The Fall of Tyre
“This is the burden against Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus. Be silent, O dwellers of the coastland, you merchants of Sidon, whose traders have crossed the sea. On the great waters came the grain of Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre; she was the merchant of the nations.
Be ashamed, O Sidon, the stronghold of the sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have not been in labor or given birth. I have not raised young men or brought up young women.” When the report reaches Egypt, they will writhe in agony over the news of Tyre. Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coastland! Is this your jubilant city, whose origin is from antiquity, whose feet have taken her to settle far away? Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?
The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth. Cultivate your land like the Nile, O Daughter of Tarshish; there is no longer a harbor. The LORD has stretched out His hand over the sea; He has made kingdoms tremble. He has given a command that the strongholds of Canaan be destroyed. He said, “You shall rejoice no more, O oppressed Virgin Daughter of Sidon. Get up and cross over to Cyprus—even there you will find no rest.” Look at the land of the Chaldeans —a people now of no account. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to ruin.
Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your harbor has been destroyed! At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years—the span of a king’s life. But at the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot: “Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.”
And at the end of seventy years, the LORD will restore Tyre. Then she will return to hire as a prostitute and sell herself to all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. Yet her profits and wages will be set apart to the LORD; they will not be stored or saved, for her profit will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothing.”
Roman arch way built on the causeway the Greeks built to Tyre.
Ancient Tyre was the New York City of its day, and when Isaiah uttered this prophecy, people undoubtedly laughed him to scorn. If any city state had it all and was impregnable, Tyre was that city.
What was Tyre and why would God bother to issue prophecies against it? David Guzik gives us the answers in his Enduring World commentary: “To the north of Israel, Tyre was the leading city of Phoenicia, the great maritime power of the ancient world. Because it was such an important harbor and center for shipping, Tyre was synonymous with commerce and materialism.
i. Tyre was the “Babylon of the Sea.” Because of their excellent harbor and seamanship, they established a commercial empire far greater than one would expect given their size and military power.
ii. Tyre was a city in two parts – an inland city, and an island city. The inland city was conquered by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, just as Isaiah prophesied. The island city was conquered later by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.
iii. The influence of Tyre was both good and bad for Israel. King Hiram of Tyre supplied David and Solomon great timbers for the building of the temple and other projects (2 Samuel 5:11, 1 Kings 5:1-11). Hiram also gave Solomon sailors, so Israel could build their commerce by sea (2 Chronicles 8:17-18). But later, Tyre gave Israel one of the worst rulers Israel ever had: Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 16:31).” (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/isaiah-23/)
As a city, ancient Tyre had it all – wealth flowing from all the nations around the Mediterranean Sea, luxury, and security. The island part of Tyre had a rampart 170 feet high – surely strong enough to repel the most determined assailants. When traders from Tyre went to Tarshish (modern Spain) or other countries, they got respect! Cultivating favor with Tyre might gain one a crown; after all, these men were merchant princes in their own right. Even if Tyre on the mainland was conquered, the part of Tyre on the island could still hold out almost indefinitely. At least, that’s what the rulers of Tyre thought.
Tyre withstood a siege by Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed part of the mainland city. The city was later rebuilt. Alexander the Great destroyed the mainland part of Tyre and used the rubble from that city to build a causeway to the island also chartering 250 ships to blockade the harbors of Tyre. Despite this signal defeat, Tyre recovered and became Christian early on. Tyre remained Christian until it was taken by the Saracens in 639, recovered by the Christians in 1124, re – taken by the Mamelukes in 1280, and finally taken by the Turks in 1517. Since then, Tyre has never been rebuilt, and there is only the small village of Sur on the island. (Information from Encyclopedia Britannica)
Why would God destroy Tyre? Ezekiel 26 – 28 describes the destruction of Tyre and Sidon. Ezekiel 28:12 – 19 informs us that the spiritual king of Tyre was Satan. Ezekiel 28:14 – 19 says, “You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for I had ordained you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways—until wickedness was found in you. By the vastness of your trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mountain of God, and I banished you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart grew proud of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor; so I cast you to the earth; I made you a spectacle before kings.
By the multitude of your iniquities and the dishonesty of your trading you have profaned your sanctuaries. So I made fire come from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the eyes of all who saw you. All the nations who know you are appalled over you. You have come to a horrible end and will be no more.’ ”
APPLICATION: The citizens of Tyre are perfect examples of people who had it all and who lost it all. Trusting in wealth, location, and trading partners, the people of Tyre and Sidon worshiped Satan rather than the One True Living God. The same fate awaits all who trust in anything other than God.
As we enter this New Year, we need to search our hearts. Where are we placing our trust? Where is our security? Many retirees in the U.S. are seeing their investment funds shrinking while prices are increasing. Social Security in the U.S. will barely maintain a retiree at the poverty level.
Psalm 125:1 – 2 says, “1Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion. It cannot be moved; it abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forevermore.”
Are you one of the “Lord’s people?” Let’s pray!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we do put our trust in You, knowing that You are the only One who can protect us and guide us. Please provide those things that we need so that we will be able to continue to live and work for You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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