In The Word
Jeremiah 49:1-33
Prophecy against Ammon
Concerning the sons of Ammon. Thus says the Lord:
“Does Israel have no sons?
Or has he no heirs?
Why then has Malcam taken possession of Gad
And his people settled in its cities?
“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“That I will cause a trumpet blast of war to be heard
Against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon;
And it will become a desolate heap,
And her towns will be set on fire.
Then Israel will take possession of his possessors,”
Says the Lord.
“Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed!
Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah,
Gird yourselves with sackcloth and lament,
And rush back and forth inside the walls;
For Malcam will go into exile
Together with his priests and his princes.
“How boastful you are about the valleys!
Your valley is flowing away,
O backsliding daughter
Who trusts in her treasures, saying,
‘Who will come against me?’
“Behold, I am going to bring terror upon you,”
Declares the Lord God of hosts,
“From all directions around you;
And each of you will be driven out headlong,
With no one to gather the fugitives together.
“But afterward I will restore
The fortunes of the sons of Ammon,”
Declares the Lord.
Prophecy against Edom
Concerning Edom.
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman?
Has good counsel been lost to the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
“Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths,
O inhabitants of Dedan,
For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him
At the time I punish him.
“If grape gatherers came to you,
Would they not leave gleanings?
If thieves came by night,
They would destroy only until they had enough.
“But I have stripped Esau bare,
I have uncovered his hiding places
So that he will not be able to conceal himself;
His offspring has been destroyed along with his relatives
And his neighbors, and he is no more.
“Leave your orphans behind, I will keep them alive;
And let your widows trust in Me.”
For thus says the Lord, “Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink it, and are you the one who will be completely acquitted? You will not be acquitted, but you will certainly drink it. For I have sworn by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah will become an object of horror, a reproach, a ruin and a curse; and all its cities will become perpetual ruins.”
I have heard a message from the Lord,
And an envoy is sent among the nations, saying,
“Gather yourselves together and come against her,
And rise up for battle!”
“For behold, I have made you small among the nations,
Despised among men.
“As for the terror of you,
The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,
O you who live in the clefts of the rock,
Who occupy the height of the hill.
Though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s,
I will bring you down from there,” declares the Lord.
“Edom will become an object of horror; everyone who passes by it will be horrified and willhiss at all its wounds. Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors,” says the Lord, “no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it. Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan against a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make him run away from it, and whoever is chosen I shall appoint over it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd who can stand against Me?”
Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has planned against Edom, and His purposes which He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them. The earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the Red Sea. Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle and spread out His wings against Bozrah; and the hearts of the mighty men of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
Prophecy against Damascus
Concerning Damascus.
“Hamath and Arpad are put to shame,
For they have heard bad news;
They are disheartened.
There is anxiety by the sea,
It cannot be calmed.
“Damascus has become helpless;
She has turned away to flee,
And panic has gripped her;
Distress and pangs have taken hold of her
Like a woman in childbirth.
“How the city of praise has not been deserted,
The town of My joy!
“Therefore, her young men will fall in her streets,
And all the men of war will be silenced in that day,” declares the Lord of hosts.
“I will set fire to the wall of Damascus,
And it will devour the fortified towers of Ben-hadad.”
Prophecy against Kedar and Hazor
Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. Thus says the Lord,
“Arise, go up to Kedar
And devastate the men of the east.
“They will take away their tents and their flocks;
They will carry off for themselves
Their tent curtains, all their goods and their camels,
And they will call out to one another, ‘Terror on every side!’
“Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths,
O inhabitants of Hazor,” declares the Lord;
“For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you
And devised a scheme against you.
“Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease,
Which lives securely,” declares the Lord.
“It has no gates or bars;
They dwell alone.
“Their camels will become plunder,
And their many cattle for booty,
And I will scatter to all the winds those who cut the corners of their hair;
And I will bring their disaster from every side,” declares the Lord.
“Hazor will become a haunt of jackals,
A desolation forever;
No one will live there,
Nor will a son of man reside in it.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Judgement was pronounced against Ammon, because they took the dwelling place of the tribe of Gad. Just because judgment fell on Israel, did not give Ammon the right to possess the territory given to Gad. The land was to remain desolate until the Lord brought back the captives to their rightful inheritance. The Ammonites brought in Molech, their national deity, to be worshipped in the territory of Gad. God still held the nations around Israel accountable. They were to understand that Israel proclaimed the name of the true God through their covenants with Him. Any nation that worshipped a false god would be judged because of the example He made of Israel.
As Christians, we set the example to those around us who do not know Yahshua. The people who hear our witnessing are then more accountable to God for their sin (John 3:19).
The second prophecy is against Edom; these are the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. The accountability was not overlooked by God. Every nation surrounding Israel witnessed their destruction by Babylon. Some of these verses indicate the future position of these nations at the end time. Verses 16-20 suggest that Teman and Petra were made uninhabitable in preparation for the end times. Petra is believed to be the place Israel will hide from the anti-Christ during the great tribulation (Revelation 12:6). In verses 28-33, judgment is pronounced on Kedar and Hazor. These people would often conduct raids on the people of Israel. God is aware of every evil deed done against His chosen people (Romans 8:31).