Amen, so it's Isaiah 23 now and just to remind you where we were last week in
Isaiah 22, it was a burden of the valley of vision which was another name if you
remember for Jerusalem and much of what was being prophesied by Isaiah did
line up with the second Kings and second chronicles accounts of the Assyrian
siege of Jerusalem with of course Isaiah 36 there as well and 37 but we saw it
was more than just a close call with Jerusalem, they had invaded and taken
many of the cities of Judah so sometimes you look at it and just think oh well
they did great but they'd already invaded all the other cities as fence
cities had come up against so they'd obviously been a lot of destruction a
lot of bloodshed and the rulers fled into the confines of Jerusalem but
they're like I said there would have just been all this is structured to the
surrounding land so it was a this was a tough time for the people there of Judah
and at first they were putting their trust in the defense of Jerusalem along
with the armory if you remember but they hadn't looked to God to help them
okay to the maker however eventually they did and they made it through what
was looking pretty bad with the Assyrian Empire on their doorstep at the gates it
was a good reminder for us if you remember that that in all our trials and
tribulations we should be using those times to draw us closer to God so that's
what we should do whenever we have hard times rough times tough times in life to
draw closer to God we then saw Isaiah prophesying against an individual called
Shebna the former treasurer and head of the house and then in favor of his
successor Eliakim the son of Hilkiah who pictured the Lord Jesus Christ along
with the crucifixion it said in verse 21 of Isaiah 22 and I will clothe him with
thy robe and strengthen with thy girdle and I will commit thy government into
his hand and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the
house of Judah and the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder so
he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open and I will fasten
him as a nail in a short place and he shall be for a glorious throne to his
father's house and they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house
the offspring and the issue or vessels of small quantity from the vessels of
cups even to the vessels of flagons in that day saith the Lord of hosts are the
nail that is fastened in the short place be removed and be cut down and full and
the burden that was upon it shall be cut off for the Lord have spoken it and in
Isaiah 23 we're up to the next burden the last burden in fact where it says in
verse 1 the burden of Tyre howl ye ships of Tarshish for it is laid waste
so that there is not no house no entering in from the land of Chittim it
is revealed to them I'd like to pray and then we're gonna get started with this
chapter father thank you for your word thank you for the book of Isaiah Lord
thank you for this chapter and the lessons we can get out of it Lord the
talking points help me to also explain what's going on in this chapter and what
it's talking about in the right way Lord in an accurate way in a way that's that
you know that helps people to be able to follow along to be able to learn from it
to be able to you know just get a good understanding as of this book as we keep
going through and what it's about and what it's what it's applying to at this
time Lord and how we can apply it to us in our lives fill me with your spirit as
I do that please Lord in Jesus name pray amen okay so it said the burden of Tyre
howl ye ships of Tarshish for it is laid waste so that there is no house no
entering in from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them so we've got the
last of these burdens which if you remember it started in chapter 13 this
time it's Tyre now which was a coastal city and what what is now South Lebanon
okay directly west of the Northern Territory of Dan if you were looking on
a map it consisted of both an island city that was only about a few hundred
to five hundred meters from the mainland okay so you had this this little island
so it's kind of like this jutting out piece of land on the coast there then a
little island that's 500 meters from that piece of land and and then as well
as that there was so that was a fortress and there was a mainland fortress too
and the mainland like I said being a bit of a peninsula okay this jutting out
piece of land there on the coast there was a friendly alliance between Israel
and Tyre if you remember in David and Solomon's days with Hiram the king of
Tyre sending workmen and materials Tyre being being a wealthy city it was
generating basically a lot of trade due to its seafaring people bringing
merchandise from far and wide so they're kind of as it seems to be a bit of a
central hub for trading from all over the place
hence Isaiah is telling the ships of Tarshish to how for Tyre will be laid
waste you won't be able to dock there and Tarshish being a long way away the
the land of Chittim although formally the Phoenician so he did say from the
land of Chittim it is revealed to them it seems to represent the whole coastal
region now in the Mediterranean as we'll see he's saying that there will
basically be nowhere for them to go that's what he said this is gonna be
nowhere for you to go when this happens when this burden happens he said in
verse 2 be still ye inhabitants of the aisle thou whom the merchants of Zidane
that pass over the sea have replenished so Zidane was about 25 miles north of
Tyre so you might have heard it called Sidon as well Tyre and Zidane you'll
hear often mentioned together it's on that coastline 25 miles north and it was
also a prosperous fishing and then obviously seafaring city as well okay
coastal region there there was a lot of trade and cooperation between the two
hence Zidane and it says have replenished them they're trading in the
city with Tyre seemingly bringing in goods from down in Egypt he said in
verse 3 and by great waters the seed of Sihor the harvest of the river is her
revenue and she is a mart of nations Sihor seems to be another name for the
Nile for example you'd have to turn a bit in Jeremiah 2 18 it says and now
what has out to do in the way of Egypt to drink the waters of Sihor and it
seems to be used as a name for the Nile we see it in a couple of other places
it says or what is out in the way of Assyria drink the waters of the river so
where verse 3 said it by great waters the seed of Sihor the harvest of the
river is her revenue and she is a mart of nations she's basically bringing in
