How does Ezekiel 25:5 connect with God's justice throughout the Old Testament? Tracing the Verse “I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and Ammon a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” Immediate Context • Rabbah (capital of Ammon) will be reduced from royal city to animal pen—total reversal of fortune. • God’s stated purpose: “Then you will know that I am the LORD.” Justice is never blind fate; it is God revealing Himself. God’s Justice on Neighboring Nations Ezekiel 25 contains four judgments (Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia). The pattern mirrors earlier books (Amos 1–2; Isaiah 13–23; Jeremiah 46–51): • Sin: hostility, gloating, or violence toward Israel (Ezekiel 25:3, 6). • Verdict: territorial desolation, population loss (25:5, 7). • Outcome: recognition of Yahweh’s lordship (sixfold “you/they will know that I am the LORD,” vv. 5, 7, 11, 17). Old Testament Echoes of the Same Justice 1. Divine Retribution Is Proportional • Genesis 12:3—“I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” Ammon cursed; they are cursed. • Obadiah 15—“As you have done, it shall be done to you.” Edom’s principle applies to Ammon here. 2. Justice Is Impartial • Deuteronomy 32:4—“All His ways are justice; a God of faithfulness and without injustice.” He disciplines Israel (Ezekiel 24) and then Ammon (25)—no double standard. • Jeremiah 25:17–29—If judgment begins with God’s house, it surely extends to all nations. 3. Justice Protects the Vulnerable • Psalm 94:2–6—God rises against oppressors who “slay the widow and the foreigner.” Ammon exploited Israel’s vulnerability; God intervenes. 4. Justice Serves Revelation • Exodus 7:5—Plagues so “the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” • Ezekiel 25:5—Desolation so Ammon “will know that I am the LORD.” Same goal: display of God’s holy character. 5. Justice Paves Way for Restoration • Isaiah 11:11–16—Nations judged, then Israel regathered. • In Ezekiel, oracles against nations (chs. 25–32) precede restoration promises (chs. 33–48). Judgment clears obstacles to redemption. The Thread Running from Genesis to Ezekiel • God measures nations by how they treat His covenant people (Genesis 12:3; Zechariah 2:8). • He strikes pride and cruelty wherever found (Proverbs 16:5; Nahum 3). • Every act of judgment doubles as a declaration of His identity (Exodus 14:4; Ezekiel 25:5). • Justice is precise, timely, and certain (Habakkuk 2:3). Ezekiel 25:5 is one link in that unbroken chain. Practical Takeaways • God’s justice is not random; it targets real sins and vindicates His holiness. • National power or heritage cannot shield from divine accountability (Ammon was kin to Israel through Lot—Genesis 19:38). • The same just God who judged Ammon still rules history; His moral order remains unchanged (Malachi 3:6). |
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