What does "Will you still say, ‘I am a god’" reveal about self-deception? The Setting in Ezekiel 28 • Ezekiel 28 addresses the “prince of Tyre,” a powerful ruler intoxicated with his own success. • God confronts him for elevating himself to divine status: “Your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god’ … But you are a man and not a god” (Ezekiel 28:2). • Verse 9 drives the point home: “Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’ in the presence of those who kill you? You will be a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you” (Ezekiel 28:9). The Shocking Claim: “I am a god” • Self-deification: claiming the right to determine truth, morality, and destiny apart from God. • Blinding pride: success, wisdom, and wealth (cf. Ezekiel 28:4-5) convinced the ruler he was invincible. • Delusional identity: forgetting one’s created status leads to thinking like the serpent in Genesis 3:5—“you will be like God.” The Divine Response: Exposing the Lie • Reality check: “You will be a man, not a god” (v. 9). Mortality shatters the illusion. • Imminent judgment: foreign armies would prove the ruler’s humanity (Ezekiel 28:7-8). • Universal principle: “Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18). God opposes the proud (James 4:6). What Self-Deception Looks Like Today • Trusting intellect: “Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). • Worshiping success: careers, finances, or influence become functional deities. • Moral autonomy: redefining right and wrong apart from Scripture (Isaiah 5:20). • Religious façade without submission: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:3). The Cure for Self-Deception • Humble truth-telling: let God’s word judge thoughts and intentions (Hebrews 4:12). • Heart examination: “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9) — ask God to search and reveal (Psalm 139:23-24). • Christ-centered identity: recognize Jesus as Lord; we are servants (Philippians 2:9-11). • Obedient practice: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Key Takeaways to Remember • Self-deception is rooted in pride that forgets creatureliness. • God’s probing question, “Will you still say, ‘I am a god’?” exposes the absurdity of elevating self above the Creator. • Recognition of our mortality and accountability to God dispels the illusion. • True wisdom begins with humble reverence: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). |
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