merchandise from Egypt those of Zidane it seems are taking those goods across
the Mediterranean at least verse 1 said how are you ship to Tarshish okay Tarshish
if you remember was where Jonah tried to flee to okay to Tarshish remember he's
just trying to escape as far away as possible rather than going to preach to
Nineveh he goes to Tarshish and it was likely the port all the way over beyond
the other side of the Mediterranean beyond the Strait of Gibraltar on the
southwest coast of Spain so you've got that Strait of Gibraltar which is kind
of between the south of Spain and Africa and as you go through there and
then you're now into basically what is the the North Atlantic Ocean and it
seems to be right there okay so it's pretty far away you go all the way
across the Mediterranean to the other side and out and that's where you get to
Tarshish okay I turn to Ezekiel chapter 27 Ezekiel 27 by the way that's why
verse 3 said that Tyre is a mart or market for various nations okay for
various nations she is a mart of nations right in Ezekiel 27 Ezekiel also
prophesying of Tyre's destruction said of the city this okay so we're in
Ezekiel 27 he's also prophesying of some destruction coming to Tyre and he said
in verse 7 fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou
spreadest forth to be thy sail so that fine linen he said blue and purple from
the Isles of Elisha was that which covered thee the inhabitants of
Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners thy wise men O Tyrus that were in thee were thy
pilots the ancients of Gebel and the wise men thereof were in thee thy
calkers all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy
thy merchandise they of Persia and of Lud and of foot were in thine army thy
men of war they hanged the shield and helmet in thee they set forth thy
comeliness the men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about and
the Gamadims were in thy towers they hang their shields upon thy walls round
about they've made thy beauty perfect Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of
the multitude of all kind of riches with silver iron tin and lead they traded in
thy fairs Javan, Tubal and Meshech they were thy
merchants they traded the purses of men and vessels of brass in thy market they
of the house of Togamar traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules
the men of Dedan were thy merchants many Isles were the merchandise of thine hand
they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony Syria was thy merchant
by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making they occupied in thy fairs
with emeralds purple embroidered work and fine linen and coral in a gate Judah
in the land of Israel they were thy merchants they traded in thy market wheat
of Minoth and Panagon honey and oil and balm Damascus was thy merchant in the
multitude of the wares of thy making for the multitude of all riches in the wine
of Elbon and white wool Dan also in Javan going to and fro occupied in thy
fairs bright iron Cassia and Calamus were in thy market Dedan was thy
merchant in precious clothes for chariots Arabia and all the princes of
Kedar they occupied with thee in lambs and rams and goats in these were thy
merchants were they thy merchants the merchants of Sheba and Rehama they were thy
merchants they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices and with all
precious stones and gold Haran and Cannae and Eden the merchants of Sheba Asher
and Chilmad were thy merchants these were thy merchants in all sorts of
things in blue clothes embroidered work and in chests of rich apparel bound with
cords and made of cedar among thy merchandise the ships of Tarshish did
sing of the in thy market and thou was replenished and made very glorious in
the midst of the seas so my point being it's not just that this was a bit of a
trading city oh well they just did a bit of trade I mean this was renowned this
was a renowned city it was renowned when you look back in you know in secular
history as well Tyre was renowned for being this massive hub of trading there
was a lot of trade going on there it was a very wealthy city as well for a long
time as well it was a very defensive it was a rock just outside so it was
basically an island and yeah it was close to the mainland like 500 meters
from the mainland but it was very hard to obviously destroy it's hard to
besiege it was hard to take over and it was full of rich people basically okay
this was like I don't know where you'd think of now just a very wealthy place
full of the rich and wealthy now keep something in Ezekiel chapter 27 we're
going to be coming back there but verse 4 back in Isaiah 23 said be thou
ashamed O Zayden for the sea have spoken even the strength of the sea saying I
travail not nor bring forth children neither do I nourish up young men nor
bring up virgins so I believe these saying that their source of income is
going to end basically okay he's saying look the sea spoken like he's not going
to basically help you to bring forth your children nourish up the young men
nor bring up virgins it's all going to end that source of income that that
seafaring source of income from all these different areas is going to end he
said as as at the report concerning Egypt so shall they be sorely pained at
the report of Tyre so Egypt obviously being another big important nation Tyre
although smaller was significant the point is there it was a small place but
it was significant it was wealthy they were doing a lot of trade a lot of
people were relying on that trade of Tyre he said pass ye over to Tarshish
how ye inhabitants of the are now he's basically saying they should flee they
should escape howling to Tarshish which is basically as far as you could really
go okay it was like you need to just he said pass ye over there Tarshish how the
inhabitants of the are like just get out of there okay because of what's going to
happen he said is this your joyous city whose
antiquity is of ancient days her own feature carry her far off to sojourn so
they'll be taken far away I think really here probably talk about being led into
captivity to sojourn for a time that's what sojourning is it's not permanent he
said in verse 8 who have taken who have taken discounts against Tyre the crowning
city whose merchants the princes whose traffickers are the honorable of the
earth so he's saying who's listening and believes that these prosperous people
get it because at the time like I said this is a pretty impregnable place it
was a wealthy place it was a place where people would be looking at this prophecy
