The Origin of the Enemy – Part 6
Today, we will be looking a the origin of the enemy. Our passages of reference come from Ezekiel 28. I have read this chapter before, but today it was as if my brain was running at full capacity as if I had eaten some superfood. Wait! Is chocolate considered a superfood? I certainly classify chocolate as a superfood.
I have been doing a 365 day bible reading plan for the past year. Admittedly, I am running behind. Despite falling behind, I continue to read. At this point, I don’t care if I am 100 days behind the plan. My goal is to read a little each day, and eventually, I will have read through the entire Bible for the second time.
Ezekiel 28:11-17
“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite, and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis, lazuli, turquoise, and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created, and they were prepared.
You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
Through your widespread trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.
Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth;”
Do you see what I see?
Could Ezekiel be referring to the origin of our enemy here in these passages?
My Bible commentary says the following:
“Ezekiel’s description uses terms that could not apply to the human ruler of Tyre or any mortal man. For example, he is said to have “the seal of perfection” and to have been “in Eden.” He is called “the anointed cherub” (an angelic being) who was on the holy mountain of God” and “walked in the midst of the stones of fire.”
“These descriptions cannot be explained as some kind of “Semitic” or “ancient Near Eastern hyperbole.”
Therefore, in this section, the prophet was not speaking to the literal king of Tyre but to the supernatural being who empowered the literal king, namely Satan. This idea is supported by the book of Daniel, which also links angels and demons to the principalities they influence (Daniel 10:12-14).
These passages represent events in Eden before the fall of man. Satan’s chief sin, while in the garden of God, was pride. Here Ezekiel presented an overview of the fall of Satan as a single act, but other passages reveal it happened in stages.”
Why is this important?
I am sharing this critical information because we all need to know who we are dealing with on this earth.
Satan is a legitimate spiritual force to be reckoned with and should not be dismissed as a fairy tale or fictional character that doesn’t exist. Sadly, many people do not believe he is real, including many who claim to believe in God.
It is interesting to me that many folks who have read the blogs in this series comment that very few Bible teachers address this topic. It is not something preached about in churches, and it should be, so folks know who the enemy is and what his intentions are in our lives.
My intention is not to glorify the enemy, but to bring this subject matter to your attention. We cannot fight against something we know little to nothing about.
In the beginning, when God made man and woman, the first attack against humans came in the form of the serpent, Satan. He wasted no time going after God’s creation. My friend, the attacks have not stopped since that day in the garden.
So what do we do?
We suit up. We put on the full armor of God outlined in Ephesians 6:14-18. Why? Because as verse 12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
The question remains – Are you suited up in the armor of God?
1 Peter 5:8-9a, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”
Bridge to Grace – a nonfiction novel
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