Image: Santorini, Greece.
I LOVE living in the country. But few things are as amazing as a world-class city. Don’t believe it? Think of it this way—with the exception of natural wonders, every incredible thing you can think of can be found in the world’s greatest cities: London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, Cairo.
Think of the art. The jewels. The buildings and bridges that are architectural wonders. The universities and libraries. The restaurants. Cities have all the money, the banks, the ports, the shipping. Cities have work for everyone: lawyers, investors, inventors, manufacturers, laborers, tradesmen and craftsmen, teachers, doctors, professors, writers, artists, and entertainers of every stripe. Cities have not just cultures, but personalities. And some cities have nicknames that fit those personalities: London is the Big Smoke. New York is the City that Never Sleeps. Paris is the City of Love. Birmingham (England) is the City of a Thousand Trades. Johannesburg is the City of Gold.
Cities are amazing reminders of both the greatest and worst of humanity. Incredible achievements in education, art, and research exist alongside some of the world’s most sophisticated and most evil crime.
Cities are filled with humble men of talent and success, and they are also filled with arrogant men who genuinely believe they are better than you and that the rules do not apply to them. This dichotomy is true nearly everywhere: most organizations include a few humble leaders and a few you might describe as “cancers” on the team.
The ancient city of Tyre or ‘Tyrus’ was just such a city. It was beautiful, with enough industries to fill a Social Studies textbook: there were shipbuilders, craftsmen, mariners, ship pilots, caulkers, soldiers, and a seemingly endless number of merchants and tradesmen, Ezekiel 27:5-25.
Like all great cities, Tyrus was built on a thriving port, and imported quality products from the farthest reaches: riches and commerce, slaves and brass, horses and mules, ebony and ivory, embroidered fabrics, oil and honey, wine and wool. Precious stones, lambs, rams, goats, spices, gold, clothing, cedar, oak, ivory, shields, dishes, vases, and vessels of every kind.
For the right price, you could acquire the ‘finer things in life’ in the great city of Tyrus.
Cities provide the same today: the wealthiest among us can have it all if they are willing to spend their money in the world’s greatest cities.
Tyrus was a beautiful city, a city of pride. The city was so prideful, in fact, that the Biblical indictment of the king of Tyrus also serves as a recitation of the sins of Lucifer for which he was banished from paradise.
“O Tyrus, thou hast said, ‘I am of perfect beauty” Ezekiel 27:3.
Have you ever seen a beautiful city? At sunset, a city skyline reflecting on the water can be truly stunning. Places like the Mall in Washington feature such carefully laid out architecture, lawns, and pools, that the city seems a masterpiece. Not all cities are beautiful—but some certainly are. Tyrus was one of those. The city reminds me of an expression girls used to describe a boy I knew in high school: he’s cute and he knows it. Tyrus was beautiful and Tyrus was arrogant.
“Because thine heart is lifted up and thou hast said, ‘I am a God, I sit in the seat of God,’ … thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas” Ezekiel 28:2,8.
Once again, the Bible repeats the warning: God will not tolerate arrogance.
He will not tolerate it among his angels, his people, or among cities. Organizations—teams, businesses, cities, and nations—must be vigilant. Watch out for pride. Watch out for arrogance.
“Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” Proverbs 16:18.
AΩ.
Household Words: 