thinking yeah well how's Tyre gonna get destroyed really because previously it
had I think up before this point Assyria had tried it and they ended up doing a
deal with Assyria but they still they never actually got into the city so
instead Tyre just ended up okay well we'll submit a bit give them like a you
know tribute right that seemed to be what happened so they were kind of part
of the Assyrian Empire but they were still very very independent they were
just paying a certain amount it seems to the Assyrian Empire they carried on as
this as this trading city he said so who's taking this counts against Tyre
the crowning cities most the prince whose traffickers are the honorable of
the earth so you'd be wise to listen though okay because why because this is
this is why it comes from the Lord he said in verse 9 the Lord of hosts have
purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the
honorable of the earth and now this is a trend in life okay that those with too
much pride inducing glory okay because the glory results in the pride in the
world those are considered so honorable okay and there's a lot of people in the
world that considered so honorable are usually stained one way or another they
usually brought down there usually some stain will be upon them one way or
another they're usually brought into contempt eventually in life who are the
idols of the world okay who are the most admired in our societies nowadays you
know I was thinking about it so who really is who is who's kind of who the
world thinks this is just such a great person these are the people that they
put up there well I had a little look and apparently you ever heard of the
Gallup poll you might have heard of the Gallup poll okay so Gallup is an
American analytics and advisory company okay and what they do is they do an
annual opinion poll to determine the most admired man and woman in the United
States at the end of most years they've done this since 1946 to 2020 okay now of
course it's the United States we're not the United States but the United States
obviously has a lot of influence as well on other nations being you know a lot of
obviously media comes from there obviously movies Hollywood music stuff
like that as well and and a lot of Western society comes you know a lot of
stuff comes from the United States and I thought this is quite interesting and
guess who it normally was guess what what figure in the u.s. anyone want to
guess who was normally the the most respected man or woman in the u.s. anyone
want to guess got it got it in one give you a prize off the service again it
didn't get awkward thanks everyone started going cry so okay
100% right yeah so it was usually the president of first lady that won it okay
and and just to give you an idea of these people that were most admired in
recent years you can quickly forget can't you okay we it's not our nation in
fact most people probably forget who was the last few prime ministers in this
nation okay well from 1993 to 2000 the male winner every year was Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton was the most honored most respected man most admired man in the
u.s. according to the Gallup poll for seven years from 93 to 2000 and that
reputation has been stained isn't it pretty much as isn't it I mean most
people now when you think of Bill Clinton you don't think what a great
respectable honored upright guy you think what a lying piece of filth anyone
remember the Monica Lewinsky whole thing right and lying under oath he's you know
all this nonsense coming out of there and was am I right and I'll sink you
this I wrote this I just didn't really have time to start looking to am I right
that he was one of the one of the top guys on Jeffrey Epstein's jet yeah yeah
yeah okay stained beyond beyond a doubt there right okay he was buddies with
Epstein to and from Epstein's Island so again reputation smashed isn't it but he
was ugly I mean this was a highly respected guy in the US and let's let's
be honest probably throughout the world to some degree right at the time these
parts of the world at least from 1997 to 2000 the the top woman was his wife
Hillary Clinton who again has since been pretty shamed isn't she now they claim
that the whole pizza gate thing is just a complete hoax I'm not so sure about
that but you know this will hear some opinions after some service on that but
Hillary Clinton again I would say shamed pretty much since and I think a lot of
people now you know she's referred to by in many circles as a witch and other
things I don't know I don't think she's probably quite got the respect that she
used to have from 2001 to 2007 the man was George W Bush and again might have
been respected for a time most people think of him as an idiot now and and oh
if not worse a warmonger for example the reaction when the whole Twin Towers thing
was absolutely bizarre when he's in front of the kids at the school and
everything and again pretty shamed afterwards I would say I think most
people would agree with that his wife Laura Bush made it for one year in 2001
okay as a top respected woman ten years later I would say at least so with these
things are just to point this out okay so there are still going to be people
that are like yeah Clinton Hillary Clinton okay but most those people are
completely mentally ill okay to some degree oh they're they're just complete
oh really some of these people just idolaters in a way right they just make
idols of these people and nothing would change them but I think the lot of the
time at least you you're given the option like for example maybe some
people were still like yeah tire even though it was getting destroyed yeah
they're the greatest it's still the richest people at all I love them you
know there's still those people out there the die hards right but for
normal people normal people okay Laura Bush ten years later at least the true
conservative supports I think would have changed her opinion based on her pro
same-sex marriage and pro abortion statements in 2010 on Larry King live
and she was pretty vocal about this claiming to be you know Republican yet
she's like pro all this filth right then Hillary Clinton took over again from
2002 to 2017 so she got another 15 years okay as her as like the most respected
woman when asked in this poll right but again I would say shamed now Barack
Obama took it for the men from 2008 to 2018 now when I think about Kabama yeah
one of the first things that goes through my head is I once saw this video
where it showed him pitching a baseball anyone ever seen that I'll give you an
