Ezekiel 28:20-24--Prophecy Against Sidon

Ezekiel 28:20-24
English Standard Version

Prophecy Against Sidon
20 The word of the LORD came to me: 21 “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her 22 and say, Thus says the Lord GOD:

“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,
    and I will manifest my glory in your midst.
And they shall know that I am the LORD
    when I execute judgments in her
    and manifest my holiness in her;
23 for I will send pestilence into her,
    and blood into her streets;
and the slain shall fall in her midst,
    by the sword that is against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the LORD.

24 “And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.

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It is hard to think of Tyre without also thinking of Sidon.  If you are like me, you were wondering if the destruction of Tyre also meant the destruction of Sidon, or if there would be a different fate for the Sidonians.  We now have the answer to that question.  The LORD told Ezekiel to prophecy against Sidon and to tell them that He is also against them.  He is going to manifest His glory among them so that they may know that He is the LORD.

How will the LORD do this?  He will use a combination of tactics much like He did with Jerusalem.  It will start with pestilence, and death by this plague will be bloody.  Those who survive the plague will fall by the sword when they are surrounded on every side by those who gather to slay them.  This will put an end to Tyre and Sidon being a thorn in Israel's side (and all the other neighbors of Tyre and Sidon as well).  They treated everyone with contempt.  The LORD will judge them and they will know in death what they refused to admit in life--that He is the LORD.