We're going to Isaiah chapter 23. Continuing our series through the book of Isaiah, this is now message number 30, entitled The Burden of Tyre. And we'll be looking at chapter 23, so I'll read verses 1 to 3 as we get started. The burden of tyre How ye ships of Tarshish, for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in from the land of Hiram, it is revealed to them. Be still ye inhabitants of the Isle, thou whom the merchants of Sidon that pass over the sea have replenished. And by the great waters, the seed of Sehor, the harvest of the river, is here revenue, and she is a mart of nations. Well, chapter 22 was the burden of Judah and Jerusalem there with the name, the Valley of Vision. And many chapters in Isaiah have directly addressed Judah with various judgment warnings. And in the whole, this is a message of woes to the nations. Now, the northern kingdom of Israel got a brief mention along with Assyria, but these messages have primarily been to the non-Jewish nations in the region. And it leads us to ask, on the one hand, why is Jerusalem and Judah, why is that so important? Why is Israel so important? If we're studying the Old Testament and reading the Old Testament and really even into the New, it's just predominant with references to Israel and to Judah. Now, some would say that, well, in the Old Testament it's significant in only a figurative way. as a symbolic of something else, but we've already seen that in Isaiah. We have promises both of judgment and of salvation, and they're given to Israel, and they go far beyond their historical setting to even beyond our present day into the future, the end of this age. So those are not simply forgotten as you go to the New Testament. They're not wiped away. They're not given to someone else. And so there certainly is an ongoing significance with Israel and with Jerusalem in particular as that will be the capital of the Messianic kingdom. But if you really begin back in Genesis and you think about God's covenant with Noah, God revealed there that his purpose was for the redemption of his creation. And then you come to the covenant with Abraham and he revealed his purpose is for the redemption of the nations and that that would come through the promised nation from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the nation of Israel. And so the message to Judah in Isaiah is really a picture of darkness. And again, there are some bright spots here and there, some promises of restoration and such, but it's primarily a picture of darkness. And that demonstrates, actually, how that Judah became a thoroughly dry ground. So read chapter 22 and think, how can this produce salvation for the world? Look at this people and look at their sins, look at their covenant breaking, look at the judgments that have come upon them, and how can the Messiah, how can the Savior come from that? So Judah truly became a thoroughly dry ground. And, of course, this thread of messianic hope runs through it all. And later we'll see in Isaiah how the Messiah will come as a root out of a dry ground. And as we've already seen, he is the promised shoot out of the dead stump of Jesse. So, obviously, there is continuing significance for Israel and Jerusalem and such. Now, this message to Judah, though, was a rebuke and it was a call to genuine, true repentance. But we see that they responded in the time of that calamity, the time of the Babylonian invasion. They responded with the desperate measures of trying to shore up their defenses and then also turning to feasting for joy just to make the most out of whatever time they had. And then the message was personified in Shebna, who was faithless, and Eliakim, who was faithful. And it continues to show the preservation of a remnant. And also, the message there was that hope would not come except through the true servant of God, the Messiah, the son of David. So now we come to chapter 23. And chapter 23 is the final chapter in this section in Isaiah that began back in chapter 13 with all these woes to the nations. And even amidst all these woes to the nations, we have noticed that there has been a sprinkling of messages of hope, of messages of redemption, of messages of restoration, of messages that will not be total destruction or total annihilation, but even remnants of these nations that will be preserved through these judgments. And significantly, very significantly, the messianic hope for the nations has been presented very clearly, very explicitly in this particular section. Well, here's the burden of tire that is the final, and if you Suppose some structure to it. These woes began with Babylon, which would have been to the east of Israel and to the east of that region. And they end here with Tyre, which was on the coast to the west. And so we kind of have a covering of the whole land with all these nations in between that have been addressed. And this burden of Tyre speaks to this Phoenician city that was not a powerful, fierce, conquering people. In other words, Tyre wasn't taking over the world like Assyria and later Babylon and later Greece and so on. They weren't conquering the world that way, but Tyre was vastly wealthy. Tyre was a commercial center and was very important in the world in other ways, but not as this powerful force that was subjugating people and conquering nations and such, as what was deemed to be the real threat. So we want to look at this in verses 1 to 14 where we read of the destruction of Tyre and in verses 15 to 18 where we read, which is again very consistent with what we've seen to this point, there's actually some promises and some hope for a future for Tyre beyond this destruction. So we'll start here with the first part again. Let's look at verses 1 to 3, the burden of Tyre. How ye ships of Tarshish, for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in. From the