example of how it was all right it's pretty much like that it's like he
throws his baseball he pitches like the first ball or whatever they do it
whatever it is right okay but anyway Barack Obama that should have done it
just a baseball pitching okay I mean that is pretty disgraceful yeah but let
let's find out a bit more about again for normal people so forget like the die
hards of people I always just love him for whatever reason right but whether
it's skin color or the fact that he's just a liberal right but on October 8
2009 he signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd jr. hates crime hate crimes
prevention act a measure that expanded the 69 to 69 United States federal hate
crime law to include crimes motivate made motivates by victims actual or
perceived gender sexual orientation gender identity or disability on
October the 30th 2009 Obama lifted the ban on travel to the United States by
those infected with HIV the lifting of the ban was celebrated by immigration
equality on December 22nd 2010 Obama signed a don't ask don't tell repeal act
of 2010 which fulfilled a promise made the 2008 presidential campaign to end
the don't ask don't tell policy of 1993 that prevented gay and lesbian people
from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces okay that's why it's
becoming such a joke there in 2016 the Pentagon ended the policy that barred
transgender people from serving openly in the military so basically Obama's to
blame for any of those cross-dressing freaks actually being in the military
right I mean what on earth on May the 9th 2012 shortly after the official
launch of his campaign for re-election as president Obama said his views had
evolved and he publicly affirmed his personal support for the legalization of
same-sex marriage becoming the first sitting US president to do so during his
second inaugural address on January 21st 2013 Obama became the first US
president in office to call for full equality for gay Americans and a first
to mention gay rights on the word gain and an inaugural address the Obama
administration filed briefs that urged the Supreme Court to rule in favor of
same-sex couples in the cases of Hollingsworth versus Perry regarding
same-sex marriage and United States versus Windsor were gone defense of
marriage act that's a full failure with for anyone with half a brain isn't it
that's a stain on him on his so-called you know he's you know how people would
see him in the future that's just that's done yeah he's been he's failed he's
he's been shown to be the disgrace that he was right after that for normal
people and for the women okay from 2018 to 2020 it was Michelle Obama okay I'm
not gonna go into the Michael stuff for now okay again you want to talk about
that after it's you're welcome to right but on May the 9th 2012 Barrick and Mike
Michelle Michelle Obama came out publicly in favor of same-sex marriage
prior to this Michelle Obama had never publicly stated her position on this
issue senior White House official said Michelle Obama and senior advisor
Valerie Jarrett had been the two most consistent advocates for the same-sex
marriage in Barack Obama's life apparently these were the most consistent
she was all over it for his whole life right or at least the most consistent in
his whole life and then and then yeah again for me just that alone just shows
really what she was all about that's her reputation tarnished forever and then
finally on the list we've got Donald Trump who being lifted up by so many and
he's really being lifted up by people who I mean you know people who you think
would probably know better right just lifting him up as some sort of hero I
mean you're just amazing and don't get me wrong it's quite amusing to see some
of this stuff being turned around but you don't do you not think that that
there's gonna be a shaming at the end of all of this there sure is right they're
bigger the more he's lifted up the bigger that falls gonna be right and he
is bound to be shamed okay and it's gonna happen all right so we'll wait to
see that clear some people think he's already been sure I don't think so I
think we're gonna see that kind of more so in the future but the point I say all
that is back in verse 9 where you were in Ozar 25th said the Lord of hosts has
purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the
honorable of the earth and basically it works two ways okay God hates people
making idols yes okay but why does he then punish the person who's been
idolized who's been made into the idol or when someone is lifted up like these
guys are what happens is naturally their pride just gets lifted up that's what
happens when people are lifted up their prize lifted up goes hand-in-hand with
glory and what happens with pride Proverbs 16 18 says pride goeth before
destruction and then haughty spirit before full so it results in people
becoming wise in their own conceits that's what happens they start to think
they know it all and that's what results in destruction and it's not just
presidents who came making bizarre stances being shamed eventually this is
just across the board in life this is just a fact of life okay what what
famous people in in various spheres who've been lifted up in glory and honor
haven't come crashing down if anyone could think of any I'll think you like
who do people really respected life people you know from whatever walks of
life and usually they eventually come crashing down if they lift them up to
your life they're lifted up to your high by the world they come crashing
down I was trying to think of any that that hadn't and it's hard to think of
okay there and look like I said they'll be still idolaters you'll have people
you'll have people for example that are like they idolize for example Winston
Churchill it's like yeah Churchill and you get like these people now I so great
Churchill you know protect the cenotaph protect the statue of him the graven
image don't let any of those fighters come near it yeah you know but really
lucky really the reality of it is is he was a warmongering drunkard and and we
all know that really now they'll still be the diehard so it wouldn't matter
what they found on him they'd be like yeah Churchill but for normal people it
just comes out in the end doesn't it because they're just people they're just
people it said it said um it said in verse verse 8 the Lord of hosts had
purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into kept to contempt
all the honorable of the earth and verse 8 said before that who have taken his
counsel against higher the crowning city whose merchants of princes whose
