What is the meaning of Ezekiel 36:5? Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says God Himself is speaking, not a human opinion. Every word carries the full authority of the covenant-keeping LORD who already promised, “I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it” (Ezekiel 36:36). Whenever Scripture adds “says the Lord GOD,” it reminds us—just as in Isaiah 1:18 or Ezekiel 34:20—that the statement is irrevocable, binding, and trustworthy. Surely in My burning zeal The Holy One speaks with passionate, righteous jealousy. Zechariah 8:2 echoes the same divine emotion: “I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.” God’s zeal is never petty; it flows from His holy character and His unbreakable commitment to His own glory and to His people’s good (cf. Exodus 34:14; Isaiah 42:13). • This zeal guarantees that His promised interventions are not half-hearted. • It comforts God’s people, assuring them He is emotionally invested in their deliverance. • It warns the nations that despising His land provokes His fiery response (Zephaniah 3:8). I have spoken against the rest of the nations The Lord’s decree singles out every nation that mocked or exploited Israel during her exile (Joel 3:2; Isaiah 34:2). His word is enough; once He “speaks against” a people, the sentence is settled. Psalm 149:7 celebrates that God’s judgments “inflict vengeance on the nations,” proving He oversees international events and will vindicate His people. and against all Edom Edom epitomized persistent hostility toward Israel, tracing back to Esau (Genesis 25:30). Earlier God said, “Because Edom acted revengefully…I will lay My vengeance upon Edom” (Ezekiel 25:12-14). Obadiah 1:10-14 details Edom’s gloating when Jerusalem fell. By naming Edom here, God assures Israel that even their closest, age-old enemy will not escape justice. who took My land as their own possession Notice the possessive: the land belongs to God (Leviticus 25:23). The nations thought Israel’s exile meant the covenant was void; they carved up territory that was never theirs (Jeremiah 12:14). Psalm 83:1-4 records their plot: “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation.” God calls it theft of His property, making the offense personal. with wholehearted joy and utter contempt The invaders weren’t neutral opportunists—they reveled in Israel’s pain (Obadiah 1:12; Proverbs 24:17). Their glee advertised contempt for the Lord who gave Israel the land. Such malice invites divine retribution because “whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8). Bullet-point snapshot of their attitude: • Enthusiastic looting (Psalm 137:7). • Mocking confidence that Israel’s God was powerless. • Total disregard for the covenant promise tied to the land. so that its pastureland became plunder The once-fertile hills were stripped bare (Ezekiel 35:10-15). Jeremiah 49:20 pictures similar devastation. God emphasizes the tangible damage—flocks scattered, fields ruined—to show He has seen every stolen sheep and every scorched field. His coming restoration (Ezekiel 36:8-12) will reverse the plunder and display His faithfulness before a watching world (Zephaniah 2:5-7). summary Ezekiel 36:5 assures Israel that the LORD’s passionate zeal fuels a specific, irreversible judgment on every nation—especially Edom—that seized God’s land with glee and contempt. Because the land is His, because His covenant is sure, and because His holiness cannot tolerate arrogant plunder, He has spoken against those foes. The verse thus anchors the promise that God will vindicate His name, punish the mockers, and restore His people to a renewed, fruitful inheritance. |
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