Tyre was a successful coastal trading nation. The primary reason given for the judgement about to come down on her is that she gloated over the fall of Jerusalem and saw this as an opportunity to further increase her prosperity. There is a very modern day lesson here for us. Jerusalem was about to suffer because of her sin, she deserved the fate that about to befall her, but the nations must beware their reaction. The purpose of the Lord was to cleanse Jerusalem and eventually to restore her. Today Israel is still a key political issue. Now Israel does many things wrong, and sometimes may deservedly suffer because of it, but other nations must not view Israel from a purely expedient perspective, seeing what political or economic advantage they can gain. Israel is still God’s nation, He is still working in her, and His plans have not yet been fulfilled. We should have an attitude of justice and mercy towards Israel (and towards her neighbours as well), but always bearing in mind God’s eternal purpose.
Many nations would come against Tyre, but led by Nebuchadnezzar in particular. She would be utterly laid to waste. This actually happened. Babylon laid siege to the Tyre for thirteen years. Other nations would look to her to rise again, but it would not happen.
We have a great tendency today to venerate economic power, but no amount of any economic power is worth anything if a nation is unrighteous, and even the most prosperous of nations will eventually fall.
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