Ezekiel 25:1–7

Read the passage.

The book of Ezekiel can be divided into three main sections. The first as we have seen are judgements against Israel and Judah. We now come to the second in which the nations surrounding Israel are judged. The final section concerns the hope for blessing of God’s people and the restoration of His temple.

The first of the nations to be judged is Ammon. Ezekiel had already prophesied against them in chapter 21, in which the king of Babylon cast divinations to decide to which city to send his armies first. While Babylon had its own reasons for destroying Ammon, the Lord spells out His reasons for sending this judgement upon them.

Ammon had often been in conflict with Israel, so even though they had allied against Babylon in these last few years, there was much rejoicing among the Ammonites when they heard that Jerusalem had fallen. Yahweh’s temple was destroyed and the land of Israel was emptied of inhabitants, so Ammon clapped their hands and stamped their feet in gleeful malice. Because of this attitude, the Lord sends Babylon to do the same thing to Ammon and its cities. The people of Ammon shall be removed, its capital city will be a camel pasture, and the fruit of the land will go to the besieging Babylonians.

Shadenfreude is not an emotion that God’s people should allow themselves. To see judgement fall on an individual or a group should give us satisfaction that justice is served and evil is punished, but it should also sober us because it is only by God’s mercy that such a fate has not fallen on us as well.

You search the hearts of men and know all their intentions.