Between excess and deficiency

Most of the prophets did not just criticize Israel or Judah. They also passed judgments on the traditional neighbouring enemies.
In Ezekiel 25, God passed judgments on Ammonites, Moab, Edom and Philistines.
Ezekiel spent chapter 26 up to the first half of chapter 28 to criticize Tyre, nearly 10 times the amount of materials. Why did Tyre receive so much attention in Ezekiel?
Ammonites were punished because they rejoiced when the Temple was defiled (Ezekiel 25:3).
Moab because they said Judah was like all other nations (Ezekiel 25:8).
Edom because they had acted revengefully against the house of Judah (Ezekiel 25:12).
Philistines because they acted revengefully and took vengeance with malice of heart to destroy in never-ending enmity (Ezekiel 25:15).
However, when Ezekiel spent the whole chapter of 26 to pass judgments on Tyre, it was all because of one sentence Tyre had said against Jerusalem, the holy city of Yahweh.
Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken, it has swung open to me; I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste (Ezekiel 26:2b).
For the whole chapter of 27, it was another sentence: I am perfect in beauty (Ezekiel 27:3c). Understandably Tyre said this because she had prospered through trade. Her trading successes were sung in Ezekiel 27:4-25. What a record! But what was so wrong about being beautiful and successful?
The answer began to emerge in chapter 28.
Because your heart is proud, and you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,'
yet you are but a man, and no god, though you consider yourself as wise as a god (Ezekiel 28:2b).
God was offended by this arrogance and vanity, thinking oneself as god. This is excess. On the other hand, though Israel and Judah did not elevate themselves to the status of gods, they worshipped idols. Instead of being arrogant, they lacked self-confidence. This was deficiency. The Virtue Ethics of Aristotle suggests we take the mean, i.e. virtue, between excess and deficiency. In this case, piety to God.
Deep down in the human psyche, there is a desire to be like God. Therefore, Adam and Eve fell prey to this temptation. Man is painfully aware of his own limitations. So, whenever they attain anything, say a PhD, money, status or authority, they allow themselves to indulge in them, to abuse them. By exercising their authority over the others, they feel like god. No wonder power is such a powerful temptation and Jesus had to go through one such temptation after baptism.
Then Ezekiel spent 4 verses to pass judgment against Sidon. What a contrast with Tyre!

Our dear Advocate, guide our feet so that we are able to tread the middle way. Allow us to understand that we already have You to be our God. We do not need any other gods. Amen.