Bible Reading

Ezekiel Chapter 25

Written by

Luke

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2 min read

Ezekiel 25

Ezekiel 25 describes the four neighboring Gentile nations that would face God’s judgment.

The Ammonites would be judged because they were overjoyed when The Temple of God was defiled (Ezekiel 25:1-7).

The Moabites because they did not recognize Judah as God’s chosen people and They said “Hey, Judah is just like one of us now.”. They found pleasure in Judah’s wickedness (Ezekiel 25:8-11)

The Edomites because of their racial hatred for the Jews (Ezekiel 25:12-14), although they were blood brothers of the Jews, both nations having descended from Isaac (Genesis 25:19-26). The Edomites hated Israel so much that they rejoiced when Jerusalem was destroyed. Teman was in the northern part of Edom and Dedan was in the southern part of Edom. Thus, Ezekiel was saying that the entire country would be destroyed.

And the Philistines because they sought vengeance against Judah for defeating them in battle (Ezekiel 25:15-17).

In general, God punished the neighboring nations because their heart was not in the right place. They rejoiced when things went badly for Judah.

Have you ever wished bad things to happen to your “enemies''? There is a saying “Be careful what you wish for.” Or have you ever had evil thoughts or overjoyed when you saw your “enemy” in trouble?

Let us be careful with having such evil thoughts, because God might punish you for that as well.

The Lord teaches His children not to seek vengeance, but to love and forgive our enemies (Matthew 5:44), because vengeance belongs to the Lord (Romans 12:19). He will bring His perfect judgment and justice in due time, and the righteous people will enjoy His eternal blessings. Amen.

Related Topics

Ezekiel

See Also

Ezekiel Chapter 48 - The LORD Is There

Ezekiel Chapter 48 - The LORD Is There

Ezekiel 48 outlines the division of the land among the twelve tribes of Israel and the city of the Lord. The division of the land shows that in God's Kingdom there is a place for all who believe in and obey the One True God (John 14:1-6). Ezekiel 48:1-7, 23-29 details the allocation of land to the tribes of Israel. This reminds us of God's faithfulness in keeping His promises. Despite Israel's history of rebellion, God remains true to His word. So, let us continue to trust in God's faithfulness, even when circumstances seem challenging. Remember that God’s timing is perfect, and His promises are sure. Ezekiel 48:8-22 describes the holy district set apart for the Lord, including the sanctuary and the land for the priests and Levites. This highlights the importance of holiness and dedicated spaces for worship. The pressures of everyday life may cause us to lose focus and forget God. That is why worship is so important . We need to dedicate time and space in our daily lives for worship and communion with God, which includes prayer, reading the Bible and reflecting on His words. The book of Ezekiel begins by describing the holiness of God that Israel had despised and ignored. As a result, God’s presence departed from the Temple, the city and the people. The book ends with a detailed vision of the new Temple, the new city and the new people, all demonstrating God’s holiness. No matter what challenges we face today, remember that God ‘s plan is always good for us. So, let us continue to hold on to the eternal hope we have in Christ and to look forward to the fulfilment of His promises in His glorious Kingdom, where God shall dwell with us, and we will be His people, and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE (Ezekiel 48:35).

