Flat Tyre, Ezekiel 26

 

Don’t tell anyone, but Sebring Florida is known as a premier retirement destination. It’s listed on prominent lists such as Travel & Leisure’s "Destination: Retirement" and World Atlas’s Nine Best Florida Towns for Retirees.

Highlands County is ranked in Florida’s top five for retirees.

Just this morning (9/6/26) front page news in the Highlands News Sun reported: America’s No. 1 underrated vacation destination is Lake Placid, right here in Highlands County.

(Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone or they’ll show up and mess it up.)

In our little retirement village, most live comfortably, securely. Nothing fancy, but none that we know of are going hungry. Although a little hunger would probably do us all a little good.

It’s good to be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It’s a great place, but also a dangerous place.

All too often, when life is easy, we become lukewarm and lazy, physically and spiritually.

Especially in America where even the poorest are rich compared to the rest of the world. And almost everyone thinks they’re going to heaven, even though they never pray, read their Bible or go to Church, they just walk about with head held high doing whatever is right in their own eyes. Which is exactly how the Bible describes a culture in chaos, corruption, moral and societal collapse. Judges 17:6, 21:25.

Jesus warns the Church in Revelation 3:16-17. Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked

1 Corinthians 10:12. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Which brings us to our text today.

Centuries ago, Tyre, was a towering island city in the sea, a shining superpower that fell into that exact same high-headed, stiff necked, selfish, strong delusion.

However, in Ezekiel 26, the Lord lets them (and US) know, that no fortress, no walls, no security no gated community, can stand against the Sovereignty of the Almighty.

1.    The Sin, Ezekiel 26:1–6

And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month,

The year is 586 BC, the same year as the fall of Jerusalem by Babylon.

The city was destroyed, the temple plundered, the people killed or captured. It was 911 on steroids, the deepest grief in the history of the nation.  

that the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

The Lord is still speaking to those who are listening.

² “Son of man, because Tyre has said...

Not only is He speaking, but He is listening. By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12:37.

So, Tyre said something. God was listening. Depending on what they said they will be justified or condemned.

...against Jerusalem, 

Ruh Roh, we don’t need to go any further to know they are already in trouble.

For he who touches Jerusalem touches the apple of God’s eye. Zechariah 2:8.

Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish. Isaiah 41:11.

Genesis 12:3. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

That’s why the devil poisons so many against Israel. The poison doesn’t hurt Israel nearly as much as the people or nation infected by it.

And that was the catalyst of Tyre’s demise.

‘Aha! She is broken who was the gateway of the peoples; now she is turned over to me; I shall be filled; she is laid waste.’

Aha! means to gloat over another’s grief.

Notice Tyre’s selfishness. Jerusalem is broken, she is laid waste, she is turned over to me, I shall be filled.

They did not send aid. They did not mourn. They did not show compassion over Jerusalem’s ashes.

Instead, they celebrated, because Jerusalem was a major trading hub by land, whereas Tyre ruled trading by sea.

With Jerusalem gone, that opened a whole new market share for Tyre.

Proverbs 24:17-20. “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; ¹⁸ Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.”

2.     The Sentence, Ezekiel 26:3–6

³ “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. ⁴ And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. ⁵ It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ says the Lord God; ‘it shall become plunder for the nations. ⁶ Also her daughter villages which are in the fields shall be slain by the sword. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’

This brief overview of His judgement against them opens letting them know: Because you were against Jerusalem, I AM against you.

HIStory proves this prophecy True.

Starting with Nebuchadnezzar, many nations as sea waves came against Tyre, wave after wave after wave until finally 250 years later, Alexander the Great, destroyed the 150’ high stone walls, brought down her towers (multistory apartment complexes), and turned her from a tall, towering Tyre, to a Flat Tyre.

Today, the once beautiful Island is a peninsula of flat rocks where fishermen spread their nets to dry... just as God had said.

Her ruins can be seen lying flat under the surface of the sea.

Speaking of towers, this week is the 25^th anniversary of 911. Twenty-five years ago this week we lost thousands of lives in one day from and Islamic terrorist attack.

Today, we have Muslim Marxist Mayor Mamdani (and others like him), being applauded for spewing and spreading the same anti-American, anti-Christian, Islamic ideology. Which fits perfectly into the message of this chapter.

3.    The Summary, Ezekiel 23:7-14

Now with amazing detail the Lord zooms and summarizes what will happen.

