Page 49 - Isaiah Student Worktext

Chapter 23 - Main Idea: Isaiah speaks an oracle against the wealthy,
powerful trading city of Tyre, a symbol for the worldly lust for
materials that still dominates our world today.

The concept of being ‘best’ or ‘biggest’ is very pervasive in our world today.
Newscasts on the Olympics always start or end with the medal count…which country is best? Who has
the biggest army, the largest trade surplus?

The little town that I grew up in was put where it was simply because it was on the new railroad line
coming through. For many years after that, that little town laid claim to the title of ‘most eggs’ or ‘most
livestock’ shipped from there, more than any other stop on the entire line, which included towns much
larger.

Before railroads or airports, being a seaport was, and continues to be of great significance. The title of
‘busiest port in the world’ currently belongs to Shanghai, China. In the times of Isaiah, if you thought of a
busy seaport, you would have thought of Tyre, in what is today Lebanon. In former times, it was known
as Phoenicia, which I used to teach was the greatest shipping empire in the world. It also brought us the
first alphabet, and many other things that grew out of necessity because of their position as a trade
center.

Being a financial center may sound like a good thing, but a society based solely upon its economy, its
riches, will find it very difficult to follow God.

So, God presents Isaiah with a ‘burden’ or an oracle, a prophecy, against the city of Tyre.

V. 1-3 All the things which Tyre ‘worshiped’: its ships, its harbors, the trade of merchandise and
produce…it will all be ‘laid waste’. It reminds me of the times we see fortunes lost on the stock market.
Absolutely anything that we have is a gift from God and it can easily be taken away.

Most of the other cities or kingdoms against which God has issued a warning were being warned to not
take pride in their military power. Tyre was powerful and wealthy because of its trade, and God is
saying here that He can take that away as well.

The city of Tyre was in two geographical parts. One part on the mainland, one part of a pair of islands
just off the coast. This geographical location will play a part in the upcoming events.

V. 4-5 Sidon was a ‘sister city’ to Tyre, about 20 miles away, with a similar economy. The warning here is
that the ‘sea’, the source of their wealth, does not bring forth children, doesn’t produce anything. It
simply provides a means for them to get their wealth. When they hear what is going to happen to Tyre,
there will be agony in knowing that it can happen to them as well.

V. 6-9 Tarshish is likely in Spain, and the verses tell of a merchant ship headed that way. Instead of more
profit, it brings wailing.

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