Tyro, the England of antiquity.
We have here an outline of the great, desolating judgment that was to fall upon Tyre; it is more fully described in the succeeding verses of the chapter, and lamented over in the next chapter. There are several points in the condition and history of Tyre that call for especial attention to the fate of this famous city; but the resemblance between Type and England is so striking, that we may feel much more interest in Ezekiel's utterances when we consider their bearing on our own country in the present day.
I. THE SIMILAR PROSPERITY OF TYRE AND ENGLAND.
1. In wealth. Tyre was one of the richest cities of the East, if not the very richest. Her splendor was renowned, and the wealth of her merchants was proverbial. Like England today, she was envied by other peoples for her worldly prosperity.
2. Through commerce. The wealth of Tyre was not drawn from rich mines or fertile soil of her own territory. It was not booty taken in war, like that of Babylon. Her riches came by trade. Her princes wore merchants. Thus she was like our "nation of shopkeepers."
3. By seafaring. The early commerce of Syria was carried on by Midianites over the desert (Genesis 37:28); but the later and more profitable commerce was over the waters westward, round the coast of the Mediterranean and to as far as Cornwall in Britain, perhaps even to the distant Azores. Like Venice in the Middle Ages, like Spain later, like the Netherlands after the Reformation, like England today, Tyro in ancient times was the mistress of the sea. Hence a certain cosmopolitan character.
4. With constructive art. The vast foundations of Baalbec tell of the building powers of Tyro. Solomon's temple was a grand specimen of Tyrian architecture, built with Tyrian art. We do not equal those great builders in originality. But inventive genius and manufacturing energy are characteristic of our race. Thus the material splendor of Tyro has passed to England.
II. THE FATE OF TYRE A WARNING FOR ENGLAND. The splendor and prosperity of Tyro did not save her from ruin. Can we see in her fall any hint of a similar danger threatening our own country? Consider both its immediate cause and the providential necessity that lay behind.
1. The immediate cause. Tyro was overthrown by Babylon (Verse 7). She was not able to withstand the terrific onward march of the Eastern power. She was strong at sea, but feeble ashore. She was not a military power. She proves that wealth will not protect from ruin, but will rather invite it. The wealth of London is a temptation to the invader. Prosperity is not its own security.
2. The providential necessity. Wealth enervates, and no doubt Tyro was weakened by luxury. But behind such natural operations God, the Judge of all the earth, saw the sin of Tyro. She was greedy and selfish (Verse 2). Commerce does not always win friends. By competition it stirs up jealousy. When deceptive or overreaching, it rouses the antagonism of those on whom it preys. Tyro was a most wicked city. Her very religion was shamefully immoral. Though the temple of Jehovah was built by Tyrian artists, the worship of Jehovah was not accepted by the Tyrian citizens. Like Tyro, we may build a temple for others, and never worship in it ourselves. We may patronize religion, and be none the better for it. We may send the gospel to the heathen, and become pagans at home. The temple they built for the Jews did not save the Tyrians. Nothing can save England but the uprightness and the personal religion of her people.