⁷ “For thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, with chariots, and with horsemen, and an army with many people. ⁸ He will slay with the sword your daughter villages in the fields; he will heap up a siege mound against you, build a wall against you, and raise a defense against you. ⁹ He will direct his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. ¹⁰ Because of the abundance of his horses, their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen, the wagons, and the chariots, when he enters your gates, as men enter a city that has been breached. ¹¹ With the hooves of his horses he will trample all your streets; he will slay your people by the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground. 

HIStory records that shortly after the fall of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar marched to mainland Tyre (known as Old Tyre or Palaetyrus).

The siege lasted 13 years (585–572 B.C.).

Just as it was written Nebuchadnezzar battered the walls, tore down the towers, breached the city and slayed the people.

However, without a navy, Nebuchadnezzar was unable to invade the shining island city of Tyre sitting safely about a half mile out in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of modern day Lebanon.  

And thus, HIStory’s spotlight shifts from Nebuchadnezzar to, they.

¹² They will plunder your riches and pillage your merchandise; they will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses; they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the midst of the water. ¹³ I will put an end to the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps shall be heard no more. ¹⁴ I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken,’ says the Lord God.

Remember verse 3: God will cause many nations as waves of the sea to come against Tyre.

Wave after wave came and went.

For over two centuries, skeptics mocked this prophecy, claiming God's Word failed because the island city of Tyre remained wealthy and powerful.

However, history always, eventually, catches up with HIStory.

Fast forward 240 years to 332 B.C. and meet the tidal wave that takes out Tyre.

A young Greek warrior called Alexander the Great.

This is where the towering Tyre turns into a Flat Tyre.

Alexander did not have a massive navy, but he had a massive strategy. He ordered his army to take the rubble left behind by Nebuchadnezzar, the stones, the timber, the soil and lay it in the sea. (Verse 12).

Just as God had prophesied.

It took seven months of working and fighting but they built a massive, 200-foot-wide land bridge (a causeway) stretching from shore to island.  

To get enough material the soldiers literally scraped the old site clean, right down to the bedrock.

Look again at Ezekiel 26:4-5 written centuries before Alexander was even born:

I will also scrape her dust from her and make her like the top of a rock. ⁵ It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea...

We just read those words repeated in verse fourteen: 

¹⁴ I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken,’ says the Lord God.

Today, if you visit the geographic location of ancient Tyre, you will find those words literally fulfilled. God’s Word is always True. The towering island city is no more, her ruins can be seen under the surface of the sea. The land bridge has turned to a rocky peninsula where fishermen spread their nets to dry in the sun.

4.    The Tsunami, Ezekiel 26:15–21

15 “Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: ‘Will the coastlands not shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded cry, when slaughter is made in the midst of you? 16 Then all the princes of the sea will come down from their thrones, lay aside their robes, and take off their embroidered garments; they will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble every moment, and be astonished at you. 17 And they will take up a lamentation for you, and say to you:

“How you have perished,

O one inhabited by seafaring men,

O renowned city,

Who was strong at sea,

She and her inhabitants,

Who caused their terror to be on all her inhabitants!

18 Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall;

Yes, the coastlands by the sea are troubled at your departure.” ’

19 “For thus says the Lord God: ‘When I make you a desolate city, like cities that are not inhabited, when I bring the deep upon you, and great waters cover you, 20 then I will bring you down with those who descend into the Pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lowest part of the earth, in places desolate from antiquity, with those who go down to the Pit, so that you may never be inhabited; and I shall establish glory in the land of the living. 21 I will make you a terror, and you shall be no more; though you are sought for, you will never be found again,’ says the Lord God.”

The fall of Tyre was an emotional and economic tsunami for the region. They mourned the loss of enormous trade revenue.

However, there’s a much larger, more deadly, tsunami that swept the region, and is sweeping our nation, our world. 

No fortress, no walls, no gated community, no security system, can stand against the Sovereignty of the Almighty.

Speaking of God’s Sovereignty consider, JerUSAlem versus Tyre.

From Ezekiel 4-24 we listened to the Lord warn Jerusalem of impending judgement for her sins.

Yet...

In God’s Sovereignty He repeatedly calls Jerusalem, His chosen city, the city of God, where He chose to put His name, His habitation, His resting place forever. 2 Chronicles 6:6, Psalm 132:13–14, 2 Chronicles 7:16, Psalm 48:1–2, 1 Kings 11:36.

Zechariah 3:2: "And the Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?'"

God’s Eternal covenant stands. Period.

Whereas, the Lord says of Tyre: I will bring you down to the Pit, I will make you a terror, you will never be inhabited, you will be sough but never found again.

