Why would a human call himself a god? (Ezekiel 28:2)
28 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘In the pride of your heart
you say, “I am a god;
I sit on the throne of a god
in the heart of the seas.”
But you are a mere mortal and not a god,
though you think you are as wise as a god.
Ezekiel 28:1 - 2
ESV - 1 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 -
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Asked August 19 2019
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Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
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Tim Maas
Supporter
In the case of the ruler of Tyre, I would say that the pride of which Ezekiel spoke arose from the wealth that he had been able to amass from his position -- a factor which (even to the present day) presents a temptation to forget God as being the ultimate source of prosperity or affluence, and to entirely credit one's own efforts for it, even to the point of believing in the personal possession of powers or abilities (because of what that wealth is able to obtain or enable one to do) that rightfully belong to God alone. (The ruler of Tyre spoken of by Ezekiel apparently had a very different attitude than a prior king of Tyre (Hiram), who did business with David when he was king of Israel; who later assisted Solomon in the building of the temple and of his palace; and who also expressed thanks to God for providing a wise son like Solomon to succeed David as king (1 Kings 5:7).)
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
This ruler exalted himself above God and deserved the judgment that God would bring upon him. Although the specific identity of the prince and king of Tyre is a debated issue, the application of this passage extends to all those who exalt themselves in pride and arrogance against God, whether they be kings, demons, or common people. The issue here is pride, a sin the Lord hates (Prov 6:16-17; 16:5). This ruler was proud of his wisdom and wealth (Eze 28:3-5), and due to this pride, he exalted himself as a god. But God would would show that he was merely a man, b/c the prince of Tyre would be slain and die like other men. And, of course, Satan himself is the ultimate example of all such proud creatures (cf. 1 Tim. 3:6).
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