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? ({vi 473-483}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 13:5), 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, ({vi 30507-30509}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 prophecies of Jeremiah 46 to 51, together with those of Ezekiel 25 to 32, present this line of things,—God’s dealings with a guilty world, apart from His punishment of His own people, (See also {vi 30464-30465}1 Peter 4:17, 18,)
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 {vi 22814-22817}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 137:7; Amos 1:11, and Obadiah, verses 12 to 14.) Verse 14, for its fulfillment, waits upon Israel’s recovery in the last days (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.
ML-11/24/1935