How does Ezekiel 28:15 illustrate the concept of original sin and pride? Setting the Stage in Ezekiel 28 • Ezekiel 28 addresses the “king of Tyre,” yet the language rises above any mere human monarch. • Verses 13–17 describe an exalted, anointed cherub in Eden, pointing to a supernatural figure behind the earthly ruler. • Scripture often reveals spiritual realities behind earthly events (cf. Daniel 10:12–13), so the passage offers insight into the first sin that spawned all others. The Verse Under the Microscope Ezekiel 28:15: “From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways until wickedness was found in you.” Key observations • “Created”—confirms a perfect beginning, free of defect or predisposition to evil. • “Blameless”—absolute innocence, echoing the original goodness of Genesis 1:31. • “Until”—marks a historical moment when sin intruded. • “Wickedness was found in you”—sin originated within the creature, not from God. Original Sin Reflected 1. A perfect start, a tragic turn • Adam and Eve likewise began blameless (Genesis 2:25). • Sin’s entry point was not external compulsion but inner choice (Genesis 3:6). 2. A prototype for humanity • Romans 5:12 affirms that sin entered the human race through one man; Ezekiel 28 shows a similar breach in the angelic realm. • Both accounts underscore personal responsibility for the first act of rebellion. 3. Sin as a contagion • Once “found,” wickedness spreads: “the abundance of your trade” (Ezekiel 28:16) hints at influence over others, just as Adam’s sin passed to all his descendants (Romans 5:12, 19). Pride: The Root Revealed • Pride is implicit in “blameless…until.” What corrupted the perfect creature? Verse 17 supplies the answer: “Your heart was proud because of your beauty.” • Isaiah 14:13–14 records the same attitude: “I will ascend…I will make myself like the Most High”. • Pride re-brands dependence on God as self-exaltation, the core impulse behind every subsequent sin (Proverbs 16:18). Parallels with Humanity’s Fall --------------------------------"--------------------------------- Blameless creation (v.15) " “Very good” creation (1:31) Self-generated sin (v.15–17) " Voluntary disobedience (3:6) Desire to be exalted (v.17) " “You will be like God” (3:5) Expulsion from holy place (v.16)" Expulsion from Eden (3:24) Why This Matters Today • Sin’s origin was not a flaw in God’s design but a choice by free creatures; therefore guilt cannot be shifted back to the Creator (James 1:13). • Pride remains the signature temptation—subtle yet lethal—lurking behind envy, rivalry, and self-reliance (1 John 2:16). • Salvation reverses the pattern: “He humbled Himself…even to death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). Christ’s humility cures the pride that birthed original sin. |
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