the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 4 of 5
Ezekiel 25:1-17
As in other prophecies, the announcement of judgments against Israel is now followed by judgments against the nations (see Isaiah 13:1-22; Isaiah 14:1-32; Isaiah 15:1-9; Isaiah 16:1-14; Isaiah 17:1-14; Isaiah 18:1-7; Isaiah 19:1-25; Isaiah 20:1-6; Isaiah 21:1-17; Isaiah 22:1-25; Isaiah 23:1-18; Isaiah 24:1-23; Isaiah 25:1-12; Isaiah 26:1-21; Isaiah 27:1-13; Isaiah 28:1-29; Isaiah 29:1-24; Isaiah 30:1-33; Isaiah 31:1-9; Isaiah 32:1-20; Isaiah 33:1-24; Jeremiah 46:1-28; Jeremiah 47:1-7; Jeremiah 48:1-47; Jeremiah 49:1-39; Jeremiah 50:1-46; Jeremiah 51:1-64). We have already been shown in Ezekiel 21:1-32, the king of Babylon hesitating to attack Rabbath of the Ammonites before Jerusalem, and on that occasion vv. 28-32 of the same chapter announced the chastisement of these descendants of Lot, perpetual enemies of Israel. Spared for the time being, Ammon, instead of learning from his experience, rejoiced in a cowardly way over the blows that smote the sanctuary, the despised land of Israel and the kingdom of Judah (vv. 3, 6). They laughed at Israel in their misfortunes (Proverbs 17:5). But the LORD "surely . . . scorneth the scorners", Proverbs 3:34 also declares, and is quoted in the New Testament, "God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble" (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). It is certainly pride that characterises Ammon and his brother Moab (Zephaniah 2:8; Isaiah 16:6). The LORD will humble them and give their land in possession to pillaging nomads (vv. 4, 10).
Edom and Philistia are equally most guilty. Each took advantage of Israel’s ruin to take vengeance "with a despiteful heart . . . for the old hatred" (vv. 12, 15). In their turn they will be the objects of the LORD’s vengeance.
