The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 80

and defiled their high places-not excepting even the high place near Jerusalem, which Solomon the friend of Hiram had built to Ashtoreth the queen of heaven, and which for more than three hundred and fifty years had been a striking memorial of the reciprocal good will which once united the two monarchs and the two nations. Indeed, he seemed to have endeavoured to exterminate their religion, for in S,1maria (2 Kings xxiii. 20) he had slain upon the altars of the high places all their priests. These acts, although in their ultimate results they may have contributed powerfully to the diffusion of the Jewish religion, must have been regarded by the Tyrians as a series of sacrilegious and abominable outrages; and we can scarcely doubt that the death in battle of Josiah at Megiddo, and the subsequent destruction of the city and kmple of Jerusalem, were hailed by them with triumphant joy as instances of Divine retribution in human affairs." 1 Moreover, it is very probable that some of the predic- tions of the Hebrew prophets concerning Tyre in its relation to Jerusalem were known to the people of the island-city, and increased the bitterness of their .joy over the calamities of the Jews. "In the Messianic announcements, the homage of- Tyre to Jerusalem, and its incorporation into the kingdom of God, were expressly celebrated'' (see, as examples, Ps. xl\t. 12; lxxxvii. 4; Isa. xxiii. 18). "Without doubt," 'says Hengstenberg, "these bold hopes of Zion were known in Tyre, and caused much bad blood in the proud queen of the sea." And still there are those who, worldly in spirit, are bitter against the Church of God. They deride its noblest enterprises r they rid'cule its vital beliefs; they mock its most cherished hopes. If Christians are rigid and scru• pulous in their religious duties and observances, the world reproaches them for their narrowness and Pharisaism. If Christians stumble and fall, the world rejoices in their overthrow and scoffs at their religion. But the exultation of the world over the Church- H. Is VAIN. The things from which the world draws its satisfaction, and upon which it rests its hopes, are uncertain and delusive. Tyre rejoiced in her security, her riches, her commercial prosperity; but these things failed her in her time of need. That these things are unstable, impermanent, transient, is a truth which no one attempts to deny. How vain, then, to exult in the ascendancy which such things give I The world's triumph, even at the best, is more in appearance than reality. "The world passeth away, and the lust thereof." But the essential elements of the. Church's life are real and abiding verities. The Church may be brought down very low, but it shall rise again. Its course leads on to splendid triumph. But the ungodly world shall sink. Its rank and riches, its pomp and power and pleasures shall pass away as the dreams of night fade before the light and the activities of day. III. Is OBSERVED BY THE LoBD GoD. He knew and took notice of the cruel triumph of pron<l Tyre over prostrate Jerusalem. He made known the fact of that triumph to his servant Ezekiel on the banks of the Chebar. He still observes the attitude of the world towards bis Church. No persona or powers can exalt themselves against his people without attracting the notice of his ever-watchful eye (cf. 2 Cbron. xvi. 9; Ps. xxxiv. 15, 16 ; 1 Pet. iii. 12, 13). IV. WILL BE PUNISHED BY THE LORD Go». "Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, 0 Tyre," etc. (vers. 3, 4). The Lord here proclaims himself against Tyre, and threatens to strip the proud city of her boasted pomp, prosperity, and power. He would break down her defences, level her to the ground, make an utter end of her, leaving nothing but the ha!'.!' rock on which she had stood. The defences of the irreligious world are subtle policies, material riches, social power, etc. 'l'hese are all impermanent things. And should they endure, the time comes when they will fail to meet the needs of those who put their trust in them. If no other punishment awaited the votaries of this world, surely this would be a heart-crushing, a heart-breaking one, to awake to the sad realization of the stem truth that the objects for which they had striven in life, which they had looked upon as their chief good, and in which they had trusted, were vain, having no power or fitnese to answer the deep cravings of their souls, or to help them in the awful needs of their being. "Whose confidence shall break in sunder, and whose trust ia a spider's web;" "And their hope shall be the giving up of the ghost."-W. J. Vera. 16-18.-A lamentation over fallen greatneas. "Thus saith the Lord God to 1 Dr. Smith's • Bihl. Dictionary,' art. "Tyre." OIi, :ttVI. 1-21.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 88