land of Kadim it is revealed to them. Be still ye inhabitants of the Isles, thou whom the merchants of Zidon that pass over the sea have replenished. And by the great waters the seed of Sehor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue, and she is a mart of the nations. So we're getting a description here of Tyre. Tyre was an ancient seaport on the Mediterranean coast. And it was a center of trade and commerce in that day. And then, of course, becomes a center of trade and commerce in latter terms that's depicted through the imagery of fornication with the world's nations. But Tyre was famous for shipping and trade as a seaport. We get the reference to Tarshish, which is believed to have been in what is now Spain and was a sort of a colony of Tartusian outposts that had been established and there was a constant stream of ships going back and forth carrying their trade goods. They were an exporter, and particularly an exporter of very expensive, very highly sought-after purple dye in that time. And David had good relations with King Hiram of Tyre during his reign, and Hiram supplied actually the skilled workers and the valuable seeders for the temple in 2 Samuel 5 and verse 11. Tyre was a city that though very ancient. was essentially for ages a city that was unbothered. Like I said, they weren't an aggressive people, so they weren't going out attacking and trying to conquer. And they were unbothered and they enjoyed vast, vast commercial success for a long, long, long time until that was interrupted by the Assyrians under Sennacherib around 705 to 701 BC. Now, Tyre was besieged numerous times in their history, beginning particularly with Assyria, continuing with Babylon, and on and on, finally falling to Alexander the Great and his army in 332 BC, which the fall of that was foretold by Ezekiel in Ezekiel chapter 26 and into chapter 27. Now, the burden here He shows these invasions by various nations and the eventual fall to be the work of God through the nations. And that is something that is emphasized in this particular burden, that this is the work of God, what is coming and will come. And we see the mention of Sidon, which was a city, a sister city, a connected city. These were the two primary Phoenician cities, and so essentially representing Phoenicia. And Tyre and Sidon are both referred to all the way back in Genesis chapter 10 and verse number 15. Sidon was descended from Ham's son Canaan. And these Tyre and Sidon became early Canaanite settlements after the Tower of Babel. So again, they have a very, very ancient history in these cities. And so this invasion And this conquering of this city is going to affect their trade. There's reference here to the seed of Sihur, which is the grain commodity that was grown in Egypt that's being referred to. And Sidon had never in its history experienced the sort of aggression that was coming. And it's depicted here, as we continue reading on, it's depicted here in the imagery of giving birth and of raising children, and something never experienced to that point. So let's look at verses 4 to 7. Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins. As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. Pass ye over to Tarshish, how ye inhabitants of the Isle. Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn." So Tyre was at one time, Tyre and Sidon thought to be essentially the strength of the sea. And the strength of the sea was going to become desolate and barren. And we get a lament here essentially for the city's destruction. And this city's destruction is going to affect the world. And again, Tyre and Sidon were very important commercial cities of trade and commerce. And so the world economy and the economy of many nations was very much dependent on Tyre and Sidon. And so their downfall would certainly have effects that would go far beyond just their own people. And it was the very antiquity of Tyre and Sidon, that they had stood for so long, they had enjoyed so much prosperity, that they thought they would continue to stand, and yet this word is being spoken against them. Let's look at verses 8 to 14. Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth? The Lord of hosts hath purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish, there is no more strength. He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms. The Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city to destroy the strongholds thereof. And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin daughter of Zidon. Arise, pass over to Cateen. There also shalt thou have no rest. Behold the land of the Chaldeans and this people was not till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness. They set up the towers thereof. They raised up the palaces thereof and he brought it to ruin. How ye ships of Tarshish for your strength is laid waste. So Tyre was very proud as an important city and as an ancient city in the world. Again, they weren't a terror in terms of military power or in terms of conquering and taking over nations, but they certainly did have a large hand upon the world's wealth. And God's judgment, we're told, so verses eight to nine in particular is where we get this emphasis, that God's judgment, would come against them, would come against their pride. And Isaiah uses terms here to speak of that this is God's plan. This is God's plan, that this judgment is going to come against them. And again, it came in the form of different nations until they finally fell. But nevertheless, this was God's plan, Isaiah emphasized. So once again, here at the very end of this woe to the nations, we're getting reminded that all of these nations are a part of God's purpose and He has His purpose for all of them. And when it is His purpose for them to fall, they will fall and will be removed. We're told in verses 10 to 11 in particular