Now, notice the irrational response of the world regarding what God has blessed versus what He has cursed.

At the disciplining destruction of Jerusalem, the world rejoiced. (Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, Philistines, Tyre, Ezekiel 25-26).

At the destruction of Tyre, the world mourned.

In the not-so-distant future the world will mourn the destruction of Babylon (Revelation 18).

Something is wrong with this picture. It's backwards. It’s an enormous tsunami of deception.

Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Recently, a cat and a couple doves revealed the same backward delusion is on the rise today.

A few days ago, I shared this on our village Facebook page:

Last night I heard a loud ruckus. I looked out our dining room window, and an orange cat was on top of our car, about four feet from the dove nest on the east side of our carport. He stared at me and froze. I quickly went to the living room window, which was closer to him, when I opened the blinds he bolted away. Both mama doves in our two nests were gone.

Thank the Lord, this morning the mamas are back sitting on their eggs.

If you see a cat that looks like this picture. Shoot it. Or catch it. Or take it home and keep it. Or anything to try to keep it from eating these beautiful doves and their soon to be here babies.

The comments looked something like this:

Shoot it????????

Nooooo, don't shoot it!!! All creatures belong to God and He gives us the right to kill for food only. Circle of life my friend. #advocate

Some tried to defend me:

I’m sure it was meant shoo it not shoot…

To which I responded, thank you, that was nice... but I’m not that nice. 

My wife went into damage control:

          He didn’t mean it “literally” shoot it, for heaven’s sake!

One comment shared a cute Christmas tale about a tabby cat that kept baby Jesus warm and how Mary stroked his forehead up and down in the shape of an “M” and that’s why, to this day, tabby cats have an “M” on their forehead. 😊

However, I’m sadly amazed that no one said, “Oh thank God the cat didn’t eat the mama,” or “Poor doves must’ve been petrified,” or “So glad they had enough courage and commitment to return to the nest.”

Sidenote: They're still there. I just checked. 
It appears they hired some sparrows as watchmen:

No one defended the doves, only the perpetrator. The one who came on my property uninvited to kill, steal and destroy. And the people defended that.  I know it’s just a cat, but it’s an eerie reflection of the attitude of the age...

Then, for an experiment, I made a separate post on the same Facebook page: 

https://abortionclock.com/

67,607,955

ABORTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE ROE V. WADE

 So many were upset about simply mentioning the killing of a cat, surely EVERYBODY will be alarmed about 67 million babies slaughtered (and rising at 3,085 per day, 129 per hour, 1 innocent child painfully pulled limb from limb every 28 seconds).

How many comments filled the feed? What did they say?

Hold that thought, we’ll come back to it in a moment.

Millions upon millions have come on our property uninvited, many, kill, steal and destroy. And the people defend them, ignoring justice for the innocent victims.

In broad daylight, amidst thousands of people, before millions online, a boy shot dead an American hero. He turned himself in. He is guilty beyond the shadow of a reasonable doubt. Yet, it took nearly a year before a decision was made to go to trial. People laugh as they imitate the murder, they mock the grieving widow and her two small children.

A mother strangled her three small children to death. Masses gather to protest, in favor of the murderer. Eleven jurors voted, not guilty. One dared to stand alone. One holdout prevented justice for the innocent from being completely ignored.

Ezekiel 22:30
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

At least for the moment, one man stood against the crowd and provided a stay of execution, of the vile celebration that would’ve followed, the applause that would’ve erupted, for a woman’s right to murder her children—at any age.

This cheering for evil, the dark, the bitter, is fueled by the same demons, that applaud every 28 seconds, over a million times a year, for the butchering bloodshed of babies still in the womb, the egg, the nest.

Romans 1:28
 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting

2 Thessalonians 2:11
 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.

The deluded corruption of Romans 1:28, 2 Thessalonians 2:11, is being fulfilled in full measure, right before our very eyes.

Okay now, what about the abortion clock post?

Well, perhaps, if the stats were deaths of cats we would have gotten more action.

How many comments did we get showing compassion for babies?

Crickets all...

But one.

One dared to stand alone. One voice against the silent crowd:

God forgive us.

Murdering the helpless IS the atrocity that has led to our demise…and from what we see on social media, we will go down cheering and gloating for murders, criminals and animals, but NOT stand up for the victims.

It is THE sign of our end. We are just blind to it.

 

Friends, there is a great tsunami of deception sweeping the world, the nation, our neighborhood.

The Good News is, God never gives us a warning without giving us a Way out.

He has given you today.

Today is the day to wake up oh sleeper!

