Ezekiel 26:2
Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste: Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste:
Tyre gloated over Jerusalem's fall as broken and laid waste, expecting its trade and wealth to turn aside to herself so she would be filled and prosper from Jerusalem's ruin. Jerusalem had stood as a gateway of the peoples for commerce, and Tyre looked for that commerce to enrich her own power and splendor. Because of that taunt God decreed Tyre's doom, to be executed upon the old mainland city by Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans in siege and capture. Tyre would be utterly destroyed and wiped out, burned and cast into the sea until its very site became a bare place in the midst of the sea for spreading fishers' nets. The verse warns against prideful self-interest and seeking gain from the ruin of God's work, for cities and their governments are judged by the God of Heaven and stand or fall by repentance and obedience to His revealed will.
Tyre's Taunt and Setting
Tyre greeted the fall of Jerusalem with a contemptuous cry of triumph, declaring the city broken and laid waste and seeing in its ruin her own opportunity to be filled and to prosper. She reckoned that trade and advantage were now turned to herself, and that Jerusalem's destruction opened the way for wealth and gain to flow her way. Her expectation was to be replenished from Jerusalem's desolation, to grow rich and increase from what Jerusalem had lost.
Jerusalem had stood as the gates of the peoples, a gateway for trade, and Tyre looked for that commerce to be diverted to herself when Jerusalem fell. With that diverted traffic would come greater wealth, adding to her commercial power and splendor before that splendor gave way to destruction.
The word translated as replenished signifies to fill or to fill full, and in itself carries no necessary sense of filling again what had once before been full.
The utterance stands at the opening of the foretelling of Tyre's overthrow and of the lamentation over her destruction in Ezekiel 26 to 28, which belongs to the prophecies against the foreign nations. It was given through Ezekiel in the course of his years of pleading with Israel to turn to God, as God dealt with the kingdoms on every side of Israel, and its fulfillment is evident in the present day. Tyre was the great commercial city of the world and a city spoken of by the prophets, and behind her wickedness stands Satan as the true king of Tyre and the instigator of all her wickedness.
Prophecy of Tyre's Ruin
Because Tyre spoke in this way against Jerusalem, the proclamation of her doom was commanded, answering her rejoicing by declaring the specific destruction that would come upon her. That doom would be carried out by Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans. It concerned particularly the ancient mainland city, which Nebuchadnezzar besieged. Though false prophets said he was not coming against Jerusalem, he would capture Tyre, and from Tyre would conquer Jerusalem.
After the fall of the mainland city, the people had already carried their wealth away by ship, leaving the besieging army without reward for its toil. Its stones and ruins were later used by Alexander to build a causeway to the island city of Tyre. Tyre would be utterly destroyed and wiped out of existence, burned and cast into the sea, losing its former importance. The very site on which she stood would become a place in the midst of the sea for the spreading of nets, where fishers dry their nets, and her commercial power and splendor would give way to destruction.
Many citizens escaping would find no lasting rest in their places of refuge. The city would be restored after seventy years and then destroyed again. Later it would be devoted to the worship of the true God. The fulfillment of this prophecy concerning Tyre, given among the prophecies against other nations, is evident in the present day.
Warning Against Prideful Gain
Tyre's gloating over Jerusalem's fall and expectation of profit from its destruction shows the peril of pride. That rejoicing was proud self-interest, glad that Jerusalem had fallen in order to gain from her loss, and it invites judgment upon open, defiant wickedness. The same open, flaunting, God-defying wickedness brought God's warning and preliminary punishment upon Tyre.
To rejoice as Tyre did is to seek personal gain from decline and ruin while God's institution is weakened. The warning therefore forbids seeking advantage when God's work is financially weakened and calls not for mere impulse to do better but for settled principle to do right. Ezekiel 26 stands with the warnings against Babylon as a lesson for every city and people forgetting and defying God, including New York, Chicago, and every other such place. Tyre rejoiced over Jerusalem's ruin as an opening to gain wealth and advantage, and its fate warns proud, God-defying cities of the same end.
San Francisco as a modern thrifty Tyre met the same fate in earthquake wreck and ruin. As a modern proud and beautiful Babylon she likewise met that fate, the fruit of awful wickedness. That ruin came in mercy from God rather than from an avenging God. Tyre stands with Babylon and Nineveh, with Sidon, with Rome and Paris, to prove the one truth of their history that cities are judged and punished or rewarded by the God of Heaven. A city and its government are therefore responsible to God, and only deep and genuine repentance toward God with firm and steadfast determination to purify private, social, and political life according to the standard of His revealed will can save a city from judgment.