Ezekiel · chapter 35 of 48
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Ezekiel 35 is an oracle against Mount Seir, that is, against Edom. The Lord accuses it of everlasting hostility toward Israel, of handing Israel over to the sword in the day of its calamity and of wanting to seize its lands. For that reason Seir will be desolate forever, and Edom will know that the Lord heard its words of contempt.
Edom was already mentioned in chapter 25 among the neighboring nations. Here it receives an oracle of its own, placed just before the message of restoration in chapter 36. The placement is no accident: the desolation of Seir contrasts with the renewal of the mountains of Israel, and the two chapters are best read together.
The Lord tells Ezekiel to set his face toward Mount Seir, the mountain region of Edom, and prophesy against it. God declares himself against Seir and will leave it desolate and waste. Its cities will be ruins, and they will know that he is the Lord.
The reason is Edom's everlasting hostility toward Israel. It handed the people of Israel over to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of their final punishment. Therefore, as the Lord lives, Edom will be given over to bloodshed and bloodshed will pursue it, since it did not hate bloodshed. Seir will be made a desolation and a waste, its roads cut off, and its mountains filled with the slain.
Edom also said that the two nations, Israel and Judah, would be its own and that it would possess them, although the Lord was there. God will act according to the anger and envy with which Edom treated them, and will make himself known among them when he judges it. Edom boasted against the Lord and multiplied its words against him, and the Lord has heard