Ezekiel·Chapter 28

How to Apply

Want to live out this message? Start by taking a moment each day to reflect on your strengths without letting them define you. Maybe write down three things you’re grateful for that have nothing to do with your accomplishments. When you feel that pride creeping in—like when you want to brag about something—pause and think about how you can lift others up instead. Share a compliment or help someone else shine. This week, challenge yourself to practice humility in small, everyday situations, and notice how it shifts your perspective.

Chapter Context

Now, let’s step back and see how this moment fits into the bigger story of Ezekiel. This chapter is addressing the downfall of a powerful figure, often interpreted as a representation of pride and arrogance. Leading up to this moment, there’s been a buildup of warning against the dangers of self-exaltation. This verse hits right at the climax, showing that the very beauty and wisdom that elevated this figure will be the reason for their destruction. It’s dramatic and intense—this is the turning point that reveals how pride can blind us, leading to a public fall from grace. After this, the narrative continues to unpack the consequences of such arrogance, emphasizing that no one is above accountability.

Key Biblical Words (Word Study)

• heart - The original language uses a word that carries the meaning of "a deep biblical concept".
• proud - The original language uses a word that carries the meaning of "a deep biblical concept".
• beauty - The original language uses a word that carries the meaning of "a deep biblical concept".
• corrupted - The original language uses a word that carries the meaning of "a deep biblical concept".
• wisdom - The original language uses a word that carries the meaning of "a deep biblical concept".
• sake - The original language uses a word that carries the meaning of "a deep biblical concept".
• splendor - The original language uses a word that carries the meaning of "a deep biblical concept".
• cast - The original language uses a word that carries the meaning of "a deep biblical concept".
• ground - The original language uses a word that carries the meaning of "a deep biblical concept".
• exposed - The original language uses a word that carries the meaning of "a deep biblical concept".

Reflection Question

How do you think pride has influenced your decisions or relationships in your life? Can you identify a moment when being overly confident led to a negative outcome?

Related Verses

• Proverbs 16:18 - This verse warns that pride goes before a fall, which connects directly to the consequences highlighted in Ezekiel.
• James 4:6 - Here, it says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, echoing the theme of humility over pride.
• Isaiah 14:12-15 - Written about 100 years before Ezekiel, this passage describes the fall of a proud figure, reinforcing the message that arrogance leads to downfall.

Personal Prayer

Lord, thank You for the truth found in Ezekiel 28:17. Help me to take the insights from this scripture and apply them to my heart today.Amen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Main Themes

Pride and Humility, Divine Judgment, Idolatry, Human Fragility, Fall from Glory, The Nature of Evil

Key Verses

Ezekiel 28:2, Ezekiel 28:17, Ezekiel 28:18, Ezekiel 28:19

Historical Context

Ezekiel prophesied during the Babylonian exile, a time when the people of Israel faced the consequences of their unfaithfulness to God. This chapter's location in the narrative is significant as it follows a series of prophecies against surrounding nations. Tyre, a prosperous coastal city known for its trade and wealth, represents the pinnacle of pride and self-sufficiency. The chapter's dual focus on both the earthly prince and the spiritual implications of pride reflects Ezekiel's broader mission to call people to recognize and repent from their ways, urging them back to fidelity to Yahweh. The lamentation over the king of Tyre also serves to illustrate the nature of sin and the ultimate triumph of God's justice.