The Problem of Pride

Paul asked in 1 Corinthians 1:20, "Where is the wise man?" referring to his age and acknowledging that Christ Jesus and the simple Gospel message have superseded human wisdom beyond our rational thought. Who would have thought that to save the world, God would enter it, not in prominence but in poverty, and who would have thought that to save the world, God would die on a cross and rise instead of killing His enemies? 

The wisdom of every age is eventually undone by the truth of God's Word. This is the case for Tyre's king, who, perhaps at the time of Ezekiel's writing, was the wisest, noblest man on Earth. But his pride brought him down.

Ezekiel 28:1–2 (ESV) The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,’ yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god—

This final chapter on Tyre's judgment is addressed specifically to her king. Notice what Ezekiel says about him. 

Ezekiel 28:3 (ESV) you are indeed wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you;

Ezekiel 28:5 (ESV) by your great wisdom in your trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth—

The problem with human achievement is that it leads to pride. And nothing is more toxic than human pride. It leads to overconfidence, a self-assurance rooted in the transient - humans do not last. They fail, their bodies age, their minds deteriorate, their strength is lost, and our bodies are sown in weakness. 

God intends to execute judgment on this prince:

Ezekiel 28:6–8 (ESV) therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you make your heart like the heart of a god, 7 therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you, the most ruthless of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor. 8 They shall thrust you down into the pit, and you shall die the death of the slain in the heart of the seas.

Later in the chapter, Ezekiel laments the prince's downfall. Most Biblical scholars see more than just a lament over an Earthly king. They see Satan himself's downfall. 

Ezekiel 28:12–14 (ESV) “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.

Tyre's prince was not in Eden. He was not a cherub. He was not on the holy mountain. This prophetic word is a picture of the prequel story to creation. The fall of Lucifer from heaven to earth because pride took hold of his heart. 

Ezekiel 28:15–16 (ESV) 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.

God cast him down in judgment:

Ezekiel 28:15–17 (ESV) 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.

Interesting to read that God says Lucifer was blameless until he wasn't. Lucifer is a strategic enemy because he ultimately knows what God wants, and he also knows how to twist God's Word to deceive us. 

The chapter continues with a short prophecy against the nation of Sidon and then ends with yet another promise that though all these powerful nations and people will be reduced to nothing, Israel will rise once again. 

Ezekiel 28:25–26 (ESV) “Thus says the Lord GOD: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.”

God's covenant is secure in Him. Even if the nations were His tool to bring judgment, they were ultimately responsible for their actions against them. His Promises are sure, and His steadfast love for His own is unbreakable. These promises are ours in Christ Jesus, who seals us with the Holy Spirit.

We have nothing to boast about except that God has been good to us.