OUR LORD WHO IS NOT MOCKED

Ezekiel chapter 35 verses 1 - 3 reads this way;

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir; prophesy against it  and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste.

This prohecy of woe against Mount Seir stems from their ancient hostility against the land of Israel. As it says in verses 5 - 6;

“‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax, therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you.

The kingdom of Mount Seir wrongly positioned themselves against the kingdom of Israel because the Lord had explicitly instructed Israel as they were approaching the promised land, not to claim any of the land of Mount Seir because He had given it to Esau, the brother of their forefather, Jacob.  Deuteronomy chapter 2 verse 5 says it this way;

don't contend with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on; because I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession.

Nevertheless, Mount Seir, in verses 10 - 11 of Ezekiel chapter 35, claimed Israel as their possesion. The passage says this;

 “‘Because you have said, “These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession of them,” even though I the Lord was there, therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will treat you in accordance with the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.

Most offensive about this claim over Israel by the Kingdom of Mount Seir, was that it overlooked that fact that Lord, God of Jacob was there even though it was He who underwrote their protection from invasion by the approaching Israelites.

Because of their hatred towards Israel while they  ignored the presence of the Lord, the prophecy declared that their judgement would be according to their behaviour and attitude toward the kingdom of Israel.

In present times, the enemies of God's people have presumed to oppress the Lord's inheritance as though the Lord Himself were not there and they have rashly spoken against them and against the Lord.

In fact, the Lord is there and His judgement looms over those who do not have His salvation which is given as a gift through believing in Jesus, the one who died and shed His blood to pay for our sins.

Amen.