Ezekiel Chapter 45 - When God wants to dwell among His people…

Ezekiel Chapter 45 - When God wants to dwell among His people…

From chapter 40 until the end of Ezekiel, God foretells of a glorious future for His people: when, after thoroughly measuring the temple (chapters 40 to 42), God’s glory re-enters and re-fills the temple (43:4-5). Thereafter, God promises that He will dwell amid the children of Israel forever (43:7). However, there is one condition: there cannot be anymore defilement of God’s temple, including uncircumcised foreigners (44:9) and in terms of the priests’ lifestyles and conduct (44:17-27). Ezekiel 45 continues from chapter 44 with God’s requirements for His people, including the princes (i.e., leaders) and the whole nation, when He dwells among them. The chapter starts with God’s instructions for dividing the land of Israel. He instructs a bigger area to be allocated for Himself compared to the area for the prince and people. The area for the prince and people is 25,000 cubits long and 5,000 cubits wide (45:6); whereas God’s area, albeit the same length, is double in width (45:1). Reflecting on this: today, how much ‘space’ does God occupy in our hearts? Does He have a bigger space than our personal wants, worries and aspirations? The amount of ‘heart space’ we give to God shows in how submissive we are towards God in our lives – the more God fills and controls our thoughts, the more we will align our speech, conduct, and decisions with His will in the Bible. Ultimately, with continual spiritual nurture, God should not just occupy ‘a big enough space’ in our hearts, but all of it, filling us all in all (Ephesians 1:23b) and having complete control over our hearts. There is no limit to the infilling of the Holy Spirit (John 3:34b). Meaning, as long as we live, the pursuit of being filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit is a never-ending one. So, let the ‘district’ of God in our hearts be an ever-growing one until He fills all in all. Leaders who are just and righteous, instead of oppressive towards the people (Ezekiel 45:9); leaders who use honest measures (verse 10-12); and leaders who will help make atonement for the people’s sins by preparing the various offerings to God such as the burnt, grain, drink and sin offerings (verse 13-17, 22-25). In short, these leaders, together with the priests and Ezekiel (verse 18-20), were to actively bridge the people to God. Today, as long as we are in the True Jesus Church, we are also supposed to actively bridge people to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). How active and faithful have we been in our daily ministry of reconciliation? Reflecting on the three requirements of God for His leaders mentioned earlier: By shunning sin, including sins against others; by carefully following all of God’s moral standards in the Bible; and by faithfully praying for the salvation of others, God will zealously work through us to reconcile the whole world to Himself. Then, we will be approved by Him as good and faithful servants worthy of entering His joyous kingdom (Matthew 25:23). Not because of their great numbers or any other physical merits, but simply because of His great love and because He is a God who keeps covenants (Deuteronomy 7:7-9). In return, as His people, God wants our complete love in the form of complete obedience to His commandments. This means letting His Spirit fill and control us ceaselessly and living a life of zealously bridging our world to God. Amen.

Ezekiel Chapters 40-41

Ezekiel Chapters 40-41

From Chapter 40, it marks the start of the vision shown to Ezekiel of a new temple that is to be built in Jerusalem. Did your eyes glaze over as you read the 2 chapters?   Imagine you were Ezekiel and you were told to pay close attention to everything that he was being shown and then go and tell the people everything he had seen.   4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.”  ~ Ezekiel 40:4 ~ What follows is Ezekiel being first led to see the Eastern Gateway of the Temple, then the Outer Court, Northern and Southern Gateway to the Temple, Gateways to the Inner Courts, where the sacrifices were made, the chambers for the priests and singers.  And then, very careful recordings of the dimensions of the different parts of the temple were specified and recorded down. Why do you think this was done? Being a person who is not very detail oriented, I cannot quite understand the need for all the exact measurements to be spelled out.  What’s wrong if the measurements are out by an inch or two? Then it struck me.  God cares for His people so much that He does not want to leave any stone unturned for His people.  In our daily lives many things happen - big or small.  Some are blessings and some are trials.  Some are good things, some are bad.  God is interested in us, His People.  Even to the most minute detail! And He has given us specific instructions in His Holy Word for many areas of our life.  The question is, do our eyes glaze over the Words from the Bible.  Or do we, like Ezekiel, listen carefully and then tell it to others? Last night I had a dream and in that dream, I had a very big pain in my leg and could not figure it out.  And for some reason, a Deacon of the church was examining me as if he was a doctor.  And then after he diagnose that there was some issue with my leg (could not remember what was said), his conclusion was this… “This is why you need to get better and after that, go out and preach the Gospel!” Tears welled up as I recall this and am writing this now.   Was this a rebuke?  Areminder?  A warning?  An admonishment?  An encouragement? God through His infinite wisdom. Mercy and grace has given us all the details (truth) of Salvation. Should we not go and tell others about it so that they also know of it? And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ~ Mark 16:15-16 ~ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ~ Romans 1:16 ~ Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ~ 2 Timothy 4:2 ~ May we be interested in all the little details that God reveals to us and after listening carefully to it, tell it to others as well.

Ezekiel Chapter 33

Ezekiel Chapter 33

“I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?” — Ezekiel 33:11 From the verse above, we can sense both God's love and His frustration towards His people. God does not wish for His people to perish; therefore, He appointed Ezekiel as a watchman for the house of Israel, to warn the wicked to turn from their ways. From other earlier chapters, we read that one’s salvation depends on personal righteousness and faithfulness toward God. Even if surrounded by righteous individuals, one will not be saved unless they turn away from their wickedness (Ezekiel 14:14). However, the earlier part of Ezekiel 33 also reminds us that the watchman will be held accountable if he fails to warn others about impending judgment. Today, we also have a message to share with others: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” — Mark 1:15 As watchmen in our present time, are we mindful of our duties? Are we aware of the serious consequences of not sounding the alarm, despite knowing what will happen to the wicked if they do not repent? Let us not fear the rejection of others, but instead, let us truly fear the judgment that God will bring upon those who do not repent.

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