Fri.’s Devo - Looking Forward

Read: Ezekiel 27:1-28:26; Hebrews 11:17-31; Psalm 111:1-10; Proverbs 27:15-16 Tyrus or Tyre was a stronghold that was besieged by many nations without success. It was finally Alexander the Great that broke through and took it down. Tyre was divided into two cities. Old Tyre was on the land and surrounded by walls and well fortified. New Tyre was on an island one half mile from the coast. We read of all the wealth and articles it traded in. It was the gateway of trade for the Middle East. Every nation had a principality assigned to it. In Chapter 28 we read about the principality that ruled Tyre. It was a guardian cherub by the same name that had been in the Garden of Eden. It was very beautiful and adorned in all kinds of precious stones set in gold. No wonder that the city would trade in precious stones. It was blameless until evil was found in it and its wealth led it to violence and then sin. God had to cast Tyre down from his position in heaven and threw him to the ground with the other angels. On earth, this principality tough men to be dishonest in trading. In heaven its place was among the stones of fire (vs. 16) so on earth that fire ended up coming out of him and consuming the city he was over and himself.(vs. 18-19). God had a word against Sidon also. Sidon means “hunting, in the sense of catching fish”. So it hunted fish. Fish is a metaphor for “men”. For their judgement, they would be hunted from every direction and killed. Then God gave a blessing upon Israel. They would again live in their own land. They would be gathered from all the places they were scattered to and return. They would live safely in Israel and build homes and plant vineyards. When God punishes their enemies, they will know that he is Lord. The people of Hebrews 11 did things that prophesied into the future. Abraham offered up Isaac as a picture of what God would do many years later on Calvary. Isaac gave promises to his sons Jacob and Esau that would pave their destiny. Jacob blessed his sons in his last days that determined the destinies for their posterities. Joseph commanded that his bones be taken to the promised land and buried with his family to show that their posterity belonged in that land. Moses’ parents saw that there was something unusual about Moses and refused to let him be killed. They knew that he was meant to live and his life preserved the whole nation and brought them into their promised land. He refused to stay in the land of Egypt where he was lavished with wealth and position. He was looking ahead to a much greater reward. He left Egypt not fearing the king’s anger. His eyes were on the one who is invisible. He commanded the people to keep the Passover because he knew that it was important to their future. The Passover was their salvation and their passage through the Red Sea was their baptism. By faith, Joshua led the people to march around the city of Jericho seven times then the wall came down. By faith, Rahab saw salvation in these Israelites and joined their side. All these people refused to see life as being about just them and their lifetime. They saw into the future and the next generation. Lord, may we seed into the next generation and live our lives for them and what is ahead, not just what is right now.