Week 27 Ezekiel
The bible I use has bolded headings along the top of each page – added subtitles that tip me off about the contents of that page. When I start on chapter 25 today I see that the header says: Prophesies against Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia. I flip forward a few pages and see more international prophecies: a long section on Tyre & Sidon and another on Egypt. I’m looking at eight chapters of judgments about other nations.
Yesterday I read a long list of forbidden-and-deadly actions that Israel was practicing so I’m kind of expecting the same with the foreign nations. But so far today no long lists. What I do see is that each state had a similar problem. They all disliked Israel.
Ammon is criticized: because you scoffed when my Temple was desecrated.
Moab is criticized because it said: Judah is just like all the other nations.
The Philistine confederation: acted against Judah out of revenge and long-standing contempt.
And Tyre was happy to see the fall of Jerusalem because it figured: I am the heir!…I will become wealthy!
I don’t have time to follow-up on this but I think it’s pretty safe to say that these states were guilty of more than just mocking out Israel and taking advantage of Jerusalem’s fall. But here Ezekiel says their unfriendliness hostility and antagonism toward Israel is a prime and common flaw.
In the bible’s solar system Israel’s the sun.
Note: quotes from Ezekiel 25:3 & 6, 8, 15, 26:2 (NLT)