that He shakes kingdoms. He shakes them. In other words, none are able to stop or to hinder His purpose. If His purpose is to throw them into chaos and desperation through a siege on them by other nations, then that is what is going to happen. It cannot be stopped. And we get a list here of the Assyrians and then the Chaldeans or the Babylonians. And now that they would conquer it, though not permanently. Again, there was a series of invasions that were made, and it took some time before it finally fell. And then the ending that we're given here is very bleak. There's just a renewed call to howl, to wail, to cry out, to lament. And the references to these ships of Tarshish, essentially, it's saying you should lament, because you have no home to go to. Again, there was a constant traffic on the sea back and forth between this colony in Tarshish and Tyre and Sidon, but you're going to go to Tarshish and these great ships and you're going to come back, but there's going to be nothing to come back to, essentially is what is being said, and why that they should lament or howl or wail. And then we get to the ending part of this chapter, verses 15 to 18, where we learn that this destruction is going to come upon them. It's not going to be total. They're not going to be destroyed in the sense of being annihilated. There is going to be some restoration. So verse 15 and 16, And it shall come to pass in that day, The Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as a harlot. Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that has been forgotten. Make sweet melodies, sing many songs that thou mayest be remembered." So this reference to the seventy years, there's a lot of different ideas about what the specific reference is. But there was a 70-year period from around 700 to 630 BC in which their trade was cut off and Tyre was essentially greatly reduced in its role in the world economy. there's the idea that after this 70 years they're going to have been forgotten. They're going to have lost their place. So they had this important place at the table, as it were, of the economies of the nations in commerce and trade in the world. But they're going to lose that place because of this 70 years that they were suppressed under the under the Assyrians and the Babylonians, they're going to lose that place. And then when they return, we're given this imagery here in verse 15 and 16. They're going to be like an old forgotten harlot. It's the imagery that Isaiah is using. So this is a woman that has way since past lost her youthful charms and advantages. and so is reduced to trying to go about and to drum up business, taking this harp and going about the city and singing and doing other things. In other words, she's lost what she had in her youth, and it's all gone, and she's forgotten about and not sought after anymore, but she's trying to shield for clients, as it were, out in the streets. And then what we're told in verse number 17, So there's going to be a recovery. There's going to be a recovery for Tyre, and this 70-year period is definitely going to be very hard on them. But there's going to be something of a recovery, but it's not going to be totally to their former glory. They're not going to totally recapture that, but they are going to make something of a recovery, not be entirely destroyed. And in verse 18, And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord. It shall not be treasured nor laid up, for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord to eat sufficiently and for durable clothing. Now this is quite a shift when you get to verse number 18. We have something of a recovery, but then we have something looking forward, looking far beyond that. And the commerce of Tyre actually supporting the people of Israel, supporting Judah in their services. And so this is actually a reference to a future restoration and a holy use of this city and its goods in the Messiah's kingdom. So we will see that again with nations They retain ethnic and territorial and political identities. These things are not erased by the coming of the Messiah. They're not erased with his kingdom. They continue, but in his kingdom, they will serve and worship the king in Zion. And so this is what we get a reference to, this restoration where their goods and things will be committed to the service and to the honor of the Lord. So as we think about this particular section and the ending of this section that we've studied, God's sovereignty is obviously emphasized heavily in this section, and it's emphasized even with nations or cities that are seemingly less important in terms of what is happening to Israel. In other words, compared to the threat from Assyria, the fall of Tyre probably seemed a small concern, a minor concern. Compared to the threat of the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, again, the fall of Tyre probably seems a relatively lesser concern. So God's sovereignty is emphasized in such a way that we see among the nations, his purpose is being carried out. And we've seen enough already to know that that doesn't mean that those nations are willingly carrying that out, or that they are intentionally carrying out, trying to accomplish God's purpose. No, that is not the case. They're simply trying to fulfill their own desires, and yet they are carrying out the Lord's purpose. What that tells us about God's sovereignty in particular is that it's not reactive. God's sovereignty is not responsive. God's sovereignty is not something that comes into play once something has happened. And so God thinks, well, I'd better intervene and keep this from happening or keep this from... That is not His sovereignty. His sovereignty is acting according to His plan at the appointed times from before His creation. And that comes out very clearly in this section of what God is doing with