Ezekiel 35:2–15

The prophets keep pointing to Edom's dealings with Israel, and God judges Edom for its perpetual hatred of them. Ezek. 35:5. God once stirred up the king of Edom to punish Israel (1 Kings 11:14). Later He strengthened Israel to punish Edom. 2 Chr. 25:10-11. Some of the prophecies however extend to the future. Edom took pleasure in the punishment of Judah when judgment was falling upon it. Of Jerusalem they said, "Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!" Ps. 137:7, showing, as other passages do too, the hatred and jealousy of the descendants of Esau.

This threat is all the more solemn because it stands in contrast with the promise of goodness and mercy to Israel just before it. It was this very blessing, given by God's grace to the chosen people, that from the beginning stirred the growing bitterness of their relatives. They looked with resentment on the blessing promised to Israel, and they looked from their own heights of proud self-confidence.

This is where the Edomite's lasting grudge and hatred against the Israelite comes from. And that hatred is really against God, against God's thoughts and ways. So no wonder it gets special attention here, just when Israel comes into his blessing. That is also the time when God casts Edom out for good.

God notices the feelings of the heart, and He makes distinctions in judgment, as He does in everything else. Israel had many proud enemies. Which of them was not willing to harm the people of Jehovah's choice? But He fixes His eyes on "the old enmity" of Edom. He fixes them on a hardness that was crueller than usual in the day of Israel's disaster, "at the time of the iniquity of the end." There was not a scrap of generosity in it. Natural family feeling had turned bitter as poison. His own people had shamefully dishonoured Him, and He was chastening them in measure. Who were the Edomites to take advantage of that, to crush without measure and destroy without mercy?

There is no doubt that Edom is the special object of judgment in the last days. But the passages you quote refer to the time when Israel will be in their land, and the Lord has come down to judgment. Ezekiel 35 does point directly to the time of the Babylonian captivity, when Edom, Jacob's rival, gloated over the ruin of Jerusalem. It also goes on to the final desolation of Mount Seir.

The enmity a man nurses in his soul will end up pursuing him. And when that enmity is against God and against His grace, however he may disguise it, God must judge it as such, and the end is sure.

Let us take the lesson to heart, for we can easily fall into the same spirit as the Edomite. Jeremiah saw the failures and sins of God's people, but he wept over them. Daniel and other godly men confessed those sins as their own. The spirit of the Edomite is different: bitter hatred against people who are still the people of God, however they may have failed. That spirit is especially displeasing to Him.

God notices the feelings of the heart, and He makes distinctions in judgment as He does everywhere else. Israel had many proud enemies. Which of them was not ready to harm the people Jehovah had chosen? But He fixes His eyes on "the old enmity" of Edom, and on a cruelty that went beyond its usual measure in the day of Israel's trouble, "at the time of the iniquity of the end." There was not an atom of generosity in it. Natural feeling had turned bitter. His people had shamefully dishonoured Him, and He was correcting them in measure. Who were the Edomites to use that as their chance to crush without measure and destroy without mercy?

Simply 'since.' Ezek. 35:6.

We have already had this in brief in an earlier prophecy, but God returns to dwell on it for the lesson that is in it, a lesson we may all well ponder. Anyone who nurses enmity in his soul will himself be pursued by the enmity he nurses. And when this enmity is against God and against His grace, then however he disguises it, it must be judged as such, and the end is sure.

But the enemy's wrath is not righteous; it is of another character. At bottom it is against Jehovah, as all unbelief is, and that is what comes out here in the end. The question is not between Edom and Israel, but between Edom and God. If they said of the mountains of Israel that they were desolate, was it not true? But they did not see the difference between chastening and rejection. So they said, "They are given us to devour."

The judgment passes on to Edom, the typical enemy of Israel. Edom pictures for us the world of the old man, as we may say — the natural fallen man. He is the most real enemy we have as Christians, and no less so because he is related to us all by nature, just as Edom was the unbrotherly brother of Israel. His enmity is described here as revenge... Nothing is said here about the cause of his enmity, which is in fact built into his nature.

There is no doubt that Edom is the special object of judgment in the last days... Ezekiel 35 refers directly to the time of the Babylonian captivity, when Edom, the rival of Jacob, rejoiced cruelly over the ruin of Jerusalem. It does go on to the final desolation of Mount Seir. Isaiah 63, though, is clearly Christ's personal coming.

Let us take the moral of it to heart, for we may easily fall into the same kind of spirit as the Edomite. Jeremiah saw the failures and sins of God's people, but he wept over them. Daniel and other godly men confessed those sins as their own. The spirit of the Edomite is a different thing: bitter hatred against people who, however they may have failed, are still the people of God. This spirit is especially displeasing to Him.

This is the early name of the long mountain range that runs from about eight miles south of the Salt Sea to near the Gulf of Akaba. It is also called "the land of Seir." The Horites lived there first, and later the descendants of Esau, and it came to be called Edom.

