Saturday, 2 December 2023

Ezekiel 21:28-32 – Don’t gloat in other’s misfortune.

In the book of Ezekiel, the judgment messages for Judah’s surrounding nations are found in chapters 25-32. Yet here in this last paragraph of Ezekiel 21, the prophet digressed to pronounce judgment against Ammon. The Ammonites were the descendants of Ammon, the incestuous son of Lot, whom the youngest daughter conceived with her father whom she had made drunk (Genesis 19:38). Lot as we know was the nephew of Abraham, thus he was distantly related to the covenant people. Despite the distant relationship, the Ammonites had been Israel’s enemy. They flatly refused to help the children of Israel during their exodus from Egypt. 

The Ammonites lived on the eastern side of the Jordan River and were taunting the Jews and giving them a torrid time. They apparently did it because they were mistaken that God was using them to deal with His covenant people.  Their false ideas were lies told to them by their false prophets. As far as the Lord was concerned what they were doing to His people was a reproach. In verses 38-32, Ezekiel was given a message by God for them.

Ezekiel told them that they too would undergo the Babylonians attack when they returned to their own country. God would deal with them for their unprovoked attack on His people. They would be judged on their home soil.  God would pour out His indignation upon them. They would be given into the hands of brutal people and destroyed. Their blood would be shed throughout the land and they would not be remembered.    

Do not gloat over other’s misfortune, no matter how much we dislike them. Our wisest act in when we are aware of other’s misfortune is to intercede for them. It is easy to gloat over their misfortune. But we do it to our own detriment because what goes around will come around. The cock will always return to roost. 

No comments:

Post a Comment