Prophecy Against Ammon

Here are my thoughts on Ezekiel 25:1-7.

Summary: In this passage, God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against Ammon:

• Ammon has rejoiced over the downfall of Judah
• thus, Ammon will be 1) invaded by nomads who will graze their camels at Rabbah and 2) eradicated as a nation.

Thoughts: This passage centers on a prophecy against Ammon. Taylor offers some thoughts on this point:

The purpose of this kind of writing is twofold. First, it arises out of a belief in monotheism, and is intended to show the outworkings of monotheism. If Yahweh is the God of the whole earth, he clearly has something to say about the history and destiny of nations other than Israel. Secondly, the future prospects of Israel, whether they are thought of in terms of a day of judgment or Davidic Messianism or a new covenant, must be matched by judgment on peoples who have often flagrantly disregarded the laws by which all mankind are to be judged.

Taylor’s thoughts illuminate God’s right to judge nations other than Israel and Judah; thus, I need to reassess my thoughts on what these other nations should have done in light of the downfall of Judah. Indeed, the Ammonites could be criticized for not reflecting on their history – especially their defeats at the hands of Israel and Judah. Those repeated setbacks should have made them more willing to acknowledge His superiority over their deities. In that case, they would have thought twice before mocking Him after the fall of Jerusalem (e.g. they could have wrestled with the intersection between His sovereignty and that traumatic event). In fairness, though, changing one’s worldview is generally difficult…