Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,' says the Lord GOD; 'it shall become plunder for the nations.'"-Ezekiel 26:3-5 (NKJV)
If you were to walk along the eastern shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea 2,500 years ago, you would have witnessed one of the most spectacular sights of the ancient world-the fortress city of Tyre. This city was actually divided into two halves. One half was a walled city on the edge of the shoreline; the other, an island fortress located a half mile out to sea. Tyre's defenses were virtually impossible to overcome, and its citizens began to exalt themselves because of their invulnerability.
God saw this and spoke against the city of Tyre through the prophet Ezekiel. He declared that the city's walls and towers would be destroyed, that dust would be scraped from it until it was like a bare rock, and that it would become a place for people to spread out their nets in the midst of the sea. This prophecy was given about 580 B.C.
History tells us that nearly a decade later, the Babylonians destroyed the walls and towers of the city on the mainland. Those who escaped fled to the island fortress, which the Babylonians were unable to penetrate. Centuries passed and the Greeks came to power. Alexander the Great was determined to conquer the island, and without realizing it, he fulfilled the rest of Ezekiel's prophecy by scraping the ruins of the city for every available bit of stone to build a bridge to the fortress. Eventually, the bridge was completed, Alexander crossed over it, and Tyre was destroyed.
But what about the nets? To this day, fishermen use the bridge built by Alexander as a place to dry off their nets in the midst of the sea! Once a mighty spectacle, the city of Tyre has become nothing but nets.
Discuss with your group the potent prophecy recorded in Ezekiel 26. In 580 B.C., how do you think the people of Tyre responded to this prophetic word?
Dig into Ezekiel 26:3–5. What did Jesus say about Tyre? What principle do you see that we should pay attention to today? What is God saying to you through this Scripture?
Decide with your group to give attention to times and places in history where God allows the sin of pride to lead to ultimate destruction. Research other examples and share them with your group at your next meeting.
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