Text: Isaiah 23
If I were going to give today’s teaching a title, it would be “Tyre’s Destruction.” This is the last of the judgments of the nations. But from the outset, it also has parallels in Revelation and in Ezekiel, so I will occasionally speak from that perspective. Next week, we will see the judgment of the earth.
A little background — Tyre and Sidon were prosperous port cities of Phoenicia, and as such, they had a monopoly on sea-borne business. Thus, many countries relied upon them for transportation and trade. But the LORD is about to judge them.
Isaiah’s prophecy again emphasizes that the LORD is in charge of all history. Only He will stand at the end of things. The wisdom and ways of man, and the natural things and false gods on which His rebellious people have relied, will fall. The world system that defies the LORD, and Satan Himself, will fall. So, now is the time to turn to the LORD and serve Him, and Him only.
Verse 1 —
Isaiah sees and hears a vision concerning Tyre, a port city in Phoenicia. The merchant ships of Tarshish, across the Mediterranean Sea, regularly traveled to Tyre. But now a report comes from the island of Cyprus, off the coast of Phoenicia, that Tyre is destroyed, even its houses and harbor!
And so will Satan, the figurative king of Tyre, and the world system that defies the LORD. Ezekiel sees the destruction of Satan, who was in the garden of Eden, in Ezekiel 28:12-19 (NIV) —
Ezekiel 28:11 The word of the LORD came to me: 12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones . . .”
Ezekiel 28:15 “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud . . . 18 So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.’”
Verses 2-4 —
All inhabitants of the coastland of Phoenicia will be silent, upon hearing of Tyre’s destruction. The merchants of Sidon crossed the sea, and were paid handsomely to bring to other nations the grain of the Nile. Tyre and Sidon’s ships were the marketplace of nations.
How does this relate to Satan? He is always involved in international trade, but his trade is lies and deception. And now, with television and the internet, he reaches more than ever before with what he sells. He is, after all, the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:1-2).
Sidon is commanded to be ashamed of the stronghold of the sea, possibly a reference to the false god Yam, in whom she relies. Yam is barren — she no longer has any offspring. Her trade has ceased. She is warned that she should not become complacent, for the hand of the LORD would reach her, with His divine judgment! No kingdom could reckon itself immune from God’s righteous wrath.
Verses 5-7 —
The report of Tyre’s destruction reaches Egypt. They are in anguish (writhing in pain) over the news. When they sail by other harbors to Tarshish, across the sea from Tyre, they wail. Tyre, the ancient city, which was once jubilant because of its prosperous shipping and travel industries, has been destroyed. Her feet (ships) cannot carry her trade to other nations, for her harbor and city are completely destroyed.
Just as with Tyre, the LORD will destroy Satan’s trade and Satan himself. He allows him to roam for now, but his time is coming, and his followers will wail, indeed!
Verses 8-9 —
Who planned the destruction of Tyre, who bestowed crowns of prosperity to those who used her port, who called her merchants princes, whose traders were called the honored of the earth? Who planned the destruction of Satan, whose trade of lies and deception were carried about by his children, whom he called his princes and traders, and honored of the earth?
The LORD of hosts has planned it, to defile (dissolve) the pride (arrogance) of all beauty (splendor), to despise (bring into contempt) all the honored of the earth. They are neither beautiful nor honorable in His sight. And so He judges the world system who defies Him, and Satan who defies Him.
Verses 10-12 —
So, the daughter of Tarshish — Tyre, the apple of the eye of Tarshish, is judged, and Tyre flees, overflowing Phoenicia like the Nile overflows its banks in a flood. Tarshish sees there is no more restraint (strength) in Tyre, upon which it has relied.
The LORD has stretched His hand out over the sea, and He has made the kingdoms tremble. He has given a command concerning the whole land of Caanan, to demolish its strongholds. All of its fortified places will fall. It is the same with the world system that defies God, and Satan who is prince of that system.
The LORD has said, “You shall exult no more, O crushed one. Arise, pass over to the island of Cyprus. Even there you will find no rest.”
O rebellious believer, O unbeliever, if you do not repent but stubbornly continue in your sin, you will not escape the Lord’s pursuit of you, and you will be judged. It will be the same for Satan, in the last day.
Verse 13 —
Tyre and Sidon should have taken note of the destruction of Babylon by the Assyrians, who besieged Babylon and stripped its palaces in 647 B.C., making it a ruin. [NOTE: Babylon later rebounded under King Nebuchadnezzar, defeating Assyria and ruling over it.]
But as with His own people, the Phoenicians paid no heed to the LORD’s judgment of other nations.
Verses 14-16 —
Again, as in Verse 1, Isaiah cries, Wail, O ships of Tarshish! Your stronghold, that in which you trusted, is destroyed.
For 70 years, the usual reign of a king, Tyre will be forgotten. But then it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot, for like Babylon, Tyre is a harlot in the LORD’s eyes. The song goes like this —
Take up your harp, O forgotten harlot. Draw people to you with your music, so they commit immorality with you. Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs, play the harlot so all the kingdoms of the earth who traded with you will return to you, and to commit immorality with you.
Verses 17-18 —
After her 70 years of desolation, Tyre will be restored by the LORD. But she will be His servant, as a supplier of sufficient food and choice attire for those who dwell in the presence of the LORD. Her harlot’s wages and her financial gain will be set apart to the LORD — holiness to the LORD, set apart for those who dwell in His presence. It will not stored up or hoarded by her.
Historically, Tyre is like a colony of Israel. Her wealth flows to Jerusalem. It is set apart now for God’s use, and He gives it to His own. Though the LORD will restore her for His purposes, in the end, Tyre will be destroyed entirely by the LORD, just as with Satan —
Revelation 20:2 And he (an angel from heaven) laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
But Satan’s final end is swift —
Revelation 20:7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
As the New International Commentary on the Old Testament concludes —
The glory of the nations is nothing, the wisdom of the nations is nothing, the vision of the nations is nothing, the wealth of the nations is nothing. So, why rely on the nations? Turn to the One who is over all things —
Colossians 1:15 He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Does He have first place in you? Are you trusting in and loving the world system that defies God? Or do you love the Lord who saved you, and obey Him, and serve Him only?
I tell you the truth, you will listen to Satan’s lies and deceit until you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Then you will discern his lies and have power to reject his temptations. That is why Jesus commands you to be filled.
Lord, may Your people hear and heed, for You are worthy of immediate and complete obedience. May they seek to be filled with Your Holy Spirit, so they are able to defeat Satan. Amen.
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