyre, who said, “I am perfect in beauty” (27:3). Her borders ran out into the seas. Her fleets were strong and seemingly invincible. Men from other nations manned her ships and fought in her armies. She was rich because of her great merchant class. But the Lord says she will be wrecked on the high seas, she will mourn and weep, she will see her end and be no more. She was proud and even said of herself that she was a god (28:2), but she was not. She would die, and a lamentation would be raised over her.

Read the headlines. Oh, my! How long can such a nation, even the most prosperous nation in human history, expect to escape the fate of Tyre? Is there any hope? Nikolaus Herman shows us the way:

“As surely as I live,” God said,

“I would not see the sinner dead.

but that he turn from error’s ways,

repent, and live through endless days.”

And so our Lord gave this command:

“Go forth and preach in ev’ry land;

bestow on all my pard’ning grace

who will repent of sinful ways. – Nikolaus Herman (1941)