Prophecies Against the Nations
9/22 Reading Portions: 2 Samuel 18; 2 Corinthians 11; Ezekiel 25; Psalm 73
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9/22 Reading Portions: 2 Samuel 18; 2 Corinthians 11; Ezekiel 25; Psalm 73
Ezekiel 25:1
The word of the LORD came to me:
BATTLE
At this point in Ezekiel’s ministry, YHVH God tells the prophet to prophesy against several nations. While this presents an interesting truth of God’s holy character and His warnings to unbelievers, everything from this chapter until the end of the thirty-second chapter presents spiritual insights to you and me as redeemed saints, spiritually and allegorically speaking. In chapter 25, these nations represent a type of corrupt and sinful flesh. In chapters 26 through 28, Tyre and Sidon represent types of the kingdom of darkness, with the judgments upon the king of Tyre presenting insights into the fall of Lucifer in the Garden of Eden (Ezek 28:11-19). Finally, the prophecies against Egypt and Pharaoh represent the unbelieving world. These three forces, spiritually speaking, are that which you and I must do battle with every day, for the weapons of our warfare are spiritual and not carnal (2 Cor 10:3-4). Moreover, by the spiritual warfare we engage in as believers, this is how judgment begins in the household of God (1 Pet 4:17). Today, let us gird ourselves for battle against the flesh, as represented by these nations, especially since the flesh hates God, hates God’s grace, hates God’s Son, and hates God’s gospel concerning our Lord Jesus. The Ammonites, descendants of Lot, rejoiced over the profaning of God’s sanctuary. As we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20), the flesh loves it when we sin and mocks the power of God’s grace in Christ when we do (Ezek 25:3). The Moabites are also descendants of Lot, who deny God’s grace and special relationship God’s people have with their Redeemer (Ezek 25:8); therefore, the flesh will attempt to convince us that we are no different than the reprobate unbeliever. The Edomites, descendants of Esau, called Edom because he sold his birthright for something to eat (just like Adam), took vengeance upon Judah and grievously offended God’s people (Ezek 25:12); thus, the flesh rises to cause us to sin, seeking revenge against us each time we are empowered unto love and good works by God’s grace. Finally, the Philistines, idolatrous Canaanites in the land, maliciously took vengeance upon God’s people with unrelenting, destructive hatred (Ezek 25:15); thus, the flesh will never relent or ease up until the Lord Jesus returns, and by His return, we corrupt mortals put on incorruption and immortality (1 Cor 15:52-54; 1 Jn 3:2). Until then, our best action in battle against the flesh is to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 5-6), responding in love and godly fear to the love of God in Christ because He has justified us by His grace (Titus 3:7), producing good, gospel works so we encourage others in God’s grace, having believed God’s gracious gospel ourselves (Titus 3:8).