Ezekiel 26:15-28:26
2 Kings 25:3-7
Jeremiah 52:6-11, 39:2-10
Ezekiel 28:2, 4-7, “Son of man, give the prince of Tyre this message from the Sovereign Lord: ‘In your great pride you claim, “I am a god!” … With your wisdom and understanding, you have amassed great wealth—gold and silver for your treasuries. Yes, your wisdom has made you very rich, and your riches have made you very proud. … Because you think you are as wise as a god, I will now bring against you a foreign army, the terror of the nations.’”
Off the top of your head, if asked to name the key to success, what would you say? Perseverance? Creativity? Believing in yourself? Not taking “No” for an answer?
These are all valid responses. But a better question to ask is: “Who is the key to success?” If you answered, “Me,” you might want to rethink it. Because, as we see in today’s reading, such belief didn’t fare well for the prince of Tyre and his people.
Tyre was one of the wealthiest and most powerful merchant cities of the ancient world. Because of its strategic location, it was known for employing unscrupulous tactics to take advantage of its neighbors. Ezekiel 28 delivers a strong indictment against Tyre’s king for his insatiable pride and greed. If asked, “Who is responsible for Tyre’s success?” The man would surely grin and say, “I am!”
As we’ve seen repeatedly throughout these past several weeks of readings, pride and self-proclaimed success led to a multitude of sins that laid low the greatest of cities and even God’s own people. The bottom line: All success comes from God! He is the “Who,” the key that unlocks every fortune – both tangible and intangible. And the Bible makes it very clear that, just as God gives, God takes away. If we praise ourselves and believe we advance by our own wisdom and fortitude, we’ll learn the hard way just how wrong we are.
So, whatever you achieve or strive for, remember “Who” the key to success truly is. Give thanks, and use it for His glory. Such humility will breed further gain and land you in the sweet spot of God’s blessing and favor.
Heavenly Father, All that I am, all that I have, and all that I’ll ever accomplish is by Your hand. In the face of success, help me remain humble with a thankful heart. May all I do bring glory to Your name, Amen.