13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people which was not; Assyria appointed it for desert creatures—they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin.
14 Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
For your stronghold is destroyed.15 Now in that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years like the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:
16 Take your harp, walk about the city,
O forgotten harlot;
Pluck the strings skillfully, sing many songs,
That you may be remembered.17 It will come about at the end of seventy years that the Lord will visit Tyre. Then she will go back to her harlot’s wages and will play the harlot with all the kingdoms [j]on the face of the earth. 18 Her gain and her harlot’s wages will be set apart to the Lord; it will not be stored up or hoarded, but her gain will become sufficient food and choice attire for those who dwell in the presence of the Lord.
As the chapter continues, we first have mention of the Chaldeans, possibly the ones who will destroy Tyre. This could be a reference to the Babylonians, but is certainly a place that Assyria was thought to have made into a desert waste and a ruin. In any case, we swiftly turn to the restoration of Tyre, which is not unlike that promised to Israel. That is, it was to be after seventy years.
What is surprising is the terminology used, as God likens Tyre to a harlot, and says “she will go back… and play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the earth.” More surprising, that He promises to restore Tyre, only so they can go back to their old ways. On one hand, it’s a perfect case study in free will.
God knows they won’t repent, but He gives them the opportunity anyway. In the same way as Israel, God brings about judgment, and attempts to use this hardship to bring them to repentance. Still, there are two options, they can repent, or just continue along in their sin, and they will choose the latter. It’s a sad truth, but God will not force anyone to follow Him.
However, He can and will continue to use whatever we do towards His plans. We don’t know exactly how it was supposed to work, but God promises in v. 18 that “her gain” will be provision for “those who dwell in the presence of the Lord.” As with Israel, Tyre would likely still be subject to their captors, even after being allowed to return to their homeland.
We see in the records of Ezra and Nehemiah that the kings Cyrus and Artaxerxes both provided funds and resources for the exiles to rebuild their homeland. In some cases, these were to come directly from those who lived in that area already, which was not well received by some. And if not directly, it would have been from the tribute exacted from their provinces, including Tyre and the surrounding region.
Ultimately, God is going to accomplish His plans, and will provide for those who follow Him. The amazing part is that we can be a part of those plans, even more amazing when we willingly participate. The choice is still ours, we can “dwell in the presence of the Lord” or play the harlot. I know which I’d rather choose, how about you?