Ezekiel 28:20-23 Against Sidon
God announces to Ezekiel that He is against Sidon. Ezekiel looks toward them to proclaim God’s punishment to come.
We are not told why God is against Sidon. Is it because she is a close sister to Tyre? The two are mentioned together quite often, even into the New Testament. Do they share attitudes and sins? I don’t know. But one thing I DO KNOW is that God knows her sins. He does NOT punish simply for association. Each person and nation is accountable for their own sins. NOT the sins of their neighbors. Is it possible that Sidon could have stopped a sin of Tyre but chose to ignore it? Is that their sin? Again, I don’t know.
Sidon was going to receive the same punishments being brought on Judah; pestilence, blood, and sword. God didn’t say they would go into exile though. He DID promise that, once He finished with them, they would KNOW that HE was God. I wonder who it would be that would enlighten them to the fact that what they were experiencing was from God.
Egypt had a period when they learned THE HARD WAY Who really was God. During the time of the plagues, Egypt’s gods couldn’t do ANYTHING to protect them or shorten the plagues. GOD said when they started, when they ended, and whom they affected. Pharoah was shown clearly, each time Moses came in his presence, how powerful God was and who He stood with. Who would be the one to stand in Sidon and speak, “Thus sayeth the Lord…”?
In the prophecies about the prince and king of Tyre, Ezekiel is told to speak to them. In this prophecy about Sidon and the first one about Tyre, Ezekiel is told to stand and face their direction and speak. We aren’t told if Ezekiel traveled to these places, if he actually had a face-to-face meeting with anyone, or if he stayed in Babylon and spoke the words from where he was. I have NO DOUBT that God got His message across. I’m just curious how He did it. Was Ezekiel a prophet to the exiles alone or did he speak to the nations for God?
Father God, there are so many questions I would love to ask for my own curiosity. I don’t HAVE to know the answers to these questions to trust You but it sure would make the stories more complete. I suppose that would also make Your word SO THICK that it couldn’t be carried by anything less than a wheelbarrow. Some things had to be left to the imagination in order to keep things usable. When we meet face-to-face, can I see the clips please? That would be AMAZING!
On another note, I’m more than willing to trust You when it comes to passing judgment. I know how easy it is to hide secrets from those around you. NOTHING is hidden from You. YOU pronounced Sidon in need of judgment. It doesn’t matter that others didn’t see or that You didn’t share with me. YOU knew their needs, including a need to find out for certain Who You are. You saw to ALL of our needs for lessons AND hope. THANK YOU for giving me hope! Thank You