Ephesians 5:14
Awake, O sleeper, and rise up from the dead; and Christ shall give you light.

Today, you have a choice.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, please keep us from being deceived, give us wisdom to discern between good and evil, dark and light, bitter and sweet, lest we find ourselves cheering the wrong and cursing the right. Lord, we choose You, today, tomorrow, forever. Don’t let us ever forget. Now, please use us to help all those You’ve given us, to choose You, too.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.   

Prayer Requests: 

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

 

Sunset Savior, Mark 1:32-34

 

Picture the scene.

Capernaum was about 15 acres on the northwest shore of the sea of Galilee, just a little fishing village of about 1,500 people.

It was Saturday (Sabbath). The shadows were growing, the sun was sinking, the whole city was sitting, watching the sky, waiting.

All day the whole town was talking about the Man named Jesus.

He taught in the synagogue that morning and astonished all the people. Even the scribes and pharisees were amazed when, by just a command, He delivered a man from an unclean spirit.

That’s not all.

When He left the synagogue, He went to, of all people, Peter’s house. Peter and Andrew—the fishermen!

Well, Peter’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. Whenthey told Jesus, He went at once and took her by the hand and lifted her up,and immediately, the fever left her!

Could this be the Messiah?

How could He be? Isn’t healing on the Sabbath against the law?

God made Sabbath for man as a joyful gift of rest and freedom. The religious leaders turned it into a burden with many manmade rules.

You couldn’t carry something that weighed more than a dried fig. Couldn’t carry a mat. So, that meant you couldn’t carry your sick child to see the doctor. Even if you did, the doctor was not allowed to “work” on the Sabbath.

That’s why they thought healing broke the Sabbath law.

So, on that Sabbath as the shadows were growing, the sun was sinking, the whole town gathered their sick, their oppressed, and they all sat waiting—

They knew Jesus was there. They wanted to go see Him. They knew He could help them.

But religion said “NO! Wait!”

So, instead of running to the Light of the world, you wait for darkness.

Religion is so stupid.

As you wait, you realize your body aches, you’re weary, not just body, but soul. It’s been a long day, a long life. You’re not as young as you used to be. You let out a sigh, like you do when you’re done and ready to call it a day.

Maybe I’ll just wait until tomorrow.

You wonder if it could be True. Is there really Someone near, who could deliver and heal?

The shadows grow darker. There’s a chill in the air.

Just forget about it. Why would Someone with power to deliver and heal come to a redneck fishing village like Capernaum?

Well, He’s staying with fishermen Andrew and Peter, so maybe He likes regular folks like us.

About that time, a light pierces the darkening sky, then another and another, three stars declare from the heavens, Sabbath has ended.

The next thing you know the whole city is going...

Mark 1:32-33
At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. ³³ And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 

Sick: Kakōs (κακῶς). Literally translates to be miserably ill, consumed by suffering, wretchedness, and physical degradation.

Jesus was not simply treating mild ailments.

He was staring directly into the raw, miserable brokenness of human suffering.

Gathered together: Episynagmenē (ἐπισυνηγμένη). The Greek root is the source of our word synagogue, which means bring together, assembly, or gathering.

By adding the prefix epi, meaning, intensely, we see the crowd was densely, intensely, intentionally, gathered at the door.

They were pressing in hard to see Jesus, hear Jesus, be touched by Jesus. 

Jesus did NOT turn them away. He will not turn you away.

He did not lock the door and hang a sign saying: Come Back During Office Hours.

He met them, when they came to Him.

Notice the Lord, through Mark, divides suffering into two categories: those who were physically sick, or demon possessed.

Physical or spiritual ailment.

Jesus does not confuse the two.

We face the natural, physical wearing out of our bodies, our vehicle. We get old and break. Chronic pain, scary diagnosis, diminishing strength, all of which can tempt us to think: Has God forgotten me?

We also face invisible spiritual warfare designed to steal, kill and destroy, our joy, our peace, our faith, our soul.

Jesus discerns the difference.

Which is important for True healing.

Otherwise, we're just treating symptoms but not bringing True healing. (Which unfortunately, is what most docs do today).

Doc, my vehicle's broke, it won't start, won't run right. So, he cleans the plugs, drains the tank fills it with fresh fuel and off you go... Feeling great, jumping curbs, driving through ditches, never turning off the engine and filling the tank with sugar.

The problem wasn’t the vehicle but your driving. Sometimes the problem isn’t your physical body, but your lifestyle choices, which are directed by your soul. Your mind, will, and emotions.