traffickers are the honorable of the earth so this city had the rich and
famous it had the honorable didn't it these people the merchants of princes
they're like leaders the traffickers are the honorable of the earth because it's
so rich they're so wealthy people think they're so great but it's the Lord of
hosts have purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into
contempt all the honorable of the earth what so what's the lesson for us as
God's people don't lift people up don't lift people in whatever area don't lift
people up okay it doesn't matter how successful they seem to have been people
will fail people just fail we all fail because we're just people aren't we
second Corinthians 10 17 says but either glorious let him glory in the
Lord glory in the Lord stop glorying in people people who just love to do it in
any area of life and just find people to lift up to glory and to make their guru
to make their basically their version of God because they want something they can
see touch and feel instead of just saying God is who I should be lifting up
and when that happens when someone gets lifted up like that he will stain the
pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth
that's what happens and you see it all over the world all over the world and
and all throughout history this is what happens he said in verse 10 pass through
thy land as a river Oh daughter of Tarshish there is no more strength so
the image there is it's a stream of people leaving the land basically okay
that's what he means verse 11 he stretched out his hand over the sea he
shook the kingdoms the Lord has given a commandment against the merchant city to
destroy the strongholds thereof and he said thou shalt no more rejoice thy
thou oppressed virgin daughter of Zaidon arise pass over to Chittim there also
shalt thou have no rest so it's a whole region okay he shook his hands over the
kingdoms he said Chittim which seemed to represent the coastal regions it has no
rest so when is Isaiah prophesying of now I believe that as opposed to the
Assyrian invasion of Judah in the previous chapter this isn't about the
Assyrians who did end up in a treaty with Tyre okay like I said earlier but
rather I think this is referring firstly really and ultimately to the Babylonian
Empire's invasion of the whole land and besieging of Tyre now turn to Ezekiel 26
this time so you hopefully kept something in chapter 27 but go to
Ezekiel but chapter 26 there is maybe you could say further fulfillment
including the Greek destruction of Tyre under Alexander the Great and onwards
because ultimately it's it's completely wasted in the future now it is just
basically it's nothing more than old ruins that island fortress area is just
a rock now there's nothing on it anymore well here in Ezekiel 26 Ezekiel also
mentions multiple nations with the Greeks apparently besieging Tyre well I
mean the main one was Alexander the Great who was personally there but some
say twice in the fourth century BC there were four other sieges recorded two and
a years after Christ first coming as well a later prophets such as Zechariah
also prophesying of Tyre's eventual ultimate destruction and Zechariah
obviously was much later he was after the return from captivity that he was
prophesying but Ezekiel 26 says here in verse 1
Ezekiel 26 1 says and it came to pass in the 11th year in the first day of the
month that the word of the Lord came unto me saying son of man because that
Tyrus have said against Jerusalem aha she is broken that was the gates of the
people she's turned unto me I shall be replenished now she's laid waste
therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I am against the old Tyrus and will
cause many nations to come up against thee as the sea causeth his waves to
come up so Tyre seemed it seems here to revel in Jerusalem's carrying away to
Babylon which was to result in many nations coming against her over the
years nations couldn't mean either people as a whole or various nations I
think more likely there verse 4 then says and they shall destroy the walls of
Tyrus and break down her towers I will also scrape her dust from her and make
her like the top of a rock and back in it stay here though but back in Isaiah
23 verse 11 says he stretched out his hand over the sea shook it the kingdoms
the Lord has given a commandment against the merchant city to destroy the
strongholds thereof okay so the strongholds can you know for me here
talk about those towers talk about that fortress okay here we've just read it
he'll scrape her dust from her make her like the top of a rock he's going to break down her
towers he said verse 5 said it should be a place for the spreading of nets in the
midst of the sea for I have spoken it saith the Lord God that shall become a
spoil to the nations which apparently is what it is basically now just a rock
somewhere they spread nets you know and someone you know to spread out the nets
after fishing and that's all it's used for to this day now verse 6 says and her
daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword and they shall
know that I am the Lord for thus saith the Lord God behold I'll bring upon
Tyrus Nebuchadreza king of Babylon a king of kings from the north with horses
and with chariots and with horsemen and companies and much people he shall slay
with the sword thy daughters in the field he shall make a fort against thee
and cast mount against thee so he cast a mount against him lift up the butt clear
against thee he shall set engines of war against thy walls and with his axes he
shall break down thy towers by reason of the abundance of his horses their dust
shall cover thee thy walls shall make shall shake at the noise of the horsemen
and of the wheels and of the chariots when he shall enter into thy gates as
men enter into a city where wherein is made a breach with the hoofs of his
horses shall he tread down all thy streets he shall slay thy people by the
sword and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground and they shall make a
spoil of thy riches and make a prey of thy merchandise and they shall break
down thy walls and destroy thy pleasant houses and they shall lay thy stones
and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water and I will cause the noise
of thy songs to cease and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard and I
will make thee like the top of a rock thou shalt be a place to spread nets
upon thou shalt be built no more for I the Lord have spoken it saith the Lord
God so why do I believe that this is at least the first fulfillment of this