God notices the feelings of the heart, and distinguishes in judgment as He does everywhere else. Israel had many proud enemies. Which of them was not ready to harm the people of Jehovah's choice? But He fixes His eyes on "the old enmity" of Edom, and the relentlessness which was even more cruel than usual in the day of their calamity. Not an atom of generosity was there; natural feeling had turned to gall and wormwood. His own people had shamefully dishonoured Him, yet He was chastening them only in measure. Who were the Edomites to take advantage of that, and to crush without measure and destroy without mercy?

The enmity a man nurses in his soul will turn and pursue him. And when that enmity is against God and against His grace, God will judge it for what it is, however the man may disguise it. The end is sure. Edom is the ancient unbeliever as to God. He sees Israel's land, but he does not see Jehovah's presence in it. So he tries to seize the very thing where he meets Jehovah as his adversary. He receives the bitter fruit of his unbelief as the thing he chose, though he never knew what he was choosing.

The question is not between Edom and Israel, but between Edom and God. If they said of the mountains of Israel that they were desolate, was it not true? But they did not see the difference between chastening and rejection. So they said, "They are given us to devour." Israel may throw themselves out of their own land for a time. Edom can never enjoy it.

The Edomites wanted such a natural fortress because it suited their destiny. They were a very warlike people. At the edge of the desert they lay open to raids by robbers, whether their Ishmaelite relatives or others. So they saw with clear instinct that the rocky homes of Mount Seir would be an excellent means of easy defence against surprise.

Mount Seir is the stronghold of the flesh, the fortress of godless man. But Edom would be pulled down from his high nest. In the end he would lose his high perch and be brought low. And so shall all proud thoughts and pretentious strongholds of the flesh be laid in the dust!

There is no doubt that Edom is the special object of judgment in the last days... Ezekiel 35 has in view the time of the Babylonian captivity. At that time Edom, Jacob's rival, gloated over the ruin of Jerusalem. But it goes on to the final desolation of Mount Seir.

The emphasis is very strong. Blood flows and pursues the blood-thirsty Edomites. More than that, they themselves become perpetual desolations, their mountains and valleys filled with their slain, and their cities never rebuilt. So they would know Him to be Jehovah.

Yet I may add a warning for any careless soul who may glance over these pages. It was awful to learn in this way that He who had so spoken and acted is Jehovah, seen in the chastening of Israel and the judgment of the nations. Far more awful must be His dealing with every soul in Christendom who trifles with the name and word of the Lord now.

Mount Seir is Edom's possession, a "rough," or "rugged place," as the word means. Esau has chosen for himself; therefore he has not chosen well. Does anyone ever choose well who chooses for himself?

Yet Jacob's portion appealed to Edom too. But his craving for it only stirred up hatred in his heart against its owner. So Edom is the typical enemy of Israel all through his history.

Edom hated them with a hatred that never ended. In the day of their disaster he took revenge, and he tried to seize the two countries of Israel and Judah (Ezekiel 35:5, 10). Edom becomes the possession of Israel.

We may say again: laying hands on Israel like this, this contempt and hatred of Zion, whether by the Assyrian, by Babylon, by Edom, or anyone else, is a bold act. It shows contempt and defiance of God Himself, because God was with Israel. As Ezekiel puts it, "the LORD was there." The enemies of Israel ought to have felt this. Even if they served as the Lord's rod on His people, they should have done their work remembering what Israel was or had been.

Edom is the ancient unbeliever about God. He sees Israel's land, but he does not see Jehovah's presence in it. So he thinks he can seize the very thing where he will find Jehovah as his adversary, and the bitter fruit of his unbelief is given to him as the thing he really chose.

But the enemy's wrath is not righteous; it is of another character. It is against Jehovah at bottom, as all unbelief is; and this is what comes out in the result here. The question is not between Edom and Israel, but between Edom and God. If they said of the mountains of Israel that they were desolate, was it not true? But they did not see the difference between discipline and rejection. So they said, "They are given us to devour."

The Land — "My Land," whatever its state or divisions. It is Jehovah's Land, and if the people fail in every way, it falls into His hands. He only entrusted it to Israel. The Gentiles have no right to it except through Israel's sin, and no right at all against the Lord.

There is no doubt that Edom is the special object of judgment in the last days... Ezekiel 35 refers directly to the time of the Babylonian captivity, when Edom, Jacob's rival, took cruel delight in the ruin of Jerusalem. But it goes on to the final desolation of Mount Seir.

They too forget that God is truly in His saints... A bad conscience rouses the evil of the natural heart. No words are too bitter, no insinuations too vile, against those who at this moment are holding to the revealed will of the Lord for the church... What people say against the church and its privileges, where these are truly understood and acted on, is no light sin in God's eyes. As with Israel of old, so now: what is said with contempt against His people, who hold in their weakness to His grace and word, He treats as said against Himself — "I have heard."