Ezekiel 25

Judgment on the Nations

Open your Bibles to…

Gen. 12:1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,

From your family

And from your father’s house,

To a land that I will show you.

Gen. 12:2 I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing.

Gen. 12:3 I will bless those who bless you,

And I will curse him who curses you;

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Pray

Intro

√ Judgment on the nations

With the close of chapter 24 we come to the end God’s prophecy of judgment upon Israel.

The siege of Jerusalem has begun.

God’s fury against His people and their long history of sin and rebellion is being poured out as Ezekiel pens this next section.

So, beginning with chapter 25 we find that God now turns His attention to the nations surrounding Israel.

The idea is that if He would not spare His own people because of their sin…

…how then would the sinful nations around her escape His judgment!?

Therefore we find that chapters 25-32 record God’s word of judgment against 7 different nations…

Ammon, Moab & Edom ~ the nations forming Judah’s Eastern boundary

Philistia ~ the nation to the West of Judah

Tyre & Sidon ~ the kingdoms to the North

Egypt ~ the major power to Judah’s Southwestern border

The reason for God’s judgment was not just that they were sinful people…

…specifically they were guilty of sinning against Judah and thereby bringing upon themselves the curse of God as recorded in our opening text.

Ap. The Abrahamic Covenant is still in effect!

You’ll note that the context of God’s blessing upon Abraham in Genesis 12 is both personal and national.

That is God promised to bless those who blessed Abraham…

…and his descendants who would make up the nation of Israel.

He also warned that He would bring a curse upon those who cursed Abraham…

…and his descendants who would make up the nation of Israel.

That promise and warning is still in effect today!

Ex. England’s fall from world dominance

Prior to the 1^st World War it could accurately be said that…

“The sun never sets on the English Empire”

However, following the 1^st World War the English Empire began to crumble.

Strange in light of the fact that they were on the winning side of the 1^st World War and gained territory as a result of that victory!

England lost her financial holdings, influence and power in Asia and Africa and today can no longer say…

“The sun never sets on the English Empire”

Many have suggested that England’s fall from World power and influence can be directly traced to her betrayal of the Jewish people and their reneging on the intent of the Balfour Declaration to give the Jewish people a national homeland.

England’s policy was to discourage Jewish immigration to Palestine while at the same time encouraging Arab immigration into Palestine.

Gave the land promised to the Jews to the Hashemite family (modern day Jordan).

Trained and supplied the Arab armies in their battle against the Jews.

So, there’s a warning to all nations to be careful how they deal with the nation of Israel as demonstrated historically in Ezekiel chapters 25-32.

Judgment on Ammon (vs. 1-7)

Ez. 25:1 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ez. 25:2 “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them.

Ez. 25:3 Say to the Ammonites, “Hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary 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,

Ez. 25:4 indeed, therefore, I will deliver you as a possession to the men of the East, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk.

Ez. 25:5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”

Ez. 25:6 “For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel,

Ez. 25:7 indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”

√ Judgment on Ammon

The people of Ammon had a long history of conflict with the children of Israel.

Jephtah a Judge of Israel delivered Israel from the harassment of the Ammonites.

King Saul fought against the Ammonites to rescue the city of Jabesh Gilead.

David conquered the capital city of Ammon.

Ammon joined with the Moabites and Edomites in a unsuccessful attempt to destroy Jehoshaphat (God delivered His people).

However, because of Solomon’s unfaithfulness God allowed the Ammonites to throw off the yoke of Israel. Later they began to attack Judah hoping to gain land for themselves (and water ~ the Jordan).

Then during the rule of Zedekiah they joined with Judah and Tyre to try and liberate themselves from Babylon’s rule.

But, when Nebuchadnezzar came to attack Jerusalem the people of Ammon did not help the Jewish people as they had promised to do.

Brings us up to this section of Ezekiel where we find God’s anger raised against the Ammonites because they rejoiced at Judah’s judgment therefore they would now be judged!

“Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary 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…” ~ vs. 3

And vs. 6…

“Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel…”

So, because the people of Ammon rejoiced over the downfall of Jerusalem…

…God would cause them to fall at the hands of the “people of the east” (vs. 4) a reference to the nomadic tribes of the Arabian desert.

Historically the people of Ammon were in fact overrun by, and intermarried with the Arab tribes so that today there are no true Ammonites as predicted by God in vs. 7!

In fact the people of modern day Jordan are primarily identified as Arab with king Abdullah II claiming a direct lineage to Muhammad!

Judgment on Moab (vs.8-11)

Ez. 25:8 “Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations,’

Ez. 25:9 therefore, behold, I will clear the territory of Moab of cities, of the cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kirjathaim.

Ez. 25:10 To the men of the East I will give it as a possession, together with the Ammonites, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.

Ez. 25:11 And I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”

√ Judgment on Moab

The next in line for God’s judgment is the kingdom of Moab, not to be confused with the restaurant of the same name in Modesto …

“Mean On A Bun” (a hamburger)

Rather, Moab was the kingdom to the south of the Ammonites.

