“Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners, and your pilots, your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise and all your men of war who are in you, with all your crew that is in your midst, sink into the heart of the seas on the day of your fall.”
– Ezekiel 27:27
Ezekiel 27:27 continues this prophecy from Ezekiel. God’s speaking through Ezekiel, a prophecy against Tyre. This city that was known for its wealth and known for its international trade through the water on the sea and so when you hear this verse, “Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners, your pilots.” Basically, all that made Tyre wealthy, all that made the economy of Tyre strong, “Your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise and all your men of war who are in you, those who protect the city.”
God has ordained government, military, and economy for the good of his people. We do not put our trust in the world, but in God.
Understanding Ezekiel 27:27
Think the economy of Tyre and think the military of Tire, it was strong. Both of them were strong, a strong economy and a strong military and what God is saying in this prophecy is, “All of it sinks into the heart of the sea on the day of your fall.” What do we take away from that? How does this lead us to pray? Well, certainly among other things, without question, this verse reminds us that we must never put our trust in an economy in this world. We must never put our trust in a military in this world.
Now that’s not to say that economy is unimportant or a military is unimportant. In fact, we could look at other places in scripture, we see many places where an economy we want to develop in a way that glorifies God and is good for all people made in his image, in a way that is good for the poor, in a way that is just and right and promotes prosperity and good for all people made in God’s image.
Why Shouldn’t We Put Our Trust in the World?
Yes. Economy’s important and military is also important, especially when you look at Romans 13 and the responsibility God’s entrusted to governments as institutions to wield the sword, to protect people against evil and to promote good. It’s not that an economy or a military is bad. But it is wrong to put your trust in either one of things because they are fleeting. Economies rise and fall, militaries grow strong and weak. When we put our trust in the things of this world, even things like an economy or a military, then we are putting our trust in places that will not hold. That will, in the words of Ezekiel 27:27, “Sink into the heart of the sea on the day of our fall.” In other words, God, in his sovereignty can bring an economy or a military to nothing in an instant.
A Prayer Based on Ezekiel 27:27
The Psalm says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” We say that together in prayer. “Oh God, right now, especially amidst a pandemic that has wreaked havoc on economies all around the world. We see in a fresh way that we cannot put our trust ultimately in an economy, in a job, in money, in savings accounts. Lord we thank you for your blessing. For your grace in so many different ways. In jobs, in money that you provide, in economies and savings accounts. Even that can be used in different ways for your glory.
We pray that you would help us, keep us, guard us from putting our trust in our money, in wealth, in economies. God, guard us from putting our trust ultimately in militaries, even as I think about pastoring many people who are in the military in our church family. I praise you for your grace in them, for your common grace in all kinds of people who serve to promote good and protect people against evil.
God is Consistent
God, we pray for your blessing on them in a Romans 13 kind of way. For the carrying out of your purposes for government. At the same time God, we say before you now, even as some brothers and sisters who were praying this right now are in the military. We don’t put our trust in our military might or power. God, we don’t put our trust in chariots or horses.
You are the only one who is worthy of all of our trust. We put all of our trust in you and we praise you, Oh God, that you will not fall, that you do not come and go, rise and fall, grow weak or strong, that you are constant. You are constantly strong. God, You are ever wise. You are all powerful, you are all good, you are all loving. God, You alone are worthy of all of our trust and all of our praise.
Putting Trust in God
We say gladly, we don’t put our trust in economies and militaries. No, we don’t put our trust in chariots, horses. We put our trust in your name, the name of the Lord our God. You are our rock today. You are our life today. We worship you and God, we pray that you would help us to point other people around us in the world, to you as the only one who’s trustworthy. God help us to say today to somebody, “Don’t put your trust in your job, your money, in the economy. Don’t put your trust in military. Don’t put your trust in this or that person, political candidate, political party, whatever.”
God help us to tell people today, put your trust in Jesus. He alone can hold the weight of your trust. Help us to testify to your trustworthiness today in a world that is filled with so many things that will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of judgment. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
