Ezekiel 28:2-5

“Son of man [Ezekiel], say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘ In the pride of your heart
You say, “I am a god;
I sit on the throne of the seas.”
But you are a man and not a god,
Though you think you are as wise as a god…
By your wisdom and understanding
You have gained wealth for yourself
And amassed gold and silver
In your treasuries.
By your great skill in trading
You have increased your wealth,
And because of your wealth
Your heart has grown proud.’ “

The king of Tyre was a good businessman. He used the geographic location of the seaport town of Tyre to his advantage, and although Tyre was slightly north of the kingdom of Israel, God had blessed this city greatly and put the king in a position of prominence and respect. In verse 12 God grieves over what this king has become, “you were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty… [but] your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom (v.17)” God had delighted in blessing Tyre, but now that blessing led to great despair and God resisted and rebuked the king’s pride.

Has not God given us many blessings? How many of you have found yourself in the right place at the right time to capitalize on a situation? Maybe you have been elevated to a position of power in your workplace. Maybe it is the blessing of raising Godly children. Whatever it is, never forget that it is from the hand of Jesus and not of our own doing. Whenever we begin to say, “Look at what I have done!” we are displaying a heart of pride. Our society is one that encourages us to become “gods”. Everything we see is somehow presented to us like we deserve more power, more prestige, more money – we are told we are rulers over our own lives. As Christians we must look to Jesus and recognize that every good gift comes from our God; let us praise Him who gives freely and takes away.