How many chapters have now been devoted to the “destruction” of the land of the Phoenicians? I mean in the Book of Ezekiel alone! Three,  chapters 26 through 28, a total of 83 verses! For such a small “nation,” those are amazing numbers!

Granted, Ezekiel also gives Egypt a pretty good whacking! Russia as well, but they are both giants!

The only explanation I have for such an apparent “imbalance” is that Phoenicia (her main city anyway, “Tyre”) was such a proud, boastful land (also a “type” of the devil himself in a number of ways) that God “targeted” her for such destruction! And a lot of Bible “ink” describing her downfall, too!

All that to say this: Ezekiel chapter 28 ends with one more “swipe” at that ungodly (wicked) land. Not “godless” mind you, they being very polytheistic.

Read with me Ezekiel 28:20-26. With this in mind, “Zidon” is simply another stronghold in Phoenicia! A sister city to Tyre. Here is some true Prophetic denouncement (preaching), railing against sin and its consequences.

“Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee: and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her. For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the LORD. And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.”

Wow!

Here’s judgment on the wicked, yet surprisingly … Grace on the people of Israel!

Note this sermon is both negative and positive. “Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it, and say ….” Can’t get any more “negative” than that!

But by passage’s end: “Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they (Israel) dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.” Favor for Israel, a repentant Israel I might add. That’s a “positive” truth!

And every time I real a line like this, from the mouth of God, verse 22: “Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon” … I am immediately reminded of our position in Christ Jesus our Lord: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) Wow!

What does God have planned for (sinful) Zidon? By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. “For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side.” Sounds severe. And this is exactly what happened not many years later. When written, it was “prophecy.” As we read it, it’s “history!”

And then this whole “long sermon” (again Ezekiel chapters 26-28) ends with God’s Grace mercifully falling on the people of Jacob! God calling them back from many lands of dispersion … “Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence … and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.”  Verses 25 and 26,with one clause missing, on purpose.

Grace!

That’s our God!

Oh, that missing clause?

The very “reason” these 3 chapters against Phoenicia were written in the first place. “They (the Jews) shall dwell with confidence (security), when I (the Lord) have executed (made) judgments upon all those that DESPISE (treat with contempt) them round about them.”

Tyre, Zidon, their whole nation, brought down … because they “hated” Israel!

That’s called the “sin” of Anti-Semitism, folks!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell