Supporting An Enemy Of God

Heavenly Father, we have come against you and your commands in ways that have cost us dearly. Our sinful ways and disobedience to your commands have resulted in chastisement and punishment from you. You have proven that you will do whatever it takes to correct us and bring us back to you. It is our hearts that you desire. As your Word says, obedience is better than sacrifice. Yet we have failed in obedience to you, and this has opened the door for the devil to grab a foothold in our lives. He has stolen our joy, our health, our finances from us. Father we ask you today to restore that which has been taken from us. We are born into sin, but you have called us to be holy and to walk in a way that brings honor and glory to you. Lord, we come to your throne and ask you for your mercies and grace. Restore to us what we have lost due to our negligence and disobedience. Father make us whole and create in us a clean heart and a right spirit within us. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

Remember from Ezekiel 25:12-14, God spoke a prophecy against Edom. Edom supported Babylon in destroying Jerusalem. The Edomites also took vengeance on Judah, so God enacted vengeance on them. Well, here we are in Ezekiel 35 and God is talking to Mt. Seir, which is the name that is used for the people of Edom.

Edom (Mount Seir) is waiting patiently to jump in on Israel and Judah and attack them while they are down. Well, God doesn’t like it when someone comes in and attempts to attack His children. Even though God had chastised His people for their good, He is not about to allow another nation to come in a pillage His chosen ones. Edom was wanting to pillage, but God was going to show them that they are not allowed to touch His anointed and chosen ones.

Keep in mind, that there had been a long history of conflict between Edom and Israel (and Judah). Even Amos (1:11-12) and Isaiah (34) mentions how Edom regularly pursues Israel with the sword.

Even Obadiah mentions the destruction of Edom:

1. Edom's violence against Jacob, his brother (Obadiah 1:10).

2. Edom was an enemy of Judah at the time of their destruction (Obadiah 1:11).

3. Edom gave assent to the judgment on Judah (Obadiah 1:12).

4. Edom rejoiced at Judah's downfall.

5. Edom spoke proudly in the day of distress of Judah.

6. Edom entered fallen Jerusalem as an enemy to take a spoil (Obadiah 1:13).

7. Edom looked on the affliction of Judah in the day of calamity (disdainfully).

8. Edom laid hands on the substance of Judah when they were defeated.

9. Edom stood at the crossways to kill those of Judah that would escape (Obadiah 1:14).

10. Edom delivered up captives of Judah to be destroyed

We are at a point where God is proclaiming another prophecy against Israel’s enemy. Remember how God has proclaimed that vengeance belongs to Him? We serve a vengeful God.

So, the judgement against Edom is total destruction because they joined with the Babylonians in the destruction of Jerusalem. They supported Nebuchadnezzar's campaign against Jerusalem and celebrated the fall of Judah and Jerusalem. They initiated "bloodshed" against Judah, and therefore "bloodshed" is their judgment (REPEATED 4 TIMES IN VERSE 6).

"But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish—like smoke they vanish away." (Psalm 37:20)

"Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish before God." (Psalm 68:1–2)

"Therefore they will be like the morning cloud And like dew which soon disappears, Like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney." (Hosea 13:3)

"let the rich man glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away." (James 1:10–11)

Archaeological Evidence of Biblical Prophecy

During the Fifth century, the Edomites were overwhelmed by fellow Arabs. Eventually, these groups of Arabs were overtaken by another nomadic group called the Nabataeans. Rome later conquered the Nabataeans around 106 A.D. and the area later became uninhabited from the 7th century AD to the 12th century AD. It mostly remained forgotten and was rediscovered in 1812 by Swiss traveler Johann. L. Burckhardt.

Since archaeologists starting working in Petra (which was once Edom but became the capital of the Nabataeans) in 1979, "… just 15 percent of the city has been uncovered," he says. "The vast majority—85 percent—is still underground and untouched."