prophecy well verse 13 if you've just looked at all of that verse 13 back in
Isaiah 23 said behold the land of the Chaldeans this people was not till the
Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness they set up the towers
thereof they raised up the palaces thereof and he brought it to ruin now
the he is referring to the Lord it's a he of verses 11 and 12 as well
but Isaiah is saying that God brought what the Assyrians built to ruin
well that didn't happen until the Babylonians defeat of the
Assyrians did it that's when he brought what the Assyrians
built to ruin he then said in verse 14 how ye ships of Tarshish for your
strength is laid waste and I think that's probably referring to their
treaty with the Assyrians and ultimately the strength being the the
firstly Tyre but I think the ships of Tarshish their strength they they were
at least whilst trading with Tyre they had that treaty that Tyre had with the
Assyrians a level of protection that that provided
he then says in verse 15 and it shall come to pass in that day
that Tyre shall be forgotten how long 70 years
accord the days of one king after the end of 70 years
shall Tyre sing as an harlot now that day being
I think when Tyre lost its support from Assyria
with the Babylonians taking Nineveh in 612 BC however
finally destroying the last Assyrian king Asher Ubalit
when they defeat his Egyptian ally Pharaoh Nico
the second in 605 BC so although they they put it down well that's when Nineveh
got taken in in 612 BC well
there was still an Assyrian king and that Assyrian king finally
kind of that that that line ended when they defeated the ally Pharaoh Nico and
then that was the end of the Assyrians really you could say officially from
about 605 and and at the same time Nebuchadnezzar
then took the throne okay having been like the the general of the army
well guess what happened around 70 years later from that point
the Persian king Cyrus issued the decree about 536 BC for the return of the
Jewish exiles it was pretty much 70 years to the day
at least you know at least what we're going to
see what starts happening with Tyre is about 70 years to the day
after the end of that empire the Assyrian empire says in verse 15
and it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten 70 years
according to the days of one king after the end of 70 years
shall Tyre sing as Anhala so what does it mean that Tyre would sing as Anhala
well turn to Ezra 3 the Ezra chapter 3 the images of Anhala or whore we might
say prostitute singing for attention to get
business and if you remember okay just after
Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians we saw in Ezekiel 26 2
your turn to Ezra 3 but Ezekiel 26 2 said son of man because that Tyrus has
said against Jerusalem aha she is broken that was the gates of the
people she's turned unto me I shall be replenished now she is laid
waste they were gloating they were happy at
Jerusalem's downfall as they thought it would make them richer
I will be replenished they thought it'd make them richer well here in Ezra 3
70 odd years down the line now they're just happy to be trading again
in Ezra 3 okay the returning captives have built an altar it says in
verse 6 Ezra 3 6 from the first day of the seventh month began they to offer
burnt offerings unto the Lord but the foundation of the temple of the Lord was
not yet laid they gave money also unto the masons
and to the carpenters of meat and drink and
oil unto them of Zidon and to them of Tyre to bring cedar trees from Lebanon
to the sea of Joppa according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of
Persia so as opposed to hard cash they're
accepting foodstuffs where you'd imagine they're only just
back in a position of trading again probably
appreciative of getting the foodstuffs at this point in time
this is now 70 years after this is now at the
just after the fall of the Babylonian empire who had basically besieged them
destroyed them at least to a point now go forward to
the end of the next book so the next book after after Ezra
there to Nehemiah and chapter chapter 13 so you're going to Nehemiah
chapter 13 because the trading seems to pick up
again over the next 100 years and by Nehemiah's time in Jerusalem
they're trading all sorts with God's people
okay so in Nehemiah 13 Nehemiah he's not happy
that they're trading on the Sabbath okay Nehemiah 13 and verse 15
verse 15 there says in those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on
the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves and lading asses there's also wine
grapes and figs and all manner of burdens which they brought into
Jerusalem on the Sabbath day and I testified against them in a day
wherein they sold victuals their dwelt men of Tyre also therein
which brought fish and all manner of wear
and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah and in
Jerusalem now it looks like they were getting back to trading again which is
I think what Isaiah is talking of in Isaiah 23
and from verse 15 again so we've just seen here there in Nehemiah 13 and verse
16 that there were men of Tyre dwelling there
they brought so they're bringing with them to make it clear they're bringing
it of their wares right fish being that coastal city and all
manner of wear all sorts of stuff and they're selling
it now of course the the complaint here that they're selling it on the Sabbath
but they're basically bringing stuff to sell to God's people okay
well look at verse 15 it said and it shall come to pass that day that Tyre
shall be forgotten 70 years according to the days of one king after
the end of 70 years shall Tyre sing as in harlot
take in heart go about the city thou harlot that has been forgotten make
sweet melody sing many songs that thou mayest be remembered it shall
come to pass after the end of 70 years that the Lord will visit Tyre and she
shall turn to her higher and shall commit fornication with all the
kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth
and her merchandise in a higher shall be holiness to the Lord
it shall not be treasured nor laid up for her merchandise shall be for them
that dwell before the Lord to eat sufficiently and for durable
clothing we've just seen that she bought fish and all manner of wear okay which
is for me what was happening therefore between
the time periods of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah
right with instead of it being stockpiled it was used by those who were
doing the work of the Lord they were building
the the temple the walls of the city it wasn't just for wealthy people
