14th March 2025

14th March 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ezekiel 26 focus v19-21)


Message (Alan Burke)


These last verses of this Judgement against Tyre portray something akin to a post apocalyptic scene. The city has been laid waste with its inhabitants gone. It was the Lord’s judgement that would make these words become a reality. The sea would cast up it’s waves, and when wave after wave of the nations had stoped, when Tyre had fallen, when the city was desolate, uninhabited, it would be covered by the ocean, the imagery that is used here speaks of a burial. Tyre was coming to an end, she will go down to the pit as those who have already died, it will be as if she dwells in hell never to be found. The judgment that the Lord would bring and brought on Tyre would mean that she would never recover, such is the judgment of the Lord upon the people. 


Of course it is true that Tyre still exists today but the name does not mean that this prophecy of judgement failed for Tyre was destroyed, the ancient city is gone, the people slaughtered. Tyre fell, the impregnable city was gone, the people were no more. The Lord’s judgement is complete, it would have eternal consequences for the people of Tyre for while they faced the Lord’s pre-wrath wrath, his pre-judgement justice they would face his eternal wrath and perfect justice. Tyre were a people who sent help to build the temple, servants, skilled tradesmen, they were responsible for some of the finery in the temple, working of metal and stone, along with that Tyre sent cedars for the building and around 4 tons of gold (1 Kings 9:14). Tyre were not the enemies of God’s people and the Lord blessed them and now years have gone by and what do they do, they celebrate, they curse the people of God. 


The Lord God was bringing his judgement upon them and his judgement was one that acted as a warning to the coastlands. The coastlands that would tremble at the sound of their fall. The Lord judges nations and the people in them, he holds them to account, nations will fall and rise by the hand of the Lord, but his promises to Abraham are being fulfilled in the midst of it all, for all the people of the earth have been blessed through him, through his offsprings as we are told in Genesis 22:18, ” And “In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 22:18). 


The fulfilment of these promises, the blessing that goes out to all the people of the earth is fulfilled in Christ. The gospel was announced in advance to Abraham, throughout history God has been working out his purposes to bring salvation through Jesus Christ. For those who oppose the people of God and his church, they will know his judgement for their enmity is against God himself. For all those who do not repent who have a hard heart, who have heard and know that Jesus is the son of God the only one through whom there is salvation and have rejected him then they will face greater punishment on the day of their judgment than Tyre did. The punishment is more severe in Hell for those who have heard and rejected the gospel. To the people of Tyre the judgment of the Lord God against them wouldn’t have given them any sleepless nights, they would have dismissed it as a nonsense but the Lord was bringing his judgment upon them and he will bring his judgment on all. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q31. What is effectual calling?
A. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.