THE Word of God plainly and repeatedly sets forth as quite distinct the ways of God in the government of His people, on the one hand, and His dealings with the world that does not own Him, on the other. We see for example, Lot, a believer, living in the valley of Sodom instead of on the heights of faith in godly separation like Abraham. And what is God’s action there? (Genesis 19:15-2515And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. 17And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. 18And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: 19Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: 20Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. 21And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. 22Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. 24Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; 25And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. (Genesis 19:15‑25).) He brings Lot out of the place whither his own neglect of what is clue to God had brought him, and afterward destroys Sodom and all its inhabitants, but He does not fail to deal with Lot also, That saint’s conscience must have afflicted him sorely as he realized that all his gains (Genesis 13:55And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. (Genesis 13:5)), all for which he had given up the walk of faith, were gone, and this time, finally (see chapter 14:12, 19). Dishonor marked his last clays on earth, but we shall meet him in the glory, (2 Peter 2:6-86And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:6‑8)) though he be not among the faith-worthies of Hebrews 11.
In the books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, not to speak of others, there is set forth, first, God’s dealing in richly merited rebuke and chastening with His chosen people, Israel. They are punished because they are His and walk contrary to His Word. He has had long patience with them, but He cannot be untrue to Himself, and in due time judgment falls upon the people who profess His name. Then, having’ executed His righteous wrath un these, He turns to their enemies, their neighbors who had oppressed them and rejoiced in their downfall, and He pronounces judgment upon them. Israel remains to this day a people, but Ammon, Moab, Edom,—where are these nations now? Gone from the ken of man under the government of God over this world.
The children of Ammon are first in Ezekiel 25, the reason being, no doubt, that they were Judah’s nearest neighbors, and first to show their delight in Judah’s fall. They were always, enemies of Israel, to whom they were related by blood. What is said of them in verse 3 relates to the time of the desolation of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar at the close of the siege of Jerusalem. They rejoiced at Judah’s fall and captivity, but their joy was short lived, for God visited them.
The children of the east (verse 4) appear to be the Ishmaelites, substantially the Arabs of the desert of the present day, who are the inhabitants of the land of Ammon. Rahbah is now the seat of the government, such as it is, of Transjordania, an Arab kingdom. “Palaces” in verse 4 is really just enclosures for cattle, or tent villages, such as are found today in what was the land of the children of Ammon. (See Zephaniah 2:8-118I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. 9Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. 10This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts. 11The Lord will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. (Zephaniah 2:8‑11).)
Moab and Seir (Edom) were also relatives of Israel, the former like Amnion through Lot, and the latter through. Esau,—the fathers of their nations. These countries, to the east and south of Judah, were glad when the children of Israel, of whom they were jealous, went into captivity. Edom had been revengeful. (See Psalm 137:77Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. (Psalm 137:7); Amos 1:1111Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever: (Amos 1:11), and Obadiah, verses 12 to 14.) Verse 14, for its fulfillment, waits upon Israel’s recovery in the last days (Obadiah 1818And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it. (Obadiah 18)).
The Philistines (verses 15 to 17) were, in their day, powerful enemies of the children of Israel, until David overcame them. Their seeking revenge was to be returned upon their own heads. Today they can not be found.
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