Isaiah on Tuesday - Tyre Humbled

As we come to the last of the "oracles" which prophesy about a specific place or people (phew!) we get a glimpse of the Lord dealing with an arrogant people whose glory is found in themselves and not in God. Tyre was a central trading hub, a wealthy city full of traders and merchandise and as is so often the case - even today - they worshipped their wealth. We can very easily find ourselves in the same situation, depending on ourselves and our own means as the source for our salvation, comfort, joy and peace.

As our creature comforts increase, we become inoculated towards the desperation which points our faces upwards. We climb Maslow's pyramid only to find that "self-actualization" can never come from ourselves, we can only make ourselves more comfortable on the outside. Inside, we remain unchanged, longing for intimacy with God the Father.

For Tyre this ascent turned to ruin as the very thing which defined them was stripped away and therein lies another lesson. If our hope is in the temporal and temporary, where will our hope be when the source is removed? Instead, if our hope is in the eternal it can never be removed even if "The stars fade away and the mountains fall into the sea."

God had one last trick to play on Tyre, however. Its glory would only fade temporarily. After 70 years, it would return to its former state as a wealthy city. The wealth, however, would not be for its own glory, but for God's. I can't tell from the text whether the wealth is given over voluntarily or by some other means. But it seems that God is often merciful and gracious to us, restoring us even when we don't deserve it. But often restoration comes with an appreciation for the restorer. As Christ says, "He who has been forgiven much, loves much."