12th August 201912th August 2019 Travis Snode

Staining Man’s Pride – Isa 23

Devotions

Before the days of the internet and flying, shipping was the thing. It was usually the easiest and fastest way to travel and transport large quantities of goods. Even up to the days of the Spanish Armada and British empire, those who controlled the waves controlled the wealth and wielded great power.

Tyre and Sidon, ancient Phoenecian cities, were such cities. Their focus was commerce and trade. As cities own the Mediterranean, they had access to most of the great civilisations of the world, and they exploited their shipping capabilties to the fullest. They became a market for the nations and as a result grew incredibly wealthy. And incredibly proud!

God was not necessarily against their wealth. But He did not like thei pride. And so, once again, we read of God telling a nation that they will be humbled and wasted because of their pride.

What a shock it must have been for such a powerful and ancient city to think that they would fall! But the Lord was purposing it, ‘to stain the pride of all glory’ and to ‘bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth’ (v.9).

God was using the imperialism of Assyria to shake the kingdoms of the world including the most powerful, most wealthy, and most respected. He wanted all men to know that the proud do not prosper; only the humble who looks to Him.

Where is there pride in our hearts? How does our pride need stained so we will give God glory. In some way Typre would eventually be for the ‘holiness of the Lord’ (v.18), and that is where we need to get to – we live for the glory and the honour of God, not for our own glory!