anymore this was being used for those people doing the work of God
that's what he's prophesying of so so what are the comparisons
with an harlot then what's the comparisons with fornication with all
that in mind well the the image is of those that will
do anything for money because going as far as selling your
body is basically like the lowest depths that you will do pretty much for money
okay and especially in God's eyes maybe not
in our world nowadays but but basically they're just going to do
anything for money they're up for fornication all the kings of the world
they're just back to getting that money back again they're back to trading
we've just seen them trading you know they're happy to come and trade with the
people of Judah on the Sabbath etc but let's not miss the the behavior of
the harlot okay let's not forget that here there's a
bit of a lesson we can learn here said in verse 15 and it should come to
pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten 70 years
according to the days of one king after the end of 70 years Tyre shall
sing as an harlot taken harp go about the city thou
harlot that has been forgotten make sweet make
sweet melody sing many songs that thou mayest be remembered
how does someone sing as a harlot okay because not all singing is as an harlot
in case you're thinking what does that mean like singing makes me a harlot
God wants us to sing to him doesn't he okay psalm 147 one says praise you the
Lord for it is good to sing praises unto our
God for it is pleasant and praise his company okay he wants us to sing to him
he wants to sing praise to God but they're singing to God and then
they're singing like an harlot and most singing that you hear out there
is singing of the harlotry kind okay most
most singing you walk into a shop you walk into somewhere
you you you know and i'm just for me i'm just
like assuming that you don't play harlotry at home but there'll be people
that do that and just reach for the best harlot they can find to listen to
right okay but hopefully you don't right but you're
gonna regardless whether you look for it or not you go into most places in the
world and you're gonna if you hear a female singing the chances are
you're listening to some harlotry kind of singing
it's literally about fornication i mean that's the lyrics of the vast
majority of music out there is is they're talking about just
literal fornication and people are playing that stuff people
are listening people are singing along to that stuff
men often sing along to women singing about fornicating with men that's how
messed up it is singing along to their favorite song i
remember back a couple of christmases ago i was talking about christmas songs
some of the most famous christmas songs yeah
and they're just harlots singing about fornication
last christmas i gave you my heart yeah and the very next day it's all about
just harlots talking about fornication isn't
it pretty much that's what and if it's not
about fornication it's going to be about money or something
you know scrubs and other stuff or whatever else right
that's that's what what the world sings about right fornication of money
and a few other things thrown in there for good measure but
it's not just a subject okay notice how the singing
is for what is that she may be remembered
the singing it is for getting attention it's attention seeking
that's why the harlot singing it's to get attention it's for people to see her
to hear her to take notice of her that's what harlots it seems used to do
and all let's still do that now they're trying to get attention they're drawing
attention to themselves it's singing to get attention for everyone to look at
them and often what they dress like what are the women of the world dressed
like they're singing heart like harlots and they're singing to get attention to
get attention on themselves that's sadly what so often propels people
that sort of thing they're just desperate for attention
people to look at them dressed like whores
and then often it's not just that they're they're attention and there is a
lesson there on attention seeking isn't there
okay as women if your goal is to get attention is to get
attention for men when you look there's nothing wrong with you don't have to go
the other way and try and look like as as just vile
and wretched as you possibly can yeah i'm not saying anyone tries to do that
here okay but okay okay but there's that and then there's
the opposite side where it's like how can i dress to get attention how can i
get attention for men that's the behavior of a harlot that's
harlot behavior and you don't want that and even if you're
like well i'm a single woman or whoever you know maybe some
people growing up in the future well you know well what about when when i'm
trying to get yeah but you don't want that sort of attention
this oh well you know well all the men are looking at me because i'm trying to
get it you don't want to be the attention so you
don't behave like a harlot but they often sound like harlots as
well so there's a way that harlots sing aren't there
and you might have noticed that it's very sultry and seductive and everything
else and it's singing like a harlot
it could be sweet melody oh he said he said they'll
make sweet melody look sometimes those songs can sound nice can't they
sometimes you listen to these these whores singing and you think that's a
nice song yeah like she's got a nice voice in our
holiday you know seductive voice and stuff and
sometimes it sounds good doesn't it they make it very breathy and the stuff
don't it all that sort of stuff you know oh does it sound nice on my ears right
there could be many songs he said here sing many songs and sometimes you know
it's not just one song sometimes they've got all these different songs you think
what a great talent right but what's the reason they're doing it's to be
remembered it's to be remembered right like really
if you think about it's a strange it's just a strange thing in society
where you got like a big like it's a big deal isn't it i mean it's a big
influence on on kids adults whatever right uh women
dressed like harlots singing about fornication with their
lovers and stuff like that and people are buying it playing it
so weird isn't it everything about it like well just a weird thing isn't it
and and that's that's really popular in the world songs by harlots singing about
people it's got nothing to do with you at all probably not even doing your
lifestyle or anything else and it's like people want to hear it why because it's
sweet melody and sometimes they want to look at them
