The neighbors of Israel get their comeuppance.

Chapter 26 begins a whole section that involves the city of Tyre so I’m going to wait to include my thoughts on it in the next post with chapters 27-28 which are all about Tyre.

In chapter 25, a quartet of Israel’s neighbors are condemned: Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia. This isn’t the first time we’ve read about their coming destruction.

For those of you old enough to remember 9/11 in America, you may recall that within 24 hours of the attack, nearly all of America’s friends and allies sent messages of support and condolence, condemning the attack.

As devastating as the losses were on 9/11, as a percentage of America’s total population and governmental power, it was a relatively small wound.

Now imagine if – while in the midst of our collective national grief – we saw footage on the news of our (former) allies shooting fireworks 🎆 🎇 in celebration (as our attackers were doing).

America is gigantic. Most people of other nations really have difficulty grasping how huge we are. I mean, ALL of Great Britain could sit within the 13.2 MILLION acres of Wrangell-St. Elias national park in one state – Alaska.

We’re also economically huge even when our economy is struggling. (Most Americans who haven’t travelled much outside the US, especially to developing countries don’t quite grasp just how blessed we are; even Americans who are are at or below the national poverty line.)

America is so large that had every other nation either ignored us or turned against us on 9/11, Americans know that we could have supported each other and stood alone. It’s kind of part of the fabric of our culture.

I say all this to help us get some perspective. As small as the 9/11 attacks were – comparatively speaking – they were still huge in our national consciousness.

Now think about tiny little Judah. Jerusalem, the capital city, sat on one small elevation. Those who live near the world’s great ranges would not dignify Jerusalem with the term “mountain.”

The fall of Jerusalem was the END of the nation. It was the final blow to the last bit of the entire population. And instead of condemning the attacks and grieving with their neighbors, the peoples of Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia were having BBQs and cheering at the local pub. 🍻

😐 And weren’t they also looting and capturing refugees?

That too- at least with Edom for sure.

Remember that the Edomites were Israel’s cousins; descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob. Both the Moabites and Ammonites were descended from Abraham’s nephew Lot.

☝🏼🤓 Lowt.

Yes.

All but the Philistines shared common ancestry with Israel.

And King David had familial ties with BOTH Moab (through his great-grandmother Ruth) and Ammon (through his aunt and also by marriage). There were times in their history when Edom, Moab, and Ammon had friendly relations with Israel.

The heart of God is to “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The neighbor nations did the opposite. They kicked Israel when she was down. And even though Yahweh authorized this punishment and it was just, He’s not ok with their neighbors celebrating the tragedy.

The refrain at the end of the indictment against each nation is, “Then they will know that I Am the LORD.”

This tells us what the REAL problem is with these nations. Their awful conduct is not the root problem. It was a symptom. It was how the disease presented. The real problem is that they do not know (recognize) Yahweh.

The Hebrew says, “they will know that I (am) Yahweh.” The name YHWH is loaded with meaning and scholars have spilled a lot of ink unpacking it. Probably the most fundamental concept in the name is eternally existent. He needs nothing outside Himself to sustain existence. As such, He is the One (the only One) Who is able to bring all other things into existence. He is Creator. Life-giver. And Sustainer. He is the One Who brings to pass because He is not dependent on any other being. He is the Performer of Promises.

Now let’s ask ourselves…

Do I know this? Do I know Him?

This question is worthy of deep consideration. (I’m talking days and weeks of prayerful pondering.)

If someone asked you, “Do you believe that Yahweh is your Creator?” You would likely respond, “Absolutely” without even thinking twice.

But let’s drill down into the concept of creation for a moment. Creation means that the created thing is being made into what it is supposed to be. And while we may staunchly defend Yahweh as Creator of the Universe, many of us may unconsciously believe that God’s work of creation in us happened only at the moment of conception. And the rest of life is up to us and the people around us. Deep down inside we may be expecting a career, a person, an experience or achievement to shape us into who we are supposed to be. Perhaps we believe that…

• If I just find the right person to marry and have a successful marriage, then I will be who I’m supposed to be.
• If I just had success in my career or business then that version of me is who I’m supposed to be.
• If I achieve success as a parent then I will become who I am meant to be.
• If I could retire comfortably and have time to do what I enjoy then I will have become what I was supposed to be.
• If any of these things are broken or if I miss out on them, then I cannot become who I was supposed to be.

But when I think this way am I knowing Yahweh? Am I knowing HIM to be my Creator? My only Creator? Or do I think that something in this world or even my own self will create me; will shape me into who I’m meant to be?

Who or what is my Creator really?

Did God wind me up like a toy then turn me loose or does He continue His work of creation in His saints as Phil. 1:6 suggests?

Do I believe that achieving my dreams will give me life? If so, have I made achievement my life-giver instead of the LORD?

Who or what sustains that life? Me? God? Something else?

Who or what is my provider? The LORD? Or a job? Investments? The Lottery? A parent or spouse?

I’ve taken some rather wild steps of faith in my life. If I hadn’t known my Heavenly Father to be my Provider, I could never have done them.

Marriage, a career or business, parenthood, education, achievement, relationships, experiences… those things are good but they’re not God.

ONLY Yahweh is Creator and Sustainer and Life-giver. And Source. And Redeemer. And Provider.

I went through a season some years ago when the LORD challenged me on all this. I had to go one by one and examine my heart and let go of all the things I was hoping would “make me” into the person I was supposed to be. And as I released each one and confessed the LORD as my…

• Creator
• Sustainer
• Source
• Redeemer
• Protector
• Provider
• (And many more)

…it was like I climbed another rung on a ladder that got me out of a pit. I had to know the LORD. Not know about Him, theoretically. I had to know Him.

When I know the LORD to be my Creator and Sustainer, the Author and Finisher of my faith, I no longer need to compare myself with others. They are not making me. Yahweh is my Maker. I am HIS art project.

And He’s not finished yet.

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When we see Him as He is we will finally fully know Him. And in that instant we will become what we are meant to be: like Him.

“Then they shall know that I Am the LORD.”