How does Ezekiel 27:14 connect with other biblical teachings on commerce? Setting the Scene Ezekiel 27 pictures Tyre as a magnificent merchant ship, loaded with exotic cargo from every corner of the ancient world. Verse 14 spotlights one of its trading partners: “ The men of Beth-Togarmah exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your merchandise.” What the Verse Shows • A bustling international marketplace. • High-value goods—horses and mules—traded for Tyrian wares. • Commerce intertwined with military power (“war horses”). Threads That Run Through the Bible on Commerce 1. Legitimate Enterprise Is Good • Genesis 1:28—God’s mandate to “subdue” and steward creation includes productive exchange. • Proverbs 31:16, 24—The excellent wife “considers a field and buys it… she sells linen garments.” Trade honors God when done rightly. 2. Honesty Is Non-Negotiable • Proverbs 11:1—“Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD.” • Leviticus 19:35-36; Deuteronomy 25:13-15—Just weights protect buyers and sellers alike. 3. Stewardship over Greed • 1 Timothy 6:9-10—The love of money “is a root of all kinds of evil.” • James 4:13-15—Plans for profit must yield to “If the Lord wills.” 4. Commerce Can Turn into Idolatry • Ezekiel 28:5—Tyre’s wealth led to pride: “By your great skill in trade you have increased your wealth, but your heart has grown proud.” • Revelation 18:11-13—End-time Babylon’s traders “weep and mourn” when their market collapses, revealing misplaced worship. 5. Security Is Never in Goods or Horses • Deuteronomy 17:16—Israel’s kings were warned not to “multiply horses.” • Psalm 20:7—“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD.” • Ezekiel 27:27—Tyre’s ship sinks despite her cargo; wealth cannot save. How Ezekiel 27:14 Ties It All Together • Tyre’s trade in “war horses” perfectly illustrates commerce’s double-edged nature: useful, but easily bound to human pride and militarism. • The verse shows nations bartering life-changing assets—highlighting God’s gift of creativity and exchange—yet the larger chapter warns that unchecked ambition sinks the ship. • By setting this one transaction inside a lament, God signals that even spectacular, apparently secure economies collapse when divorced from righteousness. Practical Takeaways • Work hard, trade fairly—God endorses honest enterprise. • Refuse shady shortcuts—unjust scales still anger the Lord. • Hold wealth loosely—possessions are tools, not saviors. • Anchor your confidence in the Lord, not in the “horses and mules” of modern markets. |
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