Spiritual warfare isn't necessarily screaming demons, but quiet whispers that keep us feeding bad habits, stinkin' thinkin', worldly living. 

The quiet, toxic whispers of the enemy late at night. Thoughts of rejection (You are a burden to your children), regret (Look at the mistakes you made), or despair (Your best days are behind you; your life no longer has purpose).

This is oppression from the enemy.

You don't need a physical doctor to give you a physical pill to treat a spiritual problem.

They will.

They do.

That's why folks are on a million different pills their entire life... and never get better.

Lord, help us discern the spiritual from the physical.

Hebrews 4:12. For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Isaiah 46:4 NLT: I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.

³⁴ Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

Jesus has Sovereign Authority Physically and Spiritually.

Physical Victory:

Various: Poikilais (ποικίλαις).

In Greek, this word means, variegated, multi-colored, or, intricately woven.

It is the exact same word used in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament to describe Joseph’s coat of many colors.

No matter how complex, multi-layered, complicated a person's physical or mental suffering, Jesus’ healing power perfectly matches every pain. He never misdiagnosis a problem.

Will you episynagmenē? Intensely, intentionally, gather, to Him?

To see Him, hear Him, be touched by Him, will you press in like they did?

Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

When you do, He will direct. When He does, will you follow?

Exodus 15:26. “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”

Mark 1:40-42. Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

⁴¹ Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” ⁴² As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

Spiritual Victory:

and cast out many demons

Demons: daimonia (δαιμόνια).

Why did Jesus silence the demons?

Jesus will not allow the father of lies to have any part of His ministry of Truth. So, even if a person can quote all the right verses, if their heart is full of deceit the Lord will not use them.     

The authority of Jesus is immediate, effortless, and absolute.

He does not engage in a dramatic, drawn-out wrestling match with the demonic forces.

With total Authority (Matthew 28:18) He commands and they are forced to obey.

Ephesians 6:12 – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Previously (Mark 1:32), we read they brought those who were demon possessed (daimonizomenous), meaning, under the power of a demon.

The root word implies a hostile power that invades a person's life to split apart their mind and identity. That explains a LOT about today’s LGBTQrstuvwxyz culture. Romans 1:28, 2 Thes. 2:11.

When Jesus cast them out, He proved His Authority over all the works of the devil.

Matthew 28:18
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

1 John 3:8
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

In the art world, there is a traditional Japanese restoration method called Kintsugi.

When a ceramic vessel breaks, the craftsman does not throw it away, nor does he try to hide the damage.

He uses the broken places to strengthen, beautify and increase the value of the vessel.

He mends the fractures with a lacquer heavily dusted with genuine, liquid gold.

The cracks are not hidden; but highlighted.

If you will press in to Jesus, give Him your wounded, weary, broken and shattered. In His hands, your physical scars, your spiritual brokenness, are transformed into badges of honor. He fills you and His glory, and goodness, shines through the cracks.

2 Corinthians 12:9
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

What physical infirmity do you need to give to Jesus today?

What spiritual battle do you need the Lord to silence today?

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, like the folks of Capernaum, we are miserably ill, consumed by suffering, physically and spiritually. We know You are near, able to deliver and heal. So, today, right now, we do not wait, but intensely, intentionally press in hard to You and ask You to take our broken and shattered bodies and souls, and turn our scars into badges of honor where Your love and Your light shines through.

Thank You for using us to draw all those You’ve given us, straight to You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

Prayer Requests: 

Call or text: 612-554-2522

Email: pray4measap@aol.com

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

When God says: “You’re Next!” Ezekiel 25

In September of 2000, Reed Hastings, the co-founder of a struggling startup called Netflix, flew to Dallas, Texas, to meet with John Antioco, the CEO of Blockbuster. At the time, Blockbuster was a multibillion-dollar giant with 9,000 stores dominating home entertainment.

Netflix was on the verge of bankruptcy. So, they offered to sell 49% of Netflix to Blockbuster for $50 million, and in return, Netflix would build and run Blockbuster’s online DVD rental service.

According to those in the boardroom, the Blockbuster executives didn't just decline the offer—they mocked it. The executive team quietly snickered until the Netflix founders left, then they burst into laughter. One executive joked about how ridiculous it was for a tiny, failing dot-com company to think they could stand in the same room as the kings of home video.

As Netflix struggled to keep their head above water, Blockbuster could’ve learned from them, could’ve shown compassion, could’ve thrown a lifeline. Instead they took pleasure in Netflix’s pain. They stood on shore of Netflix's trouble and shouted: "AHA! LOSERS!"

