Ezekiel 35:1-36:15

“Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you; I will stretch out My hand against you and make you most desolate. I shall lay your cities waste, and you shall be desolate. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 35:3–4, NKJV)

Mount Seir was in Edom, and the Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. They had a long history of antagonism against their relatives Israel. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, the Edomites would not allow them to pass through their land, even though Moses promised them that they would not drink any of their water or pass through their fields or vineyards. But Edom flatly refused and threatened Israel with the sword (Numbers 20:18). Now when God was judging Judah and using King Nebuchadnezzar as His servant to destroy Jerusalem, Edom sought to confiscate his brother’s land. The Edomites had nursed an ancient hatred and now took advantage of Judah’s calamity. In their anger and envy, they had shed Israel’s blood, so now God would shed their blood. Their land would be perpetually desolate and their cities would be uninhabited. Then they would know that Yahweh is GOD.

Today as we watch events unfold in the Middle East, we see ancient hatreds being acted out against Israel. Israel’s enemies love to shed blood and want to rid Palestine of the Jews “from the River to the Sea”. In one sense, nothing has changed in thousands of years. Because of anger, envy and hatred people have sought to destroy Israel, or at the very least, they have disrespected the Jews and spoken evil against them. But God will judge them for slandering His people. Those who seek to harm Israel will themselves be harmed. As J. Vernon McGee once quipped, “Israel has attended the funeral of all her enemies.”

In chapter 36, the LORD told Ezekiel to prophesy to the mountains of Israel.

“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame. But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come.’” (Ezekiel 36:7–8, NKJV)

God would make Israel’s enemies desolate, but He would bless the land He promised to Abraham and regather the Jews to dwell in it. All of this is so that Israel may know that Yahweh is GOD.