21st March 2025

21st March 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ezekiel 27 focus v25-36)


Message (Alan Burke)


It isn’t that long ago that The British Empire was the foremost global power, in 1920 it covered 24 per cent of the earths total land area and peaked in 1921. That is absolutely massive because it is now just over 100 years later and well the British Empire is no more. Many of you will remember the day that it figuratively came to an end in 1997 with the handover ceremony of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China. No one would have expected in 1921 that it would come to an end so quickly. The Lord was and is sovereign over all the nations and their reach, it is as true today as it was for the city of Tyre which in this chapter is portrayed as a majestic ship that sailed on the waters, commodities from many nations, it was key in the supply chain and the ships of Tarshish, which was Phoenician port in southern Spain, brought goods to trade. As they do we learn of the Lord’s sovereignty over the fall of the nations for as the ships from Tarshish come Tyre is so filled with heavy cargo, that when they were taken out to the high sea, the east wind broke it into pieces and it sunk into the hear too the sea. With all its glory, all its goods, the wealth accumulated was lost. 


As a result the shorelines quaked, the seamen cried out, they would stand on the shore and mourn at the loss of Tyre, the sinking of this glorious ship, they knew if Tyre would fall then there was no security for themselves, unlike Tyre who had celebrated at the destruction of Jerusalem those who saw and knew of the sinking of Tyre were filled with grief for if it could fall then they had no security. Such was the effect that this had the nations lamented. Raised their voices, cried bitterly, sprinkled dust on their heads rolled in ashes, shaved their heads put on sackcloth, they wept, wailed, mourned. They took up a lament, who was ever silenced like Tyre, surrounded by the sea they exclaimed v32, they knew that it was because of Tyre that many nations had been enriched and they are appalled at their downfall, that they hissed at amazement and dismay at what had happened to Tyre for they knew that its downfall would hurt them as nations, it would be no more. 


The lament comes to an end, nothing has been said of the Lord’s involvement in what has taken place or so it seems, but the Lord just like in the book of Esther where he was sovereignly directing all that was unfolding, providentially at work he was likewise sovereignly at work in the midst of what would befall and has befallen on Tyre. For her downfall was and the hand of the Lord. Look back to verse 26 where we are told; “Your oarsmen take you out to the high seas. But the east wind will break you to pieces in the heart of the sea. 


It was the east wind that broke Tyre into pieces. What we may miss is that when the east wind comes in scripture it speaks of the Lord’s direct involvement. In scripture the east wind represents God’s power to judge, how he is sovereign over all that he has made, as well as history itself (Gen 41:23, Ex 14:21 etc).


Ezekiel confronts us how earthly kingdom, empires, republics, nations, will rise and fall at the Lord’s command, but the Lords’ kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, his dominion endures throughout all generations. Ps 145:13. Let us look to the one who has come the Lord Jesus Christ who at the beginning of his earthly ministry declared “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mk 1:15. And that great an glorious day when the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (ESV) This is the announcement, on the day when the world’s kingdom has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. That’s why we pray that your kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven. The British Empire is no more, nations will rise and fall but the kingdom of God will last forever. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q37. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The souls of believers are, at their death, made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves until the resurrection.
​