The Gospel According to Ezekiel, Chapters 25-26 (Part 1 of 2)

Shifting Focus to the Surrounding Nations

As we come to Ezekiel chapter 25, the context shifts toward judgments against surrounding nations. It's not just Jerusalem's sin under scrutiny, but sins among other nations worthy of judgment—some in an extreme degree.

Examining these nations reveals life's greatest issues, all tied to a specific concept: misplaced joy. These nations find joy in denying God as the ultimate source of joy, denying His uniqueness or His people's uniqueness—a core idea in Old Testament theology and New Testament salvation. God has a special people who find their sole joy in Him.

They seize this as an opportunity to deny God as a source of joy, His people as unique, and even God's existence. It all boils down to misplaced joy, providing us a stark example of proper joy in God and how to avoid joy that invites judgment.

Judgment on Ammon: Malicious Joy in "Aha!"

Ezekiel 25:1-7
The word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the sons of Ammon and prophesy against them, and say to the sons of Ammon, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God, “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile,’ therefore behold, I am going to give you to the sons of the East for a possession... Thus you will know that I am the Lord.”’”

This introduces misplaced joy through the word "aha"—an expression of malicious joy, like gloating over someone's exposure for your gain. The Ammonites express this over the profaning of God's sanctuary and Judah's exile.

Profaning the temple implies the being behind it is powerless or nonexistent. They twist Israel's judgment to justify their sin, denial, and rejection of God. But exile and temple destruction prove God's power, seriousness about sin, and intolerance of it.

Ammon relishes this as "proof" God doesn't exist or can't save His people—echoing mockers at the cross: "He saved others; He cannot save Himself." They conclude God won't bother with them, so no need to change.

God responds: He gives them to the East, makes Rabbah a camel pasture, cuts them off. The refrain repeats: "Thus you will know that I am the Lord."

Two Ways to Know God

This theme dominates Ezekiel and the Old Testament: knowing Yahweh as sovereign, deserving allegiance. There are two ways to know God—by judgment or by mercy.

Judgment brings experiential knowledge of God's power, reversing Ammon's denial. It's negative knowing—through justice, vengeance. Mercy is positive: gracious, salvific, protective, comforting.

Everyone experiences God one way or another. Ammon's misplaced joy—joying in the wrong thing—leads to judgment. Proper fear of God brings joy, magnifying love and grace. Fearing God is foundational; He judges even His people for holiness, not favoritism.

If Ammon's joy were in God, their fortune would reverse to mercy.

Judgment on Moab: Denying Israel's Distinctiveness

Ezekiel 25:8-11
“Thus says the Lord God, ‘Because Moab and Seir say, “Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,” therefore, behold, I am going to deprive the flank of Moab of its cities... Thus I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Moab's sin is subtler: "Judah is like all the nations." No distinctiveness, so no need to change. This mirrors modern criticisms of Christians: "You're no different." It justifies sin by erasing holy distinctiveness (Romans 1 mindset).

Moab ignores God's sanctification of His people—an insult to God: "You can't change or sanctify them." God doesn't vindicate Judah here but His name. Distinctiveness comes from knowing God (John 17: eternal life is knowing God; Jesus sanctifies through knowing).

Judgment on Edom and Philistines: Vengeful Joy

Ezekiel 25:12-17
“Thus says the Lord God, ‘Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance... I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel...’ ... ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Because the Philistines have acted in revenge... I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes, and they will know that I am the Lord.”’”

Edom took sadistic pleasure killing Judah's refugees fleeing to their border—misplaced joy in murdering God's people. Philistines acted with scornful, endless enmity. God responds with severe vengeance, using Israel against Edom.

These highlight God's wrath as vengeance against insults to Him.

Judgment on Tyre: Commercial Gain from Calamity

Ezekiel 26:2-6
“Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste,’ therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre... They will know that I am the Lord.’”

Tyre gloats "aha!" over Jerusalem's fall, seeing trade opportunities without embargoes. As a trade hub with two ports, they profit materially from God's people's destruction—misplaced joy in gain.

God brings many nations like waves; Nebuchadnezzar from the north with siege engines. He describes total destruction: walls scraped to bare rock, a place for nets.

Historically, Nebuchadnezzar razed the mainland, sieged the island 13 years without full conquest. His debris enabled Alexander the Great to build a causeway, conquer, and devastate it. The island became fishing grounds, never rebuilt—as prophesied.

Ezekiel 26:12-14
“They will make a spoil of your riches... I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more... declares the Lord God.”

Ezekiel 26:16-21
“Thus says the Lord God to Tyre, ‘Shall not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall... I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit... You will be no more, though you will be sought for, you will never be found again,’ declares the Lord God.”

The Reality of Fulfilled Prophecy

These prophecies—from Ezekiel in 588-587 BC—are historically confirmed, even in Babylonian texts. The judgment is absolute, gripping with awe and fear.

Like 2 Peter 3, scoffers ignore past judgments like the flood. These mean business. Ezekiel prophesies from exile, facing nations' directions—for exiles' and our benefit: see judgment, repent (Ezekiel 18).

"You will know that I am the Lord" shifts to "they will know"—for believers, thanking God for Christ.

The Gospel in Judgment and Salvation

This is all about the gospel. This is the Old Testament version of a presentation of the gospel. If you cannot sense utter total gratitude and thankfulness in the salvation of Jesus Christ, then we are missing some of the purposes of why God has preserved his judgments for us—so that we know what it takes for somebody to be saved. Judgment must be served, but we recognize that it has been served upon Jesus Christ for us, so we can begin to live out salvation.

As well as a Romans 9 understanding: when God makes known his wrath upon these kinds of vessels, it reveals and makes known his glory. There is much to do in terms of worship, praise, and honored admiration of God. The glory of God needs to be the source of joy. That's the juxtaposition of our text: here's what misplaced joy looks like. The inverse means I need to have joy in the Lord—a joy that can never be taken away.

This is what happens with specific kinds of misplaced joy, but the truth rings out: when joy is not placed in God, it can easily and very quickly be taken away in judgment. So we recognize joy in the Lord, joy in the glory of the Lord, where his glory is proclaimed and not profaned. That becomes the regular lifestyle of a believer in Jesus Christ.

The Pain of Idolatrous Joy

When God is not the source of our joy, or when the denial of God is specifically the source of your joy, God will take that away painfully. That's the issue of idolatry—the issue with all the different things the nations around were so focused on, blatantly ignorant of joy in the Lord, with God's glory being central, the most important concept.

Romans 3: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

That's what it means to fall short of the glory of God: to fail to glorify God. Your purpose is always to spread the glory of God. It's either spreading the glory of God in judgment—the way these nations have done, the way Ammon, the Philistines, Edom, and Tyre have done. Tyre is this poster city, even displayed today as a modern-day city of the glory of God being displayed in judgment.

Or the glory of God displayed in people who enjoy God, who follow what he says and do not desire to stray against the truths of God. That's the whole reason for God creating. Failure to glorify God means we cannot properly experience God. To succeed in glorifying God is something we cannot do; we have the impossibility of doing it. We need Christ to glorify God. We need reliance upon him to glorify God.

There is no such thing as going rogue and trying to come up with a way of glorifying God. There is only the glory found in being crafted as clay, a model of the work of Christ, a representation of what he has done.