The reliability of God’s word

Ezekiel not only recorded prophecies about what would happen to God’s people, there were also prophecies about the nations that lived around Israel. These are given after Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar. One of the most thrilling and specific prophecies is that against Tyre.

“In the eleventh month of the twelfth year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, “Aha! The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,” therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves. They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have spoken,” declares the Sovereign Lord. She will become plunder for the nations, and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’” (Ezekiel 26:1-6)

Tyre at this time was the leader in world trade. Tyre’s position was conducive to trading, having a large harbour. It was the one place in the ancient world you could buy virtually anything – if the merchants in Tyre didn’t have it, they would get it for you. 

Tyre’s offence was that she rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem and congratulated herself that she had a lost a serious commercial competitor. Many nations would come against this city-nation – the walls would be destroyed and the towers would be pulled down. Tyre would become a bare rock with no buildings and no soil for cultivation – this site would be fit only for fishermen to dry their nets. It would be plundered by the nations and the mainland settlement would be ravaged by the sword. “Then they will know that I am the Lord,” said God. How did this happen? The details are given in Ezekiel 26:7-14.

Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar, attacked Tyre resulting in a thirteen year siege – but Nebuchadnezzar was unable to totally conquer them. He ravaged the mainland settlement: he set up siege works, built a ramp, raised his shields against them, attacked the city with battering rams and demolished the walls. He entered the city and trampled the streets resulting in many being killed and the city being plundered. He wiped out the mainland city, but the people escaped to an island off the coast where he could not get to them – he was unable to totally conquer Tyre. They regrouped, rebuilt, and continued being a world-leader in trade.

It was Alexander the Great who destroyed Tyre. He arrived at the ruins left by Nebuchadnezzar. He then threw the stones, timber and rubble into the sea, building a causeway out to the island and then destroyed the remaining people of Tyre. Although Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander conquered this area, it was really God who was behind it.

“‘I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more. I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 26:13-14)

This prophecy, being so specific, helps us know that what we have recorded in God’s word is accurate. What we see recorded before the fact is exactly what happened. When we see the accuracy of these prophecies we know we can trust what we have in the rest of the scriptures. If we can trust it we need to be reading and studying it – and obeying it!

Map from wikipedia.com. Free for use under Creative Commons License.

Readings for next week: Ezekiel 24-31