But their joy was cut short. Blockbuster missed the digital shift and the empire crumbled into bankruptcy due to the very technology they mocked.

By 2010, Blockbuster had to liquidate, leaving thousands out of work.

Today, Netflix is worth over $200 billion, and only one single Blockbuster store remains on earth as a tourist novelty in Oregon.

Blockbuster’s boastful boardroom became a boneyard of corporate arrogance, because the Bible says, pride comes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). And the Bible is always right.

That is exactly the heart attitude God addresses in Ezekiel 25.

Israel was broken, bleeding, and being disciplined by God. Instead of learning from the trouble, showing compassion, or throwing a lifeline, the neighbors arrogantly laughed and mocked and stood on the shore of Judah’s trouble and screamed: AHA! LOSERS!

But Ezekiel 25 warns that as God disciplines one, He watches the hearts of the others.

And to those who gloat, (take pleasure in another person’s pain) He turns and says: “You’re Next!”

OUTLINE:

1. Don’t Gloat, 1–7

2. Beware of Blasphemy, 8–11

3. Hatfields and McCoys, 12–14

4. Vengeance is Mine, 15–17

The year is roughly 586 B.C.

Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army have just burned Jerusalem to the ground, destroyed the Temple, and dragged the survivors away in chains.

To the ancient world, Israel’s defeat meant their God, Yahweh, was weak. Israel's neighbors assumed they could plunder the land with impunity.

For twenty-four chapters, the prophet Ezekiel delivered message after message about the coming judgment against his own people.

But in Ezekiel 25 everything changes

Revealing, God disciplines those He loves. He doesn’t abandon them. Hebrews 12:6, Proverbs 3:11-12.

 

1. Don’t Gloat, Ezekiel 25:1–7

Proclamation Against Ammon

Ammonites: Descendants of Abraham’s nephew, Lot and his younger daughter. Gen. 19:36-38.

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them. ³ Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity, ⁴ indeed, therefore, I will deliver you as a possession to the men of the East, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. ⁵ And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁶ ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel, ⁷ indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

The word translated “Aha” means, satisfaction over the misfortune of an enemy or rival. Pleasure over someone else’s pain. Gloating over another’s misery.

Like Blockbusters, the Ammonites shouted “AHA! LOSERS!” to: “My sanctuary, the land of Israel, the house of Judah.”

God’s house. God’s land. God’s people.

The same spiritual battle rages today against, God’s house (the Church), God’s land (Israel), God’s people (the Jews).

Proverbs 24:17–18 warns, "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and it displease Him."

Obadiah 12: "You should not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune."

Don’t gloat over another’s fall; friend or foe.

Proverbs 25:21-22
 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
²² For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the Lord will reward you.

Heaping coals of fire on his head is an ancient saying. It means, if your enemy is in need, help him, generously. Give him plenty to fill his hunger, quench his thirst, and if his fire has gone out, give him heaping coals, so he can make it back home and easily get a fire going.

In so doing the Lord will reward you... and you’ll probably lose an enemy and gain a friend.  

HIStory fulfilled, Ammonites:

God promised to turn the gloaters over to the men of the East, who would eat their food, drink their milk, turn their beautiful capital city of Rabbah into a barnyard. He said He would stretch out His hand against them and give them as plunder to the nations, cut them off, cause them to perish, and destroy them.

In 582 BC, about five years after Jerusalem fell, it happened.

King Nebuchadnezzar turned to them and said, “You’re Next!”  

Babylon demolished the Ammonite kingdom. Later, Arab nomadic tribes invaded and overran the region.

Today the capital city is called, Amman, Jordan, however, it’s in name only because the Ammonite people have vanished from the planet, exactly as the Lord had said.

The same spiritual battle rages today in the USA.

The process is invasion by immigration.

The consequences are destruction by corruption.

The symptoms are easily manipulated masses, homeless encampments, “learing centers”, housing projects, welfare programs, and the like, all of which are fodder for fraudsters (another word for corrupt politicians) to steal, kill and destroy, the very nation God blessed them with the honor of living in.  

 

2. Beware of Blasphemy, Ezekiel 25:8–11

Proclamation Against Moab

Moabites: Abraham’s nephew Lot and his older daughter. Gen. 19:36-38.

⁸ ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations,’ ⁹ therefore, behold, I will clear the territory of Moab of cities, of the cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kirjathaim. ¹⁰ To the men of the East I will give it as a possession, together with the Ammonites, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations. ¹¹ And I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Blasphemy, is showing deep disrespect, contempt, or speaking maliciously against God, His character, His name, or His sacred work.

