Four Nations, all of whom hate Israel!

Yes, Nations, though they are small. (Think of Cuba, a nation? Yet an “honored” member of the perverted organization called the “United Nations!”)

Ezekiel chapter 25 … begins a section of the Book that pronounces judgment upon a series of nations or leaders who also have flagrantly sinned against God. And who have wished harm to God’s people. Who have lifted hands against Israel!

Here’s an overview of our chapter for today. Judgment on Ammon, verses 1-7. Judgment on Moab, verses 8-11. Judgment on Edom, verses 12-14. And finally judgment on Philistia, verses 15-17.

The first three of these nations are “distantly” related to the Jews. The Ammonites and Moabites through Lot’s sinful relationship with his daughters! Then the Edomites through Esau, the unbelieving son of Isaac and Rebekah.

I see a “pattern” in each of these four pronouncements of judgment. Two words, “because” (followed by a statement of sins, iniquities, wrongdoings) and “therefore” (followed by God’s reaction to those sins) clearly permeate these cycles.

Seems God does “keep a record” of wrongdoing! Such “books” will (again) be opened at the Great White Throne Judgment some day, Revelation 20:10. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” These are the “wicked” dead … “saved” folks having already been evaluated and rewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ!

Let me show you what I mean, beginning with verses 1-7, the Ammonites.

“The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, ² Son of man (Ezekiel), set thy face against the Ammonites (immediately east of Israel, present day Jordan), and prophesy against them; ³ And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; BECAUSE thou saidst, AHA (a term of delight, rejoicing in Judah’s fall), against my sanctuary (the Jewish Temple), when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity; ⁴ behold, THEREFORE I will deliver thee to the men of the east (foreign enemies) for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk. ⁵ And I will make Rabbah (Ammon’s capital city) a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couchingplace for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. ⁶ For thus saith the Lord GOD; BECAUSE thou hast clapped thine hands (in glee), and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite (hatred) against the land of Israel; ⁷ Behold, THEREFORE I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.”

Wow, three times … “therefore!”

Jew hatred, judged!

Next comes Moab, same paradigm, verses 8-11.

“ ⁸Thus saith the Lord GOD; BECAUSE that Moab (land of Lot’s incestuous children, immediately south of Ammon) and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto (no better than) all the heathen (thus demeaning Judah); ⁹ THEREFORE, behold, I will open the side (flank) of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory (best) of the country, Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim (three of her prized cities, now open to attack), ¹⁰ unto the men of the east (wild Bedouin tribes) with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations (extinction). ¹¹ And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD.”

Sure enough, there is no longer any Nation called Ammon!

Wow!

Want to hear about Edom?

“¹²Thus saith the Lord GOD; BECAUSE that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance (terrorism, vandalism), and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them; ¹³ THEREFORE thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off (destroy) man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman (her capital); and they of Dedan (another of her metropolitan areas) shall fall by the sword (enemy attack). ¹⁴ And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.” Verses 12-14, with God still calling Judah “My people!”

Lastly, still in this same orderly cadence, the Philistines:

“¹⁵Thus saith the Lord GOD; BECAUSE the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it (Judah) for the old hatred; ¹⁶ THEREFORE thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon (against) the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims (identical to the Philistines), and destroy the remnant of the sea coast (their homeland). ¹⁷ And I (God) will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.” Verses 15-17, full of wrath!

What a chapter!

And really, in an ironic way, I suspect an encouragement to Judah!

Genesis 12:1-3 was still then in effect, fifteen centuries after Abraham first heard the promise! In fact, it still is today! “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation (the Jews), and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will BLESS them that bless thee, and CURSE him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell