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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ezekiel 35:10–15. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is, I. A further account of the sin of the Edomites, and their bad conduct towards the people of God. We find the church complaining of them for setting on the Babylonians, and irritating them against Jerusalem, saying, Rase it, rase it, down with it, down with it (Psa 137:7), inflaming a rage that needed no spur; here it is further charged upon them that they triumphed in Jerusalem's ruin and in the desolations of the country. Many blasphemies they spoke against the mountains of Israel, saying, with pride and pleasure, They are laid desolate, Eze 35:12. Note, The troubles of God's church, as they give proofs of the constancy and fidelity of its friends, so they discover and draw out the corruptions of its enemies, in whom there then appears more brutish malice than one would have thought of. Now their triumphing in Jerusalem's ruin is here said to proceed, 1. From a sinful passion against the people of Israel; from anger and envy, and hatred against them (Eze 35:11), that perpetual hatred spoken of Eze 35:5. Though they were not a match for them, and therefore could not do them a mischief themselves, yet they were glad when the Chaldeans did them a mischief. 2. From a sinful appetite to the land of Israel. They pleased themselves with hopes that when the people of Israel were destroyed they should be let into the possession of their country, which they had so often grudged and envied them. They thought they could make out something of a title to it, ob defectum sanguinis - for want of other heirs. If Jacob's issue fail, they think that they are next in the entail, and that the remainder will be to his brother's issue: "These two nations of Judah and Israel shall be mine. Now is the time for me to put in for them." At least they hope to come in as first occupants, being near neighbours: We will possess it when it is deserted. Ceditur occupanti - Let us get possession and that will be title enough. Note, Those have the spirit of Edomites who desire the death of others because they hope to get by it, or are pleased with their failing because they expect to come into their business. When we see the vanity of the world in the disappointments, losses, and crosses, that others meet with in it, instead of showing ourselves, upon such an occasion, greedy of it, we should rather be made thereby to sit more loose to it, and both take our affections off it and lower our expectations from it. But in this case of the Edomites' coveting the land of Israel, and gaping for it, there was a particular affront to God, when they said, "These lands are given us to devour, and we shall have our bellies full of their riches." God says, You have boasted against me and have multiplied your words against me; for they expected possession upon a vacancy, because Israel was driven out, whereas the Lord was still there, Eze 35:10. His temple indeed was burnt, and the other tokens of his presence were gone; but his promise to give that land to the seed of Jacob for an inheritance was not made void, but remained in full force and virtue; and by that promise he did in effect still keep possession for Israel, till they should in due time be restored to it. That was Immanuel's land (Isa 8:8); in that land he was to be born, and therefore that people shall continue in it of whom he is to be born, till he has passed his time in it, and then let who will take it. The Lord is there, the Lord Jesus is to be there; and therefore Israel's discontinuance of possession is no defeasance of their right, but it shall be kept for them, and they shall have, hold, and enjoy it by virtue of the divine grant, till the promise of this Canaan shall by the Messiah be changed into the promise of a far better. Note, It is a piece of presumption highly offensive to God for Edomites to lay claim to those privileges and comforts that are peculiar to God's chosen Israel and are reserved for them. It is blasphemy against the mountains of Israel, the holy mountains, to say, because they are for the present made a prey of and trodden under foot of the Gentiles (Rev 11:2), even the holy city itself, that therefore the Lord has forsaken them, their God has forgotten them. The apostle will by no means admit such a thought as this, that God hath cast away his people, Rom 11:1. No; though they are cast down for a time, they are not cast off for ever. Those reproach the Lord who say they are.