The people of Ammon and Moab were cousins, and 2^nd cousins to the people of Israel!

Lot’s sons Moab and Ben-ammi are the progenitors of the Moabites and Ammonites (ref. Gen. 19:37-38).

Lot was Abraham’s nephew.

However, like the Ammonites the Moabites warred with the children of Israel over many generations until David defeated them and put them under tribute.

√ Ezekiel’s time

Fast forward to the time of Ezekiel’s prophecy and we find that the Moabites, like the Ammonites, rejoiced at the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of God’s people.

Their sin was a little different from that of Ammon in that they saw Jerusalem’s fall as proof that the Jews were no different than any other people.

Note vs. 8…

“Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations”

Their implication is that the Jewish people, and the city of Jerusalem were not central in God’s plans for the nations of the world!

As such they were calling into question the validity of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12!

God doesn’t like it when people call Him a liar!

So, God predicts that the people of Moab will suffer the same judgment as the people of Ammon.

They would be overrun by the “people of the east”, that is the Arabian tribes of the desert.

Historically they suffered the same fate as the Ammonites and today do not exist as a unique ethnic group.

Judgment on Edom (vs.12-14)

Ez. 25:12 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,”

Ez. 25:13 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman (a city about 3 miles from Sela/Petra); Dedan shall fall by the sword.

Ez. 25:14 I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,” says the Lord GOD.

√ Judgment on Edom

Edom was the southern-most kingdom on Judah’s eastern border.

Like the people of Ammon and Moab the Edomites were relatives of the Jewish people being descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau.

Their history of conflict with Israel began during the Exodus when Moses asked the king of Edom for permission to pass through their country on the King’s Highway.

They fought back and forth until David conquered them and put them under tribute.

During the reign of king Jehoram of Judah the Edomites finally secured their independence.

Fast forward to the time of Ezekiel and we find that while Edom and Judah had a long history of conflict they were willing to put aside their differences to rebel against Babylon.

The sin for which God judged them is that when Judah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar…

…the Edomites double-crossed the Jews and joined with the Babylonians in the attack against Judah!

So, God declares that they would receive the same treatment from Him as they had treated Judah!

“I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,”

Historically the Edomites were conquered by the Nabateans (who ruled from Petra/Sela) and forced to live in the Negev where they came to be known as the Idumeans (the name the Greeks gave them).

During the silent years between Malachi and Matthew the Edomites (Idumeans) were forced to become Jewish converts and thereby lost both country and their national identity!

Like the people of Ammon and Moab the Edomites no longer exist as a unique ethnic people.

Judgment on Philistia (vs.15-17)

Ez. 25:15 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,”

Ez. 25:16 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast.

Ez. 25:17 I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them.” ’ ”

√ Judgment on Philistia

God’s prediction of judgment now moves from the kingdoms to the East of Judah to the county to the West…

…Philistia.

Like the three previous kingdoms the Philistines had a long history of conflict with the people of Judah and Israel.

Unlike the kingdoms of Ammon, Moab and Edom, the Philistines were not related to the Jews.

Their origin is unknown though modern archeology suggests that their language, pottery, and building techniques suggest they came from the area of the Aegean Sea.

Some have even found evidence to suggest that they were the remnants of the peoples who escaped from Troy after it fell to Greece!

They lived along the coastal plain of Israel, which today is the area shared by Israel and the Palestinian controlled Gaza Strip.

√ Judgment

God’s reasoning for judging the Philistines is that they held onto to their hatred of God’s people and used the occasion of Babylon’s invasion of Judah as an opportunity to try and destroy the Jews, note vs. 15…

“Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred”

So, God promised to take vengeance upon the Philistines and in fact they disappeared as a people group in the two centuries before the birth of Jesus.

Ap. The so-called Palestinians are not Philistines

Yasser Arafat falsely claimed that he and his people are the descendants of the Biblical Philistines.

Makes for good press but has no historical, archeological, or genealogical merit!

The people called “Palestinians” are ethnically related to the Arabian tribes of the surrounding nations and trace their lineage to the Arab-Muslim conquest of the 7^th Century AD.

So, the reality is that God’s prophecy concerning the Philistines came to pass…

…they have ceased to be a people because of their sinful attitude and actions against God’s people.

Close

√ Judgment on the nations

Chapter 25 gives us a good preview of what this next section is of prophecy contains…

God’s judgment upon those nations who cursed His people…

…the descendants of Abraham!

It’s history that no one should ignore because God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 remains in force to this day.

While we may not agree with everything that Israel does, none the less it is to any nations benefit to heed the instruction and warning of the Abrahamic Covenant.

God promised…

Gen. 12:3 I will bless those who bless you,

And I will curse him who curses you;

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Ap. What about the US?

If our next president doesn’t continue the tradition of standing up for Israel, if instead he/she abandon’s Israel…

…then the US may well experience the judgment of God.

Perhaps that’s why the US isn’t mentioned as a significant player in the Bible record?

Pray for Israel ~ you’ll be blessed for blessing God’s chosen people.