Through the Bible: EzekielSample

Life is a Wreck?

The merchandise you traded satisfied the desires of many nations. Kings at the ends of the earth were enriched by your trade. Now you are a wrecked ship, broken at the bottom of the sea. All your merchandise and crew have gone down with you. The merchants among the nations shake their heads at the sight of you, for you have come to a horrible end and will exist no more.

Ezekiel 27: 33-34, 36 (NTL)

“My life is a wreck!” – So often do we hear this when one is miserable. Every plan goes awry, and life seems simply meaningless. In Ezekiel 27, we read about the ‘shipwreck’ of Tyre. Tyre was a prosperous city pictured as a beautiful ship. Three dimensions of Tyre’s magnificence are highlighted: superior construction, impressive decoration, first-class personnel. The words ‘merchant’ and ‘merchandise’ are used multiple times in this chapter because Tyre was an economic powerhouse with an impressive list of people, places, trades (including human trafficking), and merchandise. However, the absence of any mention of God shows that they cared only for business, self and pride. God was in none of it. In the end, Tyre ‘shipwrecked’ and its glory did not last.

Tyre has a message for our age. The glory of human achievement driven in defiance of God will not remain. Riches without God cannot satisfy our hearts. It is always better to lay up treasures in Heaven, because our Heavenly treasure cannot be stolen, cannot be lost, and never ends.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for this vivid reminder that laying up treasures on earth is meaningless. Life without You will be a wreck. Help us to turn away from pride and arrogance. We acknowledge You as the basis and source of our life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.