II.The notice God took of the barbarous insolence of the Edomites, and the doom passed upon them for it:
I have heard all thy blasphemies, Eze 35:12. And again (Eze 35:13), You have multiplied your words against me, and I have heard them, I have observed them, I have kept an account of them. Note, In the multitude of words, not one escapes God's cognizance; let men speak ever so much, ever so fast, though they multiply words, which they themselves regard not, but forget immediately, yet none of them are lost in the crowd, not the most idle words; but God hears them, and will be able to charge the sinner with them. All the haughty and hard speeches, particularly, which are spoken against the Israel of God, the words which are magnified (as it is in the margin, Eze 35:13) as well as the words which are multiplied, God takes notice of. For, as the most trifling words are not below his cognizance, so the most daring are not above his rebuke. I have heard all thy blasphemies. This is a good reason why we should bear reproach as if we heard it not, because God will hear, Psa 38:13, Psa 38:15. God has heard the Edomites' blasphemy; let them therefore hear their doom, Eze 35:14, Eze 35:15. It was a national sin (the blasphemies charged upon them were the sense and language of all the Edomites), and therefore shall be punished with a national desolation. And,
1.It shall be a distinguishing punishment. As God has peculiar favours for Israelites, so he has peculiar plagues for Edomites: so that "When the whole earth rejoices I will make thee desolate; when other nations have their desolations repaired, to their joy, thine shall be perpetual," Eze 35:9.
2.The punishment shall answer to the sin: "As thou didst rejoice in the desolation of the house of Israel, God will give thee enough of desolation; since thou art so fond of it, thou shalt be desolate; I will make thee so." Note, Those who, instead of weeping with the mourners, make a jest of their grievances, may justly be made to weep like the mourners, and themselves to feel the weight, to feel the smart, of those grievances which they set so light by. Some read Eze 35:14 so as to complete the resemblance between the sin and the punishment: The whole earth shall rejoice when I make thee desolate, as thou didst rejoice when Israel was made desolate. Those that are glad at the death and fall of others may expect that others will be glad of their death, of their fall.
3.In the destruction of the enemies of the church God designs his own glory, and we may be sure that he will not come short of his design.
(1.)That which he intends is to manifest himself, as a just and jealous God, firm to his covenant and faithful to his people and their injured cause (Eze 35:11): I will make myself known among them when I have judged thee. The Lord is and will be known by the judgments which he executes.
(2.)His intention shall be fully answered; not only his own people shall be made to know it to their comfort, but even the Edomites themselves, and all the other enemies of his name and people, shall know that he is the Lord, Eze 35:4, Eze 35:9, Eze 35:15. As the works of creation and common providence demonstrate that there is a God, so the care taken of Israel shows that Jehovah, the God of Israel, is that God alone, the true and living God.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
(Chapter 35) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it, and say to it, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you, and I will make you a desolation and a waste. I will demolish your cities and make you a solitude, and you shall be deserted, and you shall know that I am the Lord; because you have been an everlasting enemy and have delivered the children of Israel into the hand of the sword (or deceitfully sat against the house of Israel in the hand of the sword) in the time of their affliction, in the time of extreme wickedness. Therefore, I live," says the Lord God, "because I will deliver you to bloodshed (or because you have sinned in blood) and blood will pursue you: and when you hate blood, blood will pursue you. And I will make Mount Seir a desolation and a wasteland, and I will remove from it going and returning (or men and animals). And I will fill its mountains with the slain (or the wounded): they will fall with the sword in your hills, and in your valleys, and in the torrents of the slain. I will deliver you to everlasting desolations, and your cities shall not be inhabited: and you shall know (or shall know) that I am the Lord (Vulgate adds God): because you have said: Two nations and two lands (or regions) shall be mine, and I will possess them by inheritance, when the Lord was there. Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God: because you have done according to your wrath (or enmity), and according to your zeal, which you have shown, having hatred towards them, and I will make myself known to you (Vulgate through them) when I judge you, and you shall know that I am the Lord. I have heard all your insults (or the voice of your blasphemies) that you have spoken (or because you have spoken) against the mountains of Israel, saying, 'They are deserted and given to us to devour,' and you have risen up (or have exalted yourself) against me with your mouth (or you have spoken magnificently against me with your mouth), and you have slandered me (or you have shouted against me) with your words; I have heard it. Thus says the Lord God: While all the earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation; just