Sacred, means set apart from the common or secular for a Divine calling or work.

Israel, and specifically Judah was set apart for the Divine work and calling of delivering the Messiah to the world.

Moab saying “Judah is like all the nations” was blaspheming God’s Divine setting apart of Judah.

They willingly rejected the undeniable proofs of HIStory.

The devil loves to rewrite HIStory, because it tells HIS Story.

And His story shows that:

God sovereignly delivered Israel from Egypt, across the Red Sea, through the wilderness for forty years. Then, He conquered the giants of the Promise Land and raised Israel up as a mighty, powerful, prosperous nation.

Only to discipline them and allow them to crumble because they repeatedly rejected Him and turned to the false gods of the nations around them.

The nations around them, instead of looking at the God of Israel and learning, and fearing, they looked at the people of Israel and blasphemed.

They despised, the apple of God’s eye. Zechariah 2:8.

Huge mistake. They were calling God a liar.

Because God made an everlasting covenant with Israel, and God never breaks a covenant, He restored them to the land He’d given them.

Then, in the fullness of time, (500 years later) from Israel’s tribe of Judah, came the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

He came to them, but they rejected Him and hung Him on an old rugged cross.

They didn’t know it, but that was His plan all along.

He rose from the dead and told those who believed that He’s coming back again.

Because most of them refused to recognize Him they were once again scattered in 70 A.D. by the Romans.

For centuries they wandered the wilderness of the world being chased from place to place, and almost entirely exterminated by a devil named Hitler.

But God has an everlasting covenant with Israel.

So, what the devil meant for harm God used for good and in 1948 miraculously the Good Shepherd called them home and a nation was reborn in a day. Isaiah 11:11-12, 66:7-8, Ez. 37:11-22. Jer. 31:10.

From that day to this Israel has been surrounded by enemies and has had to fight for survival every day of their lives.

But God has an everlasting covenant with Israel.

The nations around them, instead of looking at the God of Israel and learning, and fearing, they look at the people of Israel and blaspheme.

They despise, the apple of God’s eye. Zech. 2:8.

Huge mistake. They are calling God a liar.

Because God has an everlasting covenant with Israel, and God never breaks a covenant.

One day soon, after much Great Tribulation, they will see Him.

This time Israel will recognize Him as the One whom they pierced, and they will mourn for Him as for an only Son. Zech. 12:10.

Then, all Israel will be saved. Romans 11:26-27. Because God has an everlasting covenant with Israel, and God never breaks a covenant.

HIStory Fulfilled, Moab:

God promised to lay open the cities of Moab and hand them over to eastern nomads so they would "no longer be remembered among the nations."

It happened just as God said when the Babylonians wiped out Ammon, they mopped up Moab as well.

By the time the New Testament rolled around, all traces of Moab had vanished, being absorbed into the Arab invasion by migration.

 

3. Hatfields and McCoys, Ezekiel 25:12–14

Proclamation Against Edom

Edomites: Jacob’s twin brother, Esau. Gen. 36:9.

‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,” ¹³ therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan shall fall by the sword. ¹⁴ I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,” says the Lord God.

Edom shared a bloodline with Judah; they were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. They were cousins, kind of. Yet, the rivalry that began in the womb (Genesis 25:22–23) never really ended.

When Babylon attacked Judah, Edom kicked them while they were down.

Instead of burying the hatchet, forgiving and forgetting the old family feud and helping their brother who was in trouble, they shed his blood and tried to take his land—the land God had given. Ez. 35:5-10.

They cheered the Babylonians shouting “Tear it down! Tear it down! To the ground.” Psalm 137:7.

In America, we’ve heard the same demons: “Give us what we want, or we’ll burn down the system!”.

Or, regarding Israel they spew vile venom: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Which is a call to slaughter all Jews.

Instead of helping those fleeing from Nebuchadnezzar’s siege, they caught them and killed them or handed them over to Babylon. Obadiah 13-14.

All this generational bitterness stemmed from a family feud before they were born, when Jacob tricked Esau out of the birthright.

This same demonic bitterness is what fuels prejudice and organizations like BLM.

Prejudice rots the brain and corrupts the soul.    

Edom, fueled by irrational generational bitterness, took vengeance against Judah.

So, God took vengeance against Edom.  

Deuteronomy 32:35-36
Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.

Ephesians 4:31. "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."

HIStory Fulfilled, Edom:

God declared He would lay Edom waste and execute vengeance "by the hand of My people Israel."

