You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
Ezekiel continues prophesying against all of the nations – Egypt, Lebanon, Assyria, Babylon, Sidon, Tyre. The list goes on. After the proclamation against each of these places, God told Ezekiel to express a lament or dirge for each. And finally, after years of being downtrodden, the nations were restored, although rarely to their prior glory. This was a section of scripture where I repeatedly referenced maps, to see just where Sidon is now (a port city in Lebanon).
As each pronouncement is made, along with it Ezekiel is given the reason for the leveling of the area. For example, Lebanon had grown too tall and majestic, and it was toppled, and the analogy was made that it is like the cedars of Lebanon. The prophecy said that the cedar trees got to be so tall that they end up crowding out others and eventually too tall to be stable, and so was Lebanon.
Tyre proved to be wise in its business acumen, and because Tyre provided access to the sea, it was able to trade great riches for that access. Some of the things Tyre acquired by trading access to the sea or the goods themselves include: silver, iron lead, tin, horses, war horses, ivory tusks, ebony, turquoise, fine linen, coral, millet, honey, oil, wine, wool, cinnamon, sugar, lambs, goats, spices, carpets. Add all of these things to a middle eastern city and I’m left with a rich and intriguing image, full of splendor.
But, as the prophecy continued, Tyre traded wisdom for that splendor. Once it started down the path of acquiring these things, it just continued to acquire more and more. Sound familiar?
This is the problem with stuff. We ascribe value to the things we have, and eventually trade bits of our souls for the values we erroneously encumber the stuff with. For example, in the case of Tyre, the stuff it had became something to be desired because it was splendorous. But really, coral is just a dead sea-dwelling invertebrate.
We do the same thing. When we acquire things, we think they are worth something, more than what they are. Fine sheets are comfortable, but they also signal that we have taste. Art is pretty to look at, but it also signals we have taste and resources to buy things. It seems like it’s human nature, that our desires always outstrip our reality. This is true whether we’re dirt poor, or the most wealthy of society. We want more. Not because the stuff is inherently valuable, but rather because we’ve ascribed value the stuff doesn’t have.
In the case of Tyre, they traded wisdom. In my case, I sometimes trade self-care. Instead of an afternoon relishing a beautiful fall day, I toil on some project. Yes, I get satisfaction from the project, but it also signals that I’m industrious, resourceful, and capable. When my kids were little, I traded quality time with them for another hour in the office. We make trades all the time, and I’d offer that many times, we’re trading a real thing for a imagined value we’ve placed on a thing. This morning, I’m thinking about the choices I make, the trades I’m intentionally or unintentionally making, and the obscured values I’ve placed on the things I desire.
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