as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will do to you. You shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all of Edom shall know that I am the Lord. But that which is added in the LXX, 'and they shall be consumed,' is not found in the Hebrew. If the word of God always dwelt in the hearts of the prophets and had constant residence there, Ezekiel would not so frequently have said, 'And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying.' But because of human frailty and the necessities of this life, it sometimes departed from them. Therefore, John the Baptist speaks: 'He who sent me to baptize, said to me, "Upon whomsoever you shall see the Spirit descending as a dove and abiding on him, he is the one."' (John 1:33). For it would never be proper in Christ what is added and remains in Him, unless sometimes it would depart from others. Otherwise God speaks to Moses: I will take from the spirit which is in you (Num. XI, 17): which surely he would not have, unless it descended to him from the Lord. However, the prophecy of this entire chapter is against Mount Seir, namely the sons of Esau and Edom, who are called Idumeans in the Greek and our language, because in the time of necessity and distress, when Judah was being captured by the Babylonians, they insulted them and believed that the land was given to them to possess, and not only did they not accept their brothers, namely the sons of Jacob, but they persecuted them and attacked them with the sword. Where Symmachus interpreted more clearly, You have hated your blood, and blood will pursue you. But it is prophesied that he himself will be captured and reduced to eternal solitudes, and at the end of things he will recognize that God is the judge, because he has said: Two nations and two regions are mine; either the Edomites and the Jews, or certainly the Jews and Israel, namely two and ten tribes. And you have spoken of the mountains of Israel, saying: Deserts have been given to us to devour, not considering that this blasphemy would overflow against God. From which it follows: All the earth rejoices, I will lead you into solitude. And the meaning is: when all the land of Judaea will receive its former state, you will remain in eternal solitude. And what is added is: Just as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was dispersed, I will do the same to you. In the Septuagint it is not found, but it was added under asterisks from the edition of Theodotion. But all the wrath of God advances there against Mount Seir, so that when it is dispersed, he himself and all of Idumea may know that he is the Lord. I have spoken these things hastily, according to historical context and meaning rather than literal words. I will now move on to the anagoge and briefly touch on a few points for the sake of brevity. 'Put,' he says, 'or turn your face towards Mount Seir.' And significantly, he says 'turn,' from one prophecy to another prophecy. However, he is not referring to the physical face, but rather the face of the soul, as the Apostle also says: 'But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord' (2 Corinthians 3:18). However, the mountain of Seir, which is interpreted as rough and hairy, represents the opposing strength that presided over the nation of the sons of Esau, and rose up against the people of Judah, that is, the confession and true faith. But if an astute reader objects, how can Seir, that is, rough and hairy, be understood in a negative sense, since even Elijah is called a hairy man (2 Kings 1)? I will respond briefly: it is written about Esau that he was red and like a hairy skin (Genesis 25), but about Elijah that he was only a hairy man. Esau, who is bloodthirsty and cruel, is compared to a rough animal skin, a symbol of human works and of death itself; while Elijah represents manliness. Therefore, both his dwelling in solitude and his austere way of life not only showed him to be a man, but also a very strong man. On the other hand, Jacob, who had supplanted Esau and taken his birthright (Genesis, 25), is called light and polished because he simply lived at home and was not a hunter like the giant, Nimrod. Let us see then what God commands to be said to the mountain, or against the mountain of Seir. Behold, I will come to you, Mount Seir, I will not send Angels, nor will I use other ministers, but I myself will come to you, and I will extend my hand over you, and I will assume the appearance of one who strikes, and I will make you desolate and deserted, as one who dwelt wickedly, and you had many partners in your impiety, so much so that you built cities and claimed them as your own dominion: now desolated together with your cities, which Jeremiah is commanded to destroy and dig up (Jer. 51), in that you will make progress by building good cities in their place, so that you may know that I am the Lord, whom you could not know before the desolation of your land. However, the root cause of sin is that you have been an eternal enemy. Hence, the psalm says: Be angry, but do not sin (Psalm 4:5), so that we may quickly reconcile with our enemies and change hatred into love. However, not such is Mount Seir, which encompasses eternal enmities or besieges the children of Israel deceitfully with a sword in hand. From this we understand that whoever takes up the sword against the children of God, acts deceitfully, and besieges them, shall be handed over to the power of the sword, just as Mount Seir did in a time of extreme wickedness, when the days were evil and the