Ezekiel 28:11-19--A Lament over the King of Tyre

Ezekiel 28:11-19
English Standard Version

A Lament over the King of Tyre
11 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me: 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD:

“You were the signet of perfection,
    full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
    every precious stone was your covering,
sardius, topaz, and diamond,
    beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;
    and crafted in gold were your settings
    and your engravings.
On the day that you were created
    they were prepared.
14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.
    I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;
    in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
15 You were blameless in your ways
    from the day you were created,
    till unrighteousness was found in you.
16 In the abundance of your trade
    you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;
so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,
    and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,
    from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;
    you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
    I exposed you before kings,
    to feast their eyes on you.
18 By the multitude of your iniquities,
    in the unrighteousness of your trade
    you profaned your sanctuaries;
so I brought fire out from your midst;
    it consumed you,
and I turned you to ashes on the earth
    in the sight of all who saw you.
19 All who know you among the peoples
    are appalled at you;
you have come to a dreadful end
    and shall be no more forever.”

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This passage should make it clear that there is more going on than the physical king and kingdom of Tyre.  The LORD tells Ezekiel to lament for the king of Tyre, though some of the descriptions don't seem to fit any earthly king, but would only be fitting of Lucifer, whom we know call Satan or the devil.  He was perfect, wise, and beautiful.  He was allowed access to the Garden of Eden, and he was covered with all kinds of precious stones to make him reflect all kinds of colors of light.  There would be a beautiful reflector of the LORD's light and glory.

Lucifer was made for a purpose, to be the cherub that would be guardian to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He was allowed access to the holiest parts of heaven.  He was created without sin, though he would choose to sin and would eventually be cast out of heaven and excluded from having access to the holy places where he once walked freely.  The text says that the unrighteousness found in him led him to be filled with violence and it made what was once holy to be profane and common so that he could no longer be in the presence of the LORD.

He was not satisfied to have the wisdom of the LORD, so he corrupted the wisdom for the sake of what he thought would be more splendor.  He coveted the things that only God had that he could not have--to rule and receive worship.  The one that was to lead the worship of men and angels was not satisfied to be the worship leader--he wanted to be worshiped himself.  He wanted to be like God, and this is the very temptation that he offered to Adam and Eve to corrupt them--"You will be like God..."  He could not attack God directly, so He instead tried to destroy everything that the LORD called "good" and "beautiful" and that which He said He loved.  It was his pride that led to his fall and eventually his destruction.

It seems like the LORD through Ezekiel is trying to say that the story of the king of Tyre and his "fall" is much like the story of Lucifer and his fall.  Both seemed to have great privilege and honor, but both became corrupted by pride.  The LORD would make an example of Tyre and its king in the same way that the LORD would make an example of Satan and his kingdom.  This should be a lesson for all the world to see and learn that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  The king of Tyre (probably speaking of the joint venture between the king and Satan) profaned sanctuaries and sought worship that they did not deserve.  The LORD describes this as playing with fire and that they both got burned and destroyed because they tried to take something that didn't belong to them.  The king of Tyre came to dreadful end that foreshadows the end of Lucifer and all who follow after him.  This is a warning to all who would be bedazzled by the one who presents himself as an angel of light and the beauty that he still maintains though he is a dragon and lion seeking whom he may devour at heart.  Watch yourself that you do not go the way of Tyre and its king and Lucifer by giving into the sin of covetousness and the sin of pride.  It is enough for the LORD to make man the pinnacle of His creation and to desire a relationship with us.  We do not need to desire to be gods--that is not our station and the LORD will share His glory with no one and nothing.  Those who seek to be glory thieves or who try to usurp power and dominion that does not belong to them may also find themselves playing with fire that will destroy them.