while they're singing as well because they look like harlots
there's many songs but it's that thou mayest be remembered
it's to be looked at it's to be stared at
so what do we get from that don't sit you and your loved one
once down to listen to harlots serenading you
yeah if you if if you're in any doubt yeah
don't go home tonight or tomorrow and get up
and press whatever on or just put on the radio and listen to some harlots
serenading me and my they're not even they're not serenading
you anyway so you can imagine they are but whatever it's like you're letting
them say you just listen to harlots talking about harlotry
ecclesiastes 7 5 says it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise and for a
man to hear the song of fools you're better off hearing some rebuke
from ultimately god's word you're better off to listen to them
preaching than the song of fools and and believe me
what would we say 99.9 percent of songs out there are the song of fools aren't
they just absolute foolishness but it's but
it's powerful music's powerful you listen to all that stuff and next
thing you know you repeat it in your mind
it's you can't even sometimes you hear something sometimes you just think of
something and suddenly it's like oh no i've got
that in my head now i haven't even heard it i just suddenly
it reminded me of some old horrendous song i listened to and suddenly
you got it going off in your mind and it's like and the lyrics that stuff's
powerful isn't it that's the idea i'd better hear the
rebuke of the wise and for a man to hear the song of fools
you know what when you when you're like i might just you know
i've got a bit of time to myself i might listen to
the latest harle or whoremonger singing you know what why don't you just get out
your bible and read your bible instead how about that how about you hear the
rebuke of the wise instead than the song of fools well he said
this in verse 17 he said and it shall come to pass after the end of 70 years
that the lord will visit tyre and she shall turn to her higher
and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face
and perhaps that's just how god sees people that chase money
do you think that god just sees people that just chase money it's all about the
money that's like ultimately what what what matters to
these people of tyre doesn't it doesn't matter that they've
been smashed they've been destroyed apparently the siege was something like
like it was either 13 or 16 years from back i mean this was this went on
for years and years they just tried to starve them out
the babylonians eventually they seemed to succeed although some
historians try and doubt they succeed the word of god says
that's what was going to happen it happened right and and they
they they starved them out for years they then have kind of 70 years where
they're under babylon and probably not really
being able to do much anymore they've been you know taken
by the babylonians they were no longer i don't think just like a tributary
obviously not much was going on they come back after 70 years and what they're
doing they're back to committing fornication
all the kings of the world upon the face of the earth what they're back to
doing is back to chasing money back to chasing cash how can i get
richer how can i get more money and how many people is in the world
today like that everywhere it's all about the money
said here and and the lord will visit to ask you to turn to a heart
shall commit fornication with all the kings of the world and i think that's
just back to trading back to whoring herself back to doing whatever they can
to get money and so many people are like that they do
they go to low depths to get more money upon the face of the earth it
said and then however we see that god can often use
them though for his own people regardless it said in verse 18
and a merchandise and a higher shall be holiness to the lord
it shall not be treasured nor laid up for her merchandise shall be for them
that dwell before the lord to eat sufficiently
and for durable clothing and that makes me think of proverbs 13 22 which says a
good man leaveth an inheritance to his
children's children and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just
it's the truth of life sometimes isn't it which is what seems to be prophesied
to happen to some extent here up to at least 430 odd bc
when nay am i was there and probably however long beyond that as well
that's what i think is going on there that's what he eventually used them for
he destroys them and then basically that that wealth of the sinner is just being
laid up for the just they're basically coming with with
provision and stuff and feeding god's people who are
trying to do a work at that point as we know eventually things go down the hill
um and then eventually christ returns right
but that was uh that was as i chapter 23 that's what how i think that all fits
in um i hope you agree if you've got any
questions about that or anything or any thoughts i'll be interested
uh on that we're going to finish in a word of prayer
father thank you for your word thank you for lord the um
well the the warnings you give us there about lifting people up in the world
about um you know following after these sort of
you know these honorable people of the world and
making it and especially you know what's a big one right now is
so-called you know new hopes like in the u.s it's donald trump who seems to be
lift being lifted up by all sorts maybe in this nation after the you know
what's been going on with with kirst arm and the labor party maybe there'll be
someone that people are lifting up after after that
and lord just help us not to do that help us to just uplift you
lord to put people in their right place lord there's nothing wrong with
respecting people there's nothing wrong with
maybe admiring people but as soon as we start lifting them up and
you know and and their their glory you know gets
gets sort of magnified in our eyes lord well
um sadly those people eventually have to come crashing down help us
not to do that in life lord help us also to um to just avoid you know the the
the singing of harlots it seems to be everywhere especially as we're coming up
to christmas and everywhere we go we'll just be sort of
harlot singing about harlot tree help us to avoid that help
us to um to lord to be um you know to just be holy as
you'd like us to be to to resist the temptation it can be a
fleshly thing with these sorts of things and
lord help us to have a good week now um help us to um to get home safe sound
of return um on sunday for for the sunday services
just don't throw all this amen