world was filled with evil. And with the increase of wickedness, the love of many grows cold. But there is another sin of the mountain of Seir: that, because it hated the blood of the just, which it desired to spill in every persecution, it suffers persecution from the same blood. Therefore, the souls under the altar of the saints cry out and beg for vengeance from the Lord for their bloodshed. And they are taken away from the mountain of Seir, going and returning, that is, every inhabitant, whether humans or animals that are saved in the Church, of whom it is written: You will save humans and animals, Lord. (Psalm 35:5). That in the mountain of Seir both those who seem to have some reason, and those who are content with simple faith, should perish at God's command. And its mountains are filled with the wounded and slain. And not only the mountains, which have reached the summit of impiety, but also the hills, that is, the lesser disciples of the mountain of Seir, and the valleys that are in the depths, or the torrents, which have muddy waters, collected from here and there, coming from pride, or, according to the Septuagint, the fields, which are in the middle between the hills and the valleys. All the slain will fall by the sword of the Lord, and His outstretched hand and striking, so that they may be reduced to everlasting desolation; and if there were cities, that is, assemblies of evil dwelling, let them perish themselves and cease to have agreement in a bad way, and let their languages be divided (Genesis 11), so that they may not be able to build a tower of blasphemy against God; and being reduced to solitude and desert, let them know that He is the Lord. It is not enough that you have spoken so much about Mount Seir, as the previous discourse narrated; but you have also spoken this out of pride: 'There are two peoples and two lands or regions that belong to me, namely Idumea and Judaea, and I will possess the heretics and the Ecclesiastics alike.' And you said this when the Lord was there, who governed His people. Therefore the Lord swears and says: 'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'I will make myself known to you when I strike and judge you, in accordance with your anger with which you raged against the people of God, and with your zeal with which you persecuted the family of Christ, hating those whom you desired to possess. Then you will know that it was I who made known your reproaches and blasphemies, and not someone else, for I myself have heard what you have said against the mountains of Israel, saying: 'They have been given to us as a desolation to devour.' We must accept the mountains of Israel, Moses, the prophets, and the apostles, whom the heretics and the leader of the heretics, the devil, think they have been handed over to devour: when either rarely or not at all is found in the Church, who is able to fight for the mountains of the Lord, and defend their tearing apart with his voice. And you have risen up, he says, against me with your mouth, whether you have spoken magnificently, not as you think against the mountains, but through them against me, and you have either asked or shouted against me. For all your prayers, O Mount Seir, and companions of Mount Seir, of which it was said above (above, the same): I will fill his mountains and hills, and valleys, and fields, or torrents, they were against us: not prayers and supplications, as you think to God, but shouts, vociferations, and blasphemies. Therefore, the Lord threatens and says: Just as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, when it was scattered and torn by your persecutions and dispersed throughout the whole world: so I will do to you. For the whole earth of the living rejoices, and the land of the saints, and all those converted to the service of God, you will be scattered, O rough mountain, O hairy mountain, and all Idumea, devoted indeed to earthly works and to bloodshed and slaughter, so that then you may know that I myself am the Lord, who have spoken elsewhere: I am the Lord your God.
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Summary
Ezekiel 35:10 delivers a severe prophetic indictment against Mount Seir, representing the nation of Edom, for its audacious declaration to seize the territories of Israel and Judah. This verse highlights Edom's covetous ambition and malicious intent during Israel's time of weakness and exile, directly contrasting their presumptuous claim of ownership with the immutable reality of God's active, sovereign, and covenantal presence over His land and people, even in their apparent desolation.
Context
Literary Context
Ezekiel 35 stands as a focused oracle of divine judgment against Edom (Mount Seir), strategically placed within the broader prophetic framework of the book. It follows a comprehensive series of prophecies against various foreign nations (Ezekiel 25-32) that demonstrate God's universal sovereignty and justice, even over those outside His covenant people. Crucially, this chapter immediately precedes the powerful and hopeful prophecies of Israel's restoration (Ezekiel 36-39), including the promise of a new heart and spirit, and the vision of the dry bones. By condemning Edom's malicious opportunism, Ezekiel 35 serves as a theological bridge, first affirming God's righteous judgment against those who gloated over Israel's downfall, and then pivoting to His unwavering faithfulness in fulfilling His covenant promises to His people, thereby setting the stage for the glorious restoration narrative.
