Is it possible for a business to prostitute itself? To lower its values for the sake of making money? Businesses do this all the time. And sometimes, even whole cities are known for their business prostitution.
Tyre (modern day Lebanon area) was the shipping capitol of the ancient world. What would be its likeness today? Seattle? Singapore? Hamburg? Oslo? Not sure. I’m not verse well-versed in the shipping industry. But in the ancient world, Tyre was it. They helped ship commerce between Egypt and modern-day Turkey area. They were skilled. They were wealthy. And they were proud. Too proud. Oh and did you know it was from here that the wicked Jezebel (800’s BC) was from?
God pronounces that they too will fall under the judgment of God. Their pride and prostitution has been too long. So God says for 70 years they will be stopped and Tyre will be forgotten. But after 70 years, they will return and once again resume business as usual. This time though, their wealth would be “dedicated to the LORD. They will not be stored or saved, for her profit will go to those who live in the LORD’s presence, to provide them with ample food and sacred clothing” (v. 18).
And this is exactly what happened. Tyre was sacked by the Assyrians in 701 BC to the great grief of the Mediterranean that were affected by her lack of commerce. In 630 BC they come back and their business prostitution resumes.
In 445 BC Nehemiah returns from captivity and begins to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. And where does he get the material to do so? From Tyre and neighboring city Sidon (Ezra 3:1-7). The wealth of the wicked was once again stored up for the righteous.
But there is a bigger picture here. When Jesus comes along, we see people flocking to him also from Tyre and Sidon (Mark 3:7-12). And the kingdom grew in this region (Acts 21:1-6).
But what of the shipping industry? It would completely be wiped out and die as was also prophesied (Ez 26:5). It would be a place to spread fishing nets which is exactly what it is today.
It was pride and greed that caused God to have to judge Tyre. And it like all the judgments was awful but necessary. God can only deal with a nations sin for so long. God’s patience is really, really long but when he acts, he does so quickly.
The world is in uproar right now. One has to wonder if it is God doing this shaking. Whatever you believe, rest assured we have been in the place of pride. Like Titanic, we have believed these things can’t happen here. And yet in the last couple of years, we’ve seen it happen all over Western Civilization. Once again he is shaking things up. Our best response is individual, local and national repentance.
