Ezekiel 25-26 It Won't Pay To Work Against Israel

God wasn’t just punishing His own people, the Jews.  He was also “judging the Gentiles for the way they had treated His people, because this was the covenant promise He had made with Abraham,” my commentary said.

The people of Ammon and Moab were blood relatives of the Jews.  Abraham’s nephew, Lot, had committed incest with his two daughters, and Ammon and Moab were sons who resulted from this sin.  What had the nation of Ammon done to Israel?  “The Ammonites had breathed a sigh of relief and had been joyful when they saw Jerusalem ruined and the temple desecrated …”  Just being thrilled at what was happening to God’s people was enough to make God decide to wipe Ammon off the map forever.

And as for Moab?  “The sin of Moab was slander against Israel, a refusal to see the Jews as God’s special people,” my commentary said.  “If you are such a special nation,” they argued, “why have you experienced such a humiliating defeat?” my commentary noted.

Edom was made up of descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother.  Esau had foolishly traded his birthright to Jacob and Jacob also had connived to steal his father’s blessing away from Esau as well.  This led to a longstanding hatred of their blessed relatives, to the point that when the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem, Edom cheered, and they refused to assist the refugees trying to escape, even helping the Babylonians to capture them!

Ezekiel also prophesied against Philistia (the Philistines).  They’d caused problems for the Jews from the moment the Jews had set foot in the Promised Land.  “They cultivated a national hatred for the Jews, and seized every opportunity to harass and attack them.  God was about to put them out of His way.

Ezekiel also was given a message for Tyre, a city that had decided to profit from Jerusalem’s demise by taking over their role as the region’s trading superpower.  Tyre had once been an ally of Israel’s, when David and Hiram did business together.  But now, just desiring to take Jerusalem’s place was enough to bring God’s judgment, which led to Tyre being scraped off the face of the earth.

It’s clear that God will keep His covenant with Abraham, even long after the patriarch’s death.  Nations curse Israel at their own peril, and if we decide not to support them, God will surely bring to bear His mighty power against us as well.

Father, help us to learn from history not to take sides against You where Israel is concerned.  You’ve already made it abundantly clear what will happen if we do.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford