Isaiah 23:8-12: a reflection

8Who has planned this against Tyre, the giver of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honorable of the earth? 9The LORD of Armies has planned it, to stain the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. 10Pass through your land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish. There is no restraint any more. 11He has stretched out his hand over the sea. He has shaken the kingdoms. The LORD has ordered the destruction of Canaan’s strongholds. 12He said, “You shall rejoice no more, you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim. Even there you will have no rest.”

In his oracle against the wealthy trading city of Tyre, Isaiah asks who could have planned such a downfall for so glorious a city, and gives the answer: The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honored of the earth. It was God's deliberate purpose to humble the proud and glorious city, to bring low its pride, to bring into contempt those the world honored. Behind the fall of proud human glory stands the sovereign purpose of God.

Notice the reason given for the humbling: to defile the pride of all glory. It was God's stated purpose to bring low the proud, to humble the glory in which people and nations exalt themselves, to bring into contempt what the world holds in honor. This is not random; it is God's deliberate work. He opposes the proud, and it is his settled purpose to humble human glory that exalts itself, whether in a city like Tyre or anywhere else.

That is a sobering truth about pride and glory. The proud and glorious things of the world, the exalted cities, the honored of the earth, the impressive human achievements, stand under God's purpose to humble them. God opposes the proud; he brings low what exalts itself. This is a warning to our own pride, and a caution against being overawed by proud human glory, which stands under God's judgment. Do not exalt yourself in pride and glory, for God's settled purpose is to humble such pride. And do not be overawed by the proud glory of the world; it will be brought low, for the LORD has purposed to defile the pride of all glory. Humble yourself before God, who exalts the humble and brings low the proud.

Lord, you declared that it was your purpose to bring low proud Tyre, to defile the pride of all glory and bring into contempt the honored of the earth. Warn me by that truth against my own pride. You oppose the proud, and it is your settled purpose to humble the glory in which people exalt themselves. Keep me from exalting myself, for you bring low what lifts itself up. And keep me from being overawed by the proud glory of the world, the exalted and impressive things that stand under your purpose to humble them. Help me humble myself before you, who exalt the humble and bring low the proud. Let me not trust or envy proud glory, which you will bring low, but walk humbly before you.