Historical & Cultural Context
Edom, descended from Esau, Jacob's brother, shared a deeply complex and often hostile relationship with Israel. Despite their familial ties, their history was marked by rivalry, antagonism, and a consistent failure to act as a supportive kin. This animosity reached its zenith during the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the subsequent exile of Judah. Edom not only failed to offer aid but actively participated in the plundering of the devastated Judean cities and rejoiced over their calamity, viewing Israel's downfall as an opportunity for territorial expansion. Their declaration, "These two nations and these two countries shall be mine," reflects their intent to annex the now-vacant territories of the northern kingdom of Israel (which had fallen to Assyria in 722 BC) and the southern kingdom of Judah. This covetous ambition, coupled with their schadenfreude (joy at others' misfortune), was a direct violation of ancient Near Eastern conventions of kinship and hospitality, and it formed the primary basis for God's severe and specific judgment against them.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Ezekiel and the broader prophetic literature. Primarily, it underscores Divine Sovereignty and Ownership, asserting that the land of Israel, the promised inheritance, ultimately belongs to God, not to any human nation to claim or seize at will. Edom's attempt to possess it was a direct affront to God's covenantal rights and His sovereign plan for His people. Secondly, it highlights the Consequences of Arrogance, Covetousness, and Malice. Edom's prideful declaration and malicious rejoicing over Israel's downfall incurred divine wrath, demonstrating that God holds nations accountable for their actions and attitudes towards His chosen people, particularly those who afflict His covenant community (Genesis 12:3). Finally, the profound phrase "whereas the LORD was there" emphasizes God's Unwavering Presence and Faithfulness. Even in the midst of exile and apparent defeat, God had not abandoned His land or His people. His active presence guaranteed His future intervention, the restoration of Israel, and the ultimate judgment of those who opposed His divine purposes, echoing the foundational truth of His enduring presence with His people, as seen in passages like Exodus 3:14 and Psalm 139:7-10.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root (H559) is used with great latitude, encompassing not just speaking but also declaring, determining, commanding, or intending. In this context, it signifies Edom's firm, decisive, and arrogant declaration of intent, a presumptuous claim of ownership over what was not theirs. It is a statement of self-willed determination and resolve, indicating a deliberate and audacious plan to act against God's established order and covenant.
This term (H1471) refers to a foreign nation or Gentile. Here, it refers to the two formerly united kingdoms of Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom), which Edom sought to claim. The use of "nations" instead of "people" can emphasize Edom's view of Israel and Judah as mere geopolitical entities, devoid of their unique covenantal status and divine protection, ripe for conquest and absorption into Edom's domain.
This root (H3423) implies occupying by driving out previous tenants, seizing, or inheriting. Edom's intent was not merely to settle but to dispossess Israel and Judah, taking their land as their own inheritance. This word highlights the aggressive, predatory, and unlawful nature of Edom's ambition, aiming to fully displace God's people from their divinely appointed land and claim it as their own rightful possession.
This is the sacred, covenantal name of God (H3068), Yahweh, emphasizing His self-existent, eternal nature and His personal, enduring relationship with Israel. The use of "LORD" here is crucial; it signifies that the God of the covenant, the one who brought Israel into the land and promised it to them, was actively present and fully aware of Edom's malicious plans. It underscores His absolute sovereignty, His covenant faithfulness, and His ultimate ownership of the land and its people, regardless of their temporary state of desolation.
Verse Breakdown
"Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it;"
This clause directly quotes Edom's arrogant and covetous declaration, revealing their opportunistic mindset. "These two nations" refers to the formerly united kingdom of Israel, now divided into the northern kingdom (Israel, with its capital Samaria) and the southern kingdom (Judah, centered in Jerusalem). "These two countries" refers to their respective territories. Edom's statement reveals their opportunistic desire to seize the land, viewing Israel's desolation and exile as an open invitation to expand their own territory and wealth. Their use of "mine" and "we will possess it" demonstrates a profound sense of entitlement and a complete disregard for God's prior claim and covenant with Israel, treating the divine inheritance as mere spoils of war.