the nations. So how could Tarshish, not Tarshish, but Tyre and Sidon exist for so long, for just ages, in relative peace, with all of this prosperity and all of this wealth, and they were not believing in God, they were not trusting in God, they were committing and piling up their sins all along the way, and why is it at this point that God has said you're not going to continue further. Well, again, it's because, again, of His sovereignty, His purpose. He is active in the running of His creation. And another message that comes out very clear in this section as well, sin brings nothing but destruction and ruin and condemnation. Yes, it might bring some pleasure for a little while, but ultimately nothing but ruin, nothing but destruction. So you have all these different nations. And all these different identities, and these different cultures, and even within these nations, there were particular sins that were highlighted that they were guilty of and prone to. And just like we recently were studying in Ephesians that there is deceit within sin. And the deceit of these sins with all these nations was that these things would satisfy. These things would lead to happiness. These things would even provide covering and protection from harm or from loss. But this section of Isaiah in particular, and obviously much in the rest of the Bible as well, shows the folly and the deceitfulness of sin for what they truly are so thinking about this again this final message that presses particularly upon the wealth of these cities and and their role in the commercial world the message is is again much the same, still relevant to us today. Repent of your sins, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, and he will save you. And this message forces us to face the question, what is it that we love? What is it that we truly value? What is it that we esteem, perhaps even more than God? Where are we looking for comfort and for safety? And so it reminded me of just a couple passages. I want to end with these about trusting in riches and enjoying long seasons of prosperity and peace. And think about that rich young ruler, Mark chapter 10, verses 17 to 27. And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him, good master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God. Thou knowest the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, defraud not, honor thy father and mother. He answered and said unto him, master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him and said unto him, one thing thou lackest, go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and take up a cross, and follow me." And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answers again and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God? It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus, looking upon them, saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God. For with God all things are possible. So one of the common ideas within Judaism, which is really quite a common idea today as well, is that wealth and prosperity and health All of these things were indications of God's blessing and God's approval. In other words, you're doing everything right and so you're being rewarded with these things. They were sort of something that could be looked to and trusted in and thought to be a sure sign that I'm right with God. And of course, the poor would often be despised for just the opposite. And so this young man comes to Jesus and he seems sincere and it seems like he's ready to do anything that Jesus says if there's something missing from him in order to enter into heaven. He don't know what that is. He can't imagine what that might be. But if there is something, he seems ready to do it. So when Jesus tells him to go sell everything and give it away, He was very sad. He was grieved, greatly distressed at such a word because he had acquired a lot of wealth in his young life and believed that to be the sign of God's blessing on him. And so Jesus, of course, said that it is hard. It's hard. It's hard for a rich man. It's hard for a well-off person to enter into the kingdom of God. Why? Because they're not trusting in God so much as they are trusting in their wealth. And of course, with God, all things are possible, he told his disciples. There's nothing wrong with riches or wealth or substance in and of itself, but Paul also was sure to remind Timothy that, Timothy, this is something that you need to preach. This is something that you need to tell those in the church, those under your ministry. 1 Timothy 6, verses 7-10, For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us therewith be content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. It's hard to imagine a choice that is set before us. money and wealth or eternal life. And that anyone would look at that and say, well, I'll take the money and wealth. But yet that is really what Paul says has happened to some who've coveted so much after, trusted so much in those riches that they have actually erred from the faith. So there is a very real temptation to trust in those things. And of course, the Bible tells us in other places that we do enjoy good gifts from God, and we thank Him for them, but we shouldn't trust in them. Those things can, as Solomon said in Proverbs, they can just grow wings and fly away. They can be gone in such a quick instant that leaves us not knowing what happened. Those things can all are very, very temporary. Yes, we enjoy the gifts that God gives us. We thank Him for them, we praise Him for them. We hopefully use them for our good and for the good of others as well. But never trust, never trust in those things. Never let those things take the place of God in our lives. So this is a very real and relevant warning for all time, just as much today as it was then and all that time in between and before.