Ezekiel: For His Gloryഉദാഹരണം

As the Babylonian army bears down on Jerusalem, the focus shifts from judgment against Israel to judgment against its surrounding nations (Ezek. 25–32). The structure of these prophetic oracles against the nations is like a seesaw.* Oracles against six nations (25:1 – 28:23, a total of ninety-seven verses) are balanced by oracles against Egypt (29:1 – 32:32, also a total of ninety-seven verses). The fulcrum that balances these two sets of oracles is a message for Israel (28:24–26). 

In relation to the land of Israel, these nations are addressed in clockwise order. Ammon to the east is first (25:1– 7), followed by Moab (vv. 8–11), Edom to the south (vv. 12–14), and Philistia to the west (vv. 15–17). The oracles have the same general structure:    

• A reason for the judgment.    
• A judgment outlined (introduced by ‘therefore …’).    
• The outcome – God is recognized for who He is (‘Then they/you will know that I am the Lord’). 

The reason for God’s judgment against Ammon and Moab is similar. Both of these nations laughed and gloated when Jerusalem was attacked and the people taken away (vv. 3, 6, 8). Edom and Philistine were also similar in their motivation: revenge against Israel (vv. 12, 15). These old adversaries of Israel wanted to get even, so they grabbed their chance to act maliciously against God’s people. 

But Israel will have the last laugh because God will pay back these nations for their actions. God will punish these nations, bringing destruction to them, including by the hand of nomads from the Arabian desert (vv. 4, 10; cf. Jer. 49:28). 

The outcome is that God will be universally recognized for who He is. In His acts of judgment, He will be seen as the one and only true and living God. He is the king over not just Israel but over all nations on earth.

Reflection

Today God is not recognized by all as the King of the universe. But a day will come when all nations will face God’s judgment. Then everyone will recognize His sovereignty and that of His Son (Rom. 14:10–11; Phil. 2:10–11).

*Block, Daniel I., The Book of Ezekiel: Chapters 25-48 in The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), pp. 3–5.