Isaiah
23:8
8 Who hath taken this counsel [ya`ats] against Tyre [Tsor], the
crowning [`atar] city, whose merchants [cachar] are princes [sar], whose
traffickers [Kana`an] are the honourable [kabad] of the earth ['erets]? KJV-Interlinear
8 Who has purposed this against Tyre, the
bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the
honored of the earth? ESV
The question
arises as to who is responsible for the rise of greatness of Tyre? Who is responsible for its expansion throughout
the region? Who is responsible for the greatness and ingenuity and success of
the traders who traded worldwide with common folks as well as the royalty of
the many lands?
And of course
the whole question is raised in order to point to God as the one who is responsible
for the phenomenal success of the trading empire that spread throughout many
lands and was successful for many, many centuries despite the many empires that
rolled through the region from time to time.
Its success
continued and even grew despite the many obstacles of history. Man is not responsible.
In the beginning
it is business that is being described, from the origins of Sidon and the many
principles of free enterprise that existed throughout the region, and despite
the many obstacles or regulations that were imposed by man, in order to make it
even better. It did fine on its own,
throughout all of history.
Then Tyre has been
described at its end, having disregarded God, Gods principles and turned itself
over to the management of man. There is
more anti-business and pro-socialism sentiment throughout the world, than ever
before in history.
So, throughout
history, for centuries and centuries and centuries, economies thrived under the
fundamental principles of the divine establishment. Principles authored by God.
And then man
comes along and tries to make economies better by micro management and
government regulation.
And what happens
when the end of history finally arrives?
The economy not
only collapses, but it takes everything down with it. And when an entire world is forced to its
knees, then billions are without anything and anywhere to turn. The suffering for huge populations is
horrendous. Economies cannot restart
under human regulation. And it is all
due to the arrogance of people who believe that they can manage something that
is far beyond their understanding.
And we have many
historical examples of mans failure in communism, in socialism, in the many
empires that have tried to control their own destinies, in the many religions
that have tried to run their own countries that are, even now, in utter ruin. And yet people look away, and do not see the
failure rate or the ruin that always accompanies this type of government regulation
or religious control.
The Bible is a
constant reminder that if you disregard the seriousness and objectivity of your
daily study, and if your disregard your role in life, a role that God has
placed on you, then you and you alone are to blame for the failures of life and
history.
And since we
have prophecies in writing, then we know that people will never change and that
an unbelievable and disastrous end is coming one day. The only question for you, is ‘Are you going
to be a part of that doom?’
