Commerce

Ezekiel 27:3 Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “ ‘You say, Tyre, “I am perfect in beauty.”

Sometimes we think that Amazon was the first entity to bring products from around the world to our doorsteps. But this just isn’t so. International trade has been going on for millennia. The import/export business of the world have been shipping and receiving as part of everyday life for much longer than we generally recognize.

All over the world there is evidence in the archeological record of products being brought from many miles away to supply the needs of people. And this transfer of wealth and products is evident in our text for today. This entire chapter highlights so much international trade that it can make your head spin.

The city of Tyre was a center for this type of trade. It was a fortified sea port, located on an island, a man made fortress built up by the shoreline city. It specialized in boat building and sea trading. Just about everything wanted by these ancient peoples came by sea. It came from the far reaches of Africa, around the Mediterranean Sea.

Tyre specialized in boat building, and even in its boat building they used specially skilled workers from other places. Their ship crews were from other places. Their maintenance workers were from other places. They found the best people and used their talents to increase their profit margins.

So when the LORD announces the downfall of Tyre and its empire of trade, the ripples would have been felt all across that part of the world and beyond. Their world was, just like ours, in interconnected network of supplier and customers. Tyre owned so much of that trade, just like Amazon.

So, if you are for the downfall of any nation, you risk the very thing you rely on to make life a little bit more comfortable. We might not like China and its horrible political and power structure, but we also like our inexpensive goods. We play a role in supporting China’s destruction of civil rights across their country. And by extension, we support their power projection across Africa and the Far East.

But remember, there is a day coming when justice will rule. On which side of justice will you stand?