Trafficking

It's fascinating to think about in Ezekiel 28 when he describes what happened originally--how in Revelation 17: [5] And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

By the way, there's 13 words in that title, which is just kind of an interesting thing.

Her name is Mystery (Secret) and the description of her is "Babylon the Great." It goes back to Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel and the confusion of the languages.

In light of that, it's fascinating to think about in Ezekiel 28: [15] Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

[16] By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

I just want you to see that issue of he's trafficking. He's taking this wise plan that he's gont and he's selling it to people. He's merchandising it. He's got a product that he's selling.

Ezekiel 28: [5] By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:

We talk about somebody selling drugs and we call them traffickers. They're out pushing it, getting it out. This dude is out here selling his product; he's promoting his goods. He's out promising to fill people with all kind of . . . "I've got all this merchandise."

You know, you go down to the store and they've got all this merchandise and what do you want? You want it! You want to pile it in the back of the car and go home and enjoy it.

"I've got stuff that you're going to enjoy, that you're going to benefit from, that's going to lift you up and all you got to do is come, pay me and take it. Come join my team, get on my squad, get in on my credit card and take it home, dudes."

He's got a plan where he's enlisting the angelic host to come and benefit from it. There's a whole scheme going on here.

I think, "What in the world would he have used to entice people to do that?" You notice it says in verse 16 it's by violence?

Ezekiel 28: [16] By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

Listen, this stuff never brings peace; it always brings violence. Never think Satan is sitting on the top of a tea kettle that is cool and happy and running smoothly. He's sitting on a tea kettle and the lid's boiling all the time. That's what sin does.

Ephesians 4: [14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

But Satan's crafty enough to keep the lid on. He's wise enough and scheming enough to be able to control even the boiling pot of iniquity and sin and wickedness that his schemes produce.

He corrupted his wisdom. The key to his selling tactic, go to verse 3 of Ezekiel 28: [3] Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:

[4] With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:

You see the idea there as he's trafficking this stuff and he's cunning enough to sell it, to entice you, to make you want to get it, and it's all associated with his ability to interface with a secret.

He had a plan to entice people into his court but there was something hidden in the background. Can you think of a Bible account that has to do with knowing something? 

Go back to Genesis 3 and here's the same character: [1] Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?