In The Word
Read: Ezekiel 25-26
Judgment on Gentile Nations—Ammon
25 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against the sons of Ammon and prophesy against them, 3 and say to the sons of Ammon, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God! This is what the Lord God says: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile, 4 therefore, behold, I am going to give you to the people of the east as a possession, and they will set up their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5 I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and the sons of Ammon a resting place for flocks. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” 6 For this is what the Lord Godsays: “Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, and have rejoiced with all the malice in your soul against the land of Israel, 7 therefore, behold, I have reached out with My hand against you and I will give you as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and eliminate you from the lands. I will exterminate you. So you will know that I am the Lord.”
Moab
8 ‘The Lord God says this: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,’ 9 therefore, behold, I am going to deprive the flank of Moab of its cities, of its cities which are on its frontiers, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim; 10 and I will give it as a possession along with the sons of Ammon to the people of the east, so that the sons of Ammon will not be remembered among the nations. 11 So I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
Edom
12 ‘The Lord God says this: “Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred great guilt, and avenged themselves upon them,” 13 therefore this is what the Lord God says: “I will also reach out with My hand against Edom and eliminate human and animal life from it. And I will turn it into ruins; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword. 14 And I will inflict My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel. Therefore, they will act in Edom in accordance with My anger and My wrath; so they will know My vengeance,” declares the Lord God.
Philistia
15 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Because the Philistines have acted in revenge, and have taken vengeance with malice in their souls to destroy with everlasting hostility,” 16 therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am going to reach out with My hand against the Philistines and eliminate the Cherethites; and I will destroy the remnant of the seacoast. 17 I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes; and they will know that I am the Lord, when I inflict My vengeance on them.”’”
Judgment on Tyre
26 Now in the eleventh year, on the first of the month, the word of the Lordcame to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, because Tyre has said in regard to Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste,’ 3 therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and tear down her towers; and I will sweep her debris away from her and make her a bare rock. 5 She will become a dry place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ declares the Lord God; ‘and she will become plunder for the nations.6 Also her daughters who are on the mainland will be killed by the sword, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 For the Lord God says this: “Behold, I am going to bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a great army. 8 He will kill your daughters on the mainland with the sword; and he will make siege walls against you, pile up an assault ramp against you, and raise up a large shield against you. 9 And he will direct the blow of his battering rams against your walls, and he will tear down your towers with his axes.10 Because of the multitude of his horses, the dust raised by them will cover you; your walls will shake from the noise of cavalry, wagons, and chariots when he enters your gates as warriors enter a city that is breached. 11 With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will go down to the ground. 12 Also they will take your riches as spoils and plunder your merchandise, tear down your walls and destroy your delightful houses, and throw your stones, your timbers, and your debris into the water. 13 So I will put an end to the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps will no longer be heard. 14 I will turn you into a bare rock; you will become a dry place for the spreading of nets. You will not be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken,” declares the Lord God.
15 The Lord God says this to Tyre: “Will the coastlands not shake from the sound of your downfall when the wounded groan, when the slaughter takes place in your midst? 16 Then all the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their colorfully woven garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble again and again, and be appalled at you. 17 And they will take up a song of mourning over you and say to you,
‘How you have perished, you inhabited one,
From the seas, you famous city,
Which was mighty on the sea,
She and her inhabitants,
Who imposed her terror
On all her inhabitants!
18 Now the coastlands will tremble
On the day of your downfall;
Yes, the coastlands which are by the sea
Will be horrified at your passing.’”
19 For this is what the Lord God says: “When I make you a desolate city, like the cities which are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you, 20 then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you remain in the lower parts of the earth, like the ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will put glory in the land of the living. 21 I will cause you sudden terrors and you will no longer exist; though you will be sought, you will never be found again,” declares the Lord God.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In 1 Peter 4:17, it says, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
In Chapters 25 and 26, God continued His judgment on the surrounding area’s countries. It seemed that some of these countries were finding pleasure in seeing Judah reduced to ruins, the same end that came to Israel. God had no problem bringing judgment on His own people for their sins, but He didn’t appreciate other’s joy in it (Ezekiel 25:3). Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia and Tyre were all condemned for their jubilation over Jerusalem’s collapse. Some of these nations faced total annihilation.
It is very important that you never look on someone else’s destruction with pleasure. You are seeing the wrath of God begin to work in their life. We are expected to pray for them; you should be weeping for their soul and not enjoying their predicament! It is by the grace of God that you are saved. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”