Tyre and Sidon were two busy ports. They were north of Israel in what
is today part of Lebanon. When David and Solomon ruled Israel, they
both enjoyed good relations with the people in Tyre (see 1 Kings
5:1-12). Then Solomon began to marry many foreign wives. And they
introduced Solomon and his peop... [ Continue Reading ]
ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS
GOD CONTROLS THE FUTURE
ISAIAH CHAPTER S 21 TO 30
_NORMAN HILLYER_
CHAPTER 23
All the verses in this chapter refer to both Tyre and Sidon. This is
so even if only one or other of these names appears. The two ports
were only 25 miles apart and they worked close... [ Continue Reading ]
The sea was the means by which ships carried huge quantities of goods.
The trade gave the merchants of Tyre and Sidon their great wealth. It
was as if the sea was now acting like a person to refuse to help any
more.
• Society was cruel to a married woman who had no children. Such a
woman felt great... [ Continue Reading ]
The people in Egypt could not sell their crops when the merchants from
Tyre and Sidon were unable to trade.... [ Continue Reading ]
Everywhere people gave great honour to the merchants from Tyre and
Sidon because they were so successful.... [ Continue Reading ]
But their success had not impressed God. Such people felt that they
had no need of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Farmers soon learn to depend on God. He provides in nature (in weather
and in soil) the means to produce crops.
THE *LORD’S POWER OVER NATURE AND OVER NATIONS
V11 The *Lord has shown his power over the sea. His action made
nations to tremble. The *Lord caused the merchants in Tyre’s markets
to sto... [ Continue Reading ]
People in Tyre depended on the sea for their trade. God’s ‘power
over the sea’ means that God also controls the use of the sea by
Tyre’s merchants.... [ Continue Reading ]
It is hopeless for people who live in Tyre to sail away to Cyprus to
avoid the enemy’s attack. Wherever they go, they cannot avoid
God’s judgement.... [ Continue Reading ]
Although the words refer to the fate of Tyre, the warning about
Babylon is for the people of God. They will suffer a similar fate
unless they turn back to their *Lord.
• We must remember that God’s messages are usually for his own
people. We would not expect foreign nations even to hear about such... [ Continue Reading ]
After 70 years, nobody of the earlier times would still be alive. But
in every century, women who live in the ports have offered sex for
money to sailors. It will be easy to bring back this bad tradition
when people are able to live in Tyre again.
V17 At the end of 70 years, the *Lord will deal fav... [ Continue Reading ]
God is not against commercial activity. But he does direct his
judgement against human pride and self-interest. And against behaviour
that does not include the desire to trust God.... [ Continue Reading ]
• When Solomon was king, Tyre assisted with the construction of the
*Temple in *Jerusalem. But this was merely a commercial arrangement
(see 1 Kings 5:1-8).
• A poor widow who lived in Zarephath had provided for God’s
servant Elijah (see 1 Kings 17:8-16). (Zarephath was on the coast
between Tyre an... [ Continue Reading ]