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Daily Devotions

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 
Day 
Day 373

"You have had an ancient hatred"

Text: Ezekiel 35:5

AN ANCIENT HATRED

Edom had great feelings of animosity towards Israel. The quarrel between Esau and Jacob were resolved between them (Genesis 33). Jacob and Esau were reconciled happily.

But the descendants of Esau became increasingly hostile to Israel. The short book of Obadiah listed some of the atrocities committed by the Edomites against Israel. This is most likely the context of this text in Ezekiel 35.

“‘Because you have had an ancient hatred,
and have shed the blood of the children of Israel
by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity,
when their iniquity came to an end,
therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord God,
‘I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you;
since you have not hated blood,
therefore blood shall pursue you.'”
Ezekiel 35:5-6

1. The sins of Mount Seir.

a) An ancient hatred.

i) Edom nursed a hatred that lasted many years.

ii) This long hatred was in itself a sin problem.

b) The Edomites was guilty of shedding blood.

i) Israel was being attacked by the Babylonians.

ii) Edom helped the Babylonians in this war.

iii) Edom slew many from Israel when they tried to flee from the Babylonians (Cf. Obadiah).

c) Israel’s iniquity.

i) The nation had forsaken God.

ii) It was guilty of much wickedness.

iii) The end of their iniquity had come for they were being defeated badly by the Babylonians.

iv) God had not sent Edom to kill the children of Israel.

v) Edom’s ill-treatment of Israel arose from the wickedness of their heart.

2. Edom’s recompense.

a) Edom drew sword against Israel.

b) Edom would now face the sword of the Babylonians too.

c) Edom loved bloodshed.

d) Bloodshed would be the lot of Edom.

e) Edom would reap what it had sowed.