Isaiah 23:10 states, Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength. Isaiah said God had called on the people to pass through the land as though they were passing through a river. It would take all their strength to just survive if they were in a river, and there would be no strength left for anything else. That would be my understanding of the verse.
Verse eleven adds, He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof. Isaiah said that God had stretched forth His hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms and that He was about to do that with Tyre. I think of the Egyptian army that was destroyed so easily when God stretched out His hand so that the people of Israel could cross over the Red Sea on dry land, but the Egyptian army was destroyed when He allowed the waters to fall in on them. They didn’t have the strength to survive, just as Tyre wouldn’t have the strength to survive God’s coming judgment on them. We can also be certain that no one will ever survive God’s coming judgment except by putting their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.
Verse twelve continues, And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest. Isaiah prophesied that God was going to leave the people of Tyre with no reason to rejoice. They had rejoiced in self-pride, but they had not obeyed God, and now they were going to suffer because of that. We may be filled with the greatest amount of self-pride, but if we put our faith in God, we shouldn’t be. We are all just sinners saved by grace, and if we begin to believe that we somehow deserve God’s blessings or mercy because of how important we are in the world, then we are in for a fall.
Verse thirteen states, Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin. Isaiah told the people of Tyre to look back to how easily the Chaldeans were destroyed by the Assyrians with the implication being that they could just as easily be destroyed. The Chaldeans had built towers and palaces, but they did not save them from destruction. We may think that we are indestructible because of our own wealth or power, but if we are denying or defying God, He will easily destroy it all when His judgment comes if not before.
Verse fourteen adds, Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste. The people of Tyre had depended on trade from the ships that came and went, and they were warned that this was going to cease. The things that we depend on for strength in the world outside of the will of God are never going to last. They may even keep us rich and or powerful for this lifetime, but they are not going to last forever.
Verse fifteen continues, And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot. Isaiah said that when that day came that Tyre would be forgotten for seventy years. There was a time limit on how long they would suffer defeat. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Tyre about the same time he destroyed Jerusalem, and it was going to remain desolate for about the same number of years. Matthew Henry says that Cyrus may have allowed the people of Tyre to return and rebuild at about the same time he allowed the people of Israel to return to rebuild Jerusalem. People of the world are never going to have a time limit on the destruction that they suffer when God comes to judge the world. Theirs will be an everlasting destruction.
Verse sixteen says, Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered. Isaiah said that at this time, when Tyre was restored, that the people would go back to their old evil ways to attempt to lure people in for trade once again. Until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we may at times be defeated and then instead of turning to God go right back to our old ways if we begin to be restored.
Verse seventeen adds, And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. Isaiah said that after seventy years, when God allowed Tyre to be restored, that it would go back to its same old evil ways. They would not have learned from their destruction that they should put their faith in God alone and follow His will. People who suffer defeat because of their sin today often look to their old ways for restoration instead of looking to God, but it will be a temporary restoration if they do.
Verse eighteen continues, And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. Even though Tyre would still carry on in worldly ways, they would be a blessing to God’s people, Israel. God can still work through corrupt people to bring about good for Christians today.
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