Judging the "ites"

When Israel became a country again in 1948, they were attacked by the Arab league of five surrounding nations. Today Israel has many enemies, nations who hate Israel. They are surrounded by Islamic nations, in every direction there are 22 nations who are enemies of Israel. Israel has only one true friend, the United States, but this friendship has been strained. The rise of Islam from the Arab Spring has brought more tension to the middle east. Iran is a direct threat with the development of nuclear weapons.

God has a covenant with Israel. In the time of Ezekiel the northern tribe of Israel had sinned and turned from God. They were dispersed among the nations. In Chapter 34 of Ezekiel, we have the nation of Judea and Jerusalem under siege. Some say this prophecy was five years later. This was the judgment of God on an idolatrous and rebellious nation, and yet God has a love for Jerusalem and his people and would punish her enemies.

Deu 30:7 And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Through Jesus all nations who receive him are blessed. The United States was founded on Christian ideas. The two most hated nations by the Islamic world are the United States and Israel. Many in Islamic countries cheered when our towers fell. More recently at the Democratic presidential convention, God and Jerusalem were booed by half of the people there. God and Jerusalem play a big part in end time events. God remembers who comes against Jerusalem and they will be punished.

In this lesson Ezekiel speaks judgment on four nations surrounding Judah.

The Ammonites

Eze 25:1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Eze 25:2 Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them;
Eze 25:3 And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;

Descendants of Lot's daughters.

Gen 19:34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
Gen 19:35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
Gen 19:36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
Gen 19:37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
Gen 19:38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

The Ammonites settled east of the Jordan. Their language was similar to Hebrew. They were long time enemies of Israel.

Amo 1:13 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:
Amo 1:14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind:
Amo 1:15 And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD.

Their undoing was to say aha, which was a cry of joy over Judah's being attacked by King Nebuccadnezzar.

Eze 25:4 Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.

The Ammonites were to be overrun by men of the east; probably nomadic tribes from Arabia.

Eze 25:5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couchingplace for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Rabbah was the royal city of Ammon.

Eze 25:6 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel;
Eze 25:7 Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

So Ammon was given a double prophecy, and was to be judged because she greatly rejoiced in the ruin of Jerusalem and Judea. God would stretch out his hand to them that had shouted aha, clapped their hands and stamped their feet at the destruction of God's covenant people. This would be the end of the Ammonites. Do not be an enemy of God or his people, for he is watching. Do not join in with others against the things that God loves; nor side with the things that God hates.

The Moabites

Eze 25:8 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen;
Eze 25:9 Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim,
Eze 25:10 Unto the men of the east with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.
Eze 25:11 And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Moab was east of the Dead Sea and south of Ammon. Seir was another name for Edom. Moab and the surrounding nations had an alliance with Israel, but when the Chaldeans came to destroy Jerusalem, they were enemies to her.

Jer 27:3 And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;
Jer 27:4 And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;
Jer 27:5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
Jer 27:6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

Moabs sin was they were glad to see Judah humbled, they hated God's people. They were similar to the Ammonites, being glad that Judah was taken down.

Rom 12:14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Rom 12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Rom 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

The Edomites

Eze 25:12 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;
Eze 25:13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.
Eze 25:14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.

Edom was an enemy of Israel throughout history. The refused to allow the people led by Moses to cross their land. Their transgression was to seek vengeance on Israel. Kick them when they were down, take advantage.

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

I will lay my vengeance upon Edom - God will not allow men to insult those whom he has cast down. His judgment is sufficient; to add more is an insult to God.

By the hand of may people Israel - This was fulfilled by the Maccabees, who not only defeated them and brought them under complete subjection,

The Philistines, the Cherethites.

Eze 25:15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred;
Eze 25:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.
Eze 25:17 And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

Philistine comes from the word Palestine. They are descendants of Ham.

Samson fought the Philistines.

Jdg 15:14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
Jdg 15:15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
Jdg 15:16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.

 

David fought the Philistine giant, Goliath

1Sa 17:45  Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 

1Sa 17:46  This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 

1Sa 17:47  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands. 

1Sa 17:48  And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 

1Sa 17:49  And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 

1Sa 17:50  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 

God said "behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines;"

Jer 47:4 Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.

And I will execute great vengeance upon them -

Isa 14:31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

They were judged as was Edom for their taking vengeance from a heart of hatred. 

Nebuchadnezzar punished them because they had assisted the Tyrians during the time he was besieging their city.

Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

How do we profit from this lesson? Remember that God loves his people and will avenge those who come against them. We are not to rejoice in another's misfortune. Have a humble heart. Fear God and love one another. Forgive offenses and let God correct the transgressors; He does a much better job of it.