This was fulfilled centuries later, between the Testaments. Around 129 B.C., the Jewish high priest, John Hyrcanus, and the Maccabees conquered the Edomites (then called Idumeans). The most infamous Idumean in history was King Herod the Great—the man who tried to murder baby Jesus.

Following the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the Idumeans disappeared entirely from the historical record.

 

4. Vengeance is Mine, Ezekiel 25:15–17

Proclamation Against Philistia

Philistia: Noah’s son Ham, Genesis 10:6,13-14.

¹⁵ ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,” ¹⁶ therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. ¹⁷ I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I lay My vengeance upon them.” ’ ”

For Philistia it must’ve been like David defeating Goliath over and over for centuries as the Philistines were dominated by their smaller neighbor Judah.

That developed into a deep-seated, seething hatred.

When Judah was knocked down by Babylon, Philistia did not raid for plunder, they took vengeance with a spiteful heart to destroy.

They wanted blood. They wanted Judah dead. Totally, permanently wiped off the face of the map.

That is Hamas. Gaza (the land of the Philistines). Iran. Turkey... most of the Middle East. Far too many in the US Congress and political offices in America.   

That same demonic antisemitic sin burns hot today. The flames are growing, and God is watching, and those who fall for its flickering will soon fall into the same inferno as the Philistines.

Romans 12:19-21
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” ²¹  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

HIStory Fulfilled, Philistia:

God said He would stretch out His hand against the Philistines with great vengeance and furious rebukes.

Nebuchadnezzar wiped out the Philistine pentapolis, their five major coastal cities.

Today, no one on earth can trace their lineage back to the ancient Philistines; their name was completely blotted out from history.

As Israel struggled to keep their head above water, all these nations could’ve learned from them, could’ve shown compassion, could’ve thrown a lifeline.

Instead, they took pleasure in Israel's pain. They stood on shore and shouted: Aha! Losers!

They clung to bitterness, demanded blood... and died miserable, deaths, consumed by rage.

All those nations have vanished from the earth. But they’d probably still be around today if only they would’ve chosen to overcome evil with good.

Like Abraham Lincoln.

On the night of April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth. As Lincoln lay dying, the nation plunged into grief and fury.

When Booth was hunted down and killed a few weeks later, a wave of vindictive joy swept much of the nation. People demanded vengeance, not just against the conspirators, but against the entire devastated South.

Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, had stood by Lincoln’s deathbed—called a meeting of the leaders.

He reminded them of the words Lincoln spoke a few weeks prior in his Second Inaugural Address.

“One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war.”

We had a civil war to fight for the freedom of one eighth of our population. Yet, today, we sit silent as one fifth of our population has been slaughtered, and the slaughter continues.

Lincoln said the civil war was Divine judgment for the sin of slavery.

(They estimate 620,000 deaths in the civil war. We slaughter twice that many of our most innocent every year!!! 109 times that many (67.6 million) since 1973!!!!  Are we under Divine judgement for the sin of abortion?)

Instead of celebrating victory over the South, Lincoln urged reconciliation, humility, and healing.

He called Americans to:

“Strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds...

WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE; WITH CHARITY FOR ALL”

Instead of launching a campaign of vengeance, they chose reconciliation and reconstruction and justice.

They chose not to gloat.

Years later, a historian reviewing the private journals of the men in that room noted that the leaders who clung to bitterness and demanded blood, died miserable, isolated deaths, consumed by rage.

But those who chose to bury the hatchet, instead of vengeance, those who sought restoration and peace, found it. They lived good, fulfilled lives, restoring and reconciling and healing the wounds of a broken nation.

Let's pray.

Oh, Holy Righteous Judge, we have sinned before You, have mercy on US.

We call evil good and good evil. We reject Your Ways and welcome the wicked, the perverse, the vile. We commit suicide daily by saturating our soil with the blood of our most innocent.

You judged Israel. You judged JerUSAlem. You judged the nations around her, for how they treated her.

The blood of our land cries for vengeance.

Our sin declares we deserve death.

Only a fool would say we’ll escape judgement.

So, we beg for Your mercy.

We, appeal to Your character, which longs for Life.

We know, You’ve already provided the Answer. In the split second of a decision we all could turn, turn, from our wicked ways and Live.

Alas... most of US, won’t.

So, Lord, we plead for Your mercy to triumph over judgement on the few of us who see and agree with this prayer. Then, by Your grace dear God, cause it to flow, to all those You’ve given us. So, united as one nation under God, we overcome evil, with Good.

Thank You for the honor of loving and serving You, forever.

Amen.   

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