Ezekiel 25 Devotional
By Pastor Lawrence

This chapter stands at the beginning of a third major section in the book of Ezekiel (chs. 25-32). Although judgment has begun at the house of God, now God’s people will hear something about God’s judgment on their enemies as well, for Ezekiel is given seven prophecies against the pagan nations surrounding Israel: Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon and Egypt. And in each of these prophecies, the Lord tells Ezekiel to set his face against these nations to speak forth God’s judgment upon them. Strangely though, God never sends Ezekiel to speak directly to any of these nations, for these prophecies are not revealed for their sake but rather for the sake of God’s people who have suffered at their hands. Notice that instead of pointing out the specific immoralities of the pagans as the Lord had done for Judah and Israel, Ezekiel focuses primarily on how these nations have treated Israel. It is because they have cursed Israel that they themselves would be cursed just as the Lord promised Abraham many years prior.

The first nation that Ezekiel speaks against is Ammon for clapping their hands, stomping their feet and rejoicing over the profanation of God’s sanctuary and the desolation of God’s people saying “Aha!” Because they rejoiced in Israel’s calamity, the Lord would rejoice in their calamity bringing the peoples of the East to plunder all their goods, to eat all their fruit, and to drink all their milk. Their capital city of Rabbah would experience the same fate as Jerusalem for God would turn the city into a mere pastureland where camels and sheep would graze in the same place that the once proud Ammonites gallivanted. And at that time, when God would destroy their city, they would know that the Lord is God.

Ezekiel also prophesies against Moab for saying, “Behold the house of Judah is like all the other nations.” In other words, there is nothing special about these people and there is nothing special about their god. The Lord God would not take this blasphemy lightly but would surely bring his righteous judgment upon the Moabites as well giving their cities also to the peoples of the East so that they would not be remembered as anything special.

Ezekiel then prophesies against Edom for not only mocking Judah but for actively attacking her and helping the Babylonians to breach her walls, handing over her survivors and plundering her goods. Because of her ongoing jealousy against Israel, she acted vengefully against her. Therefore God would bring forth his vengeance upon them pouring out his wrath in full. Likewise, Ezekiel turns his face against Philistia for acting vengefully to destroy God’s people so he pronounces God’s vengeance upon them. And at the time of their destruction they too would know that God is the Lord. Of course, that wouldn’t mean that they would follow Him as His servants but that they would acknowledge his power and authority over them and all things.

We must understand that these are all temporary judgments that would be meted out by God upon the surrounding nations not immediately but in the near future. The purpose of these prophecies was to assure God’s people of the Lord’s sovereignty over the nations, of his righteous judgment in all things and the fact that He sees the sufferings of his people and will intervene on their behalf at the appointed time. In the meantime, God’s people would have to wait and trust the Lord to do what is right. Of course, these judgments were all mere foretastes of the final judgment still yet to come when Christ returns to earth to claim his rightful throne on earth. Thus this is not the final word concerning the nations. The Lord is purposefully slow in keeping his promise concerning the final judgment not wishing that any should perish, but that all the nations might repent and believe the good news of the gospel of Jesus. Then, on that final day, men and women from every nation will know that God alone is both Savior and Lord.