"whereas the LORD was there:"
This powerful contrasting clause forms the theological core of the verse, providing the divine counter-argument to Edom's presumption. Despite the apparent emptiness of the land, the exile of its people, and the destruction of Jerusalem, the covenant God, Yahweh, was still actively present. This presence was not passive observation but an active, sovereign, and watchful presence. It implies that Edom's presumption was not merely against Israel but directly against God Himself, who remained the ultimate owner and guardian of His land and His people, even in their disciplinary exile. This divine presence guaranteed that Edom's plans would ultimately fail and that God's purposes for Israel would prevail.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices to convey its powerful message. Contrast is paramount, sharply juxtaposing Edom's arrogant, human-centric claim ("shall be mine, and we will possess it") with the immutable, divine reality ("whereas the LORD was there"). This highlights the futility and hubris of human ambition when it directly opposes divine sovereignty. There is also strong Irony in Edom's declaration; they perceive the land as empty and ripe for the taking, yet the most significant and powerful presence—God Himself—remains, rendering their plans ultimately futile. The phrase "the LORD was there" functions as a powerful Understatement or Litotes, implying far more than it explicitly states; it signifies God's active knowledge, sovereign control, impending judgment, and unwavering covenant faithfulness, rather than mere passive observation. The entire verse serves as a Prophetic Oracle of Judgment, a concise yet devastating divine pronouncement of condemnation against Edom's specific transgression and their affront to God's divine prerogative.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Ezekiel 35:10 profoundly articulates God's unwavering sovereignty over His creation and His covenant people. Edom's covetousness and malicious joy over Israel's downfall directly challenged God's ownership of the land and His faithfulness to His covenant promises. The declaration "whereas the LORD was there" serves as a powerful theological statement: even in desolation and exile, God's presence ensures His ultimate control and the fulfillment of His purposes. This truth undergirds all of God's redemptive history, affirming that no human action or national ambition can thwart His divine will or disinherit His chosen ones. It underscores that true ownership and authority reside with the Creator, not with earthly powers, and that His presence guarantees the ultimate triumph of His plan.
Reflection and Application
Ezekiel 35:10 offers profound lessons for contemporary believers, calling us to a deep reverence for God's absolute sovereignty and ownership over all things, including our lives, our possessions, and the very ground we stand on. We are reminded that covetousness, especially when it rejoices in the misfortune of others or seeks to claim what is not rightfully ours, is an affront to God's order and invites divine judgment. This verse challenges us to examine our attitudes towards others' struggles and our desires for what belongs to them, urging us to cultivate compassion and generosity rather than opportunistic greed. Furthermore, the powerful affirmation "whereas the LORD was there" provides immense comfort and assurance. In times of personal or collective desolation, when circumstances seem bleak and God's presence feels distant, we are reminded that He is, in fact, "there"—actively present, sovereign, and faithful to His promises. This truth anchors our hope, reminding us that even in our darkest valleys, God has not abandoned us and is working His purposes, ultimately for our good and His glory.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Edom singled out for such a strong judgment in Ezekiel 35?
Edom was singled out for a particularly strong judgment primarily due to their long-standing and deeply rooted animosity towards Israel, coupled with their malicious actions during Judah's most vulnerable time. Unlike other nations who might have simply engaged in warfare, Edom displayed an unholy glee and opportunistic covetousness when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the people. They not only refused to help their "brother" nation (descended from Esau, Jacob's brother) but actively participated in the plundering and sought to permanently seize Israel's land, claiming it as their own. This act was a direct affront to God's covenant with Israel and His ultimate ownership of the land (as highlighted by "whereas the LORD was there"). Other prophetic books, like Obadiah, also condemn Edom's treachery and pride, underscoring a consistent divine indictment against their persistent hostility and lack of compassion towards God's chosen people, which ultimately led to their desolation (Ezekiel 35:3-4).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Ezekiel 35:10, with its declaration of God's enduring presence and sovereignty amidst desolation, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment. Edom's attempt to seize the land and dispossess God's people foreshadows the ongoing spiritual battle for the true inheritance. While Edom sought to claim a physical land, humanity, in its fallen state, continually attempts to usurp God's authority and possess life on its own terms, apart from Him. The powerful truth, "whereas the LORD was there," points ultimately to the incarnate Christ, Emmanuel, "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). In Jesus, God's presence is not merely a watchful eye but a redemptive, active participation in human history, culminating in His ultimate sacrifice to reclaim what was lost to sin. His death and resurrection dispossessed the powers of darkness and secured for His people a new, eternal inheritance in the heavenly places (Colossians 1:13-14 and Ephesians 1:11). Furthermore, the promise of God's presence continues through the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers, making them temples of the living God (1 Corinthians 6:19), ensuring that "the LORD is there" in every circumstance, guiding His church towards the full realization of His kingdom, where He will ultimately "make all things new" (Revelation 21:5) and reign forever.