READING:
One-year plan: Ezekiel 26-28, 1 Peter 2:18-3:22
Two-year plan: 1 Chronicles 8, John 17:6-19
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Ezekiel 28:11-19 is a debated text. Some scholars see these verses as simply a lament against the literal king of Tyre. Others see the verses as an account of the fall of Satan. It’s not easy to determine the best understanding of this text, but I land here: the text refers to the king of Tyre, but understood behind the curtain is someone to whom the king of Tyre is compared — and whose description seems to exceed a typical human being. This one was “in Eden, the garden of God,” and he was “anointed as a guardian cherub,” blameless in his way until wickedness was found in him (Ezek 28:13, 14, 15). He was “the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezek 28:12). Yet, his heart became proud, so God said, “I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you”; “I threw you to the earth” (Ezek 28:16, 17).
This writer’s words are helpful to me:
“Who, then, was the person whose character was like the king of Tyre that fulfilled the elements of vv. 12–17? The serpent was known for his craftiness (Gen 3:1), his deceit, and his anti-God attitude (3:4), leading humanity to sin (3:6–7). Elsewhere he is presented as a deceiver (Rev 12:9; 20:2), an instigator of evil (John 13:2, 27), one who seeks worship as a god (Luke 4:6–8; 2 Thess 2:3–4), and one who seeks to get others to renounce God (Job 2:4–5). He appears as an angel of God (2 Cor 11:14) and as the father of lies and violence (John 8:44), distorts Scripture (Matt 4:6), opposes believers (2 Cor 2:11), and finally is judged (Matt 25:41; Rev 19:20–21; 20:13–15). Therefore, the conclusion that the figure behind the poetic symbol is the serpent (also known as the adversary, the devil, Satan; Rev 12:9) is a logical one.”*
Thus, this evil one who was filled with violence, pride, ad corrupted wisdom was the power behind the throne of the king of Tyre. Here’s the major point today, though. We can debate all day about Satan’s origin and his fall, and we will not always agree. What we do know is that the enemy we face is a defeated foe. God cast him from heaven once, and He will ultimately cast him into the lake of fire (Rev 20:10). The enemy has never been, is not now, nor ever will be off God’s leash.
We are already on the winning side.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Are you rejoicing that you are on the winning side?
DAILY PRAYER: “God, I praise You today that You are the victor.”
MONDAY’S READINGS:
One-year plan: Ezekiel 29-32, 1 Peter 4-5
Two-year plan: 1 Chronicles 9-10, John 17:20-18:11
*Cooper, L. E. (1994). Ezekiel (Vol. 17, p. 268). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
**devotion first published in 2016