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Ezekiel 25:12-14  Thus says the Lord GOD:  Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance on them, therefore thus says the Lord GOD, I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate; from Teman even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword.  And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and they shall know my vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.

It is interesting that here, where Ezekiel is pronouncing God’s Judgement on the nations surrounding Israel because of their rejoicing at Israel’s demise, he addresses God as ‘Yahweh Adonai’ (expressed in English versions as ‘Lord GOD’) instead of the usual ‘Elohim Yahweh’ (‘LORD God’).  This might seem incidental.  But the Prophet wants to make it clear that the One bringing the Judgement is not just the Divine Being who has revealed himself to Israel by his special Covenant Name, ‘Yahweh’, but he is this Covenant God of Israel who is the Sovereign Lord (ruling Master, ‘Adonai’) over every part of his Creation.

In other words, nations thast are not part of his Covenant People, his Church, are still under his rule and will ultimately be held accountable to him for every word and action in this life!  Ezekiel’s words here are reminiscent of our Sovereign God’s declaration in Psalm 2 as it points forward to Jesus: “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.  You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’  Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.  Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2:7-12)

As we have seen many times in TQW, the Lord Jesus Christ, during his earthly ministry, took this name, ‘The LORD , Yahweh’, upon himself which is one of the major things that incurred the wrath of the Jewish leaders, and their accusation of blasphemy.  So what Ezekiel is saying here serves as a warning to all the nations throughout our world today where Christians are being severely persecuted just because they are followers of Jesus and proclaiming faith in him as the only Saviour, Christ (‘Messiah’), the LORD (‘Yahweh’)!  And a warning to all people who are mocking Christians and Christ’s Church!  Let us pray that many of them might hear and heed this warning, and be ‘blessed’ by ’tak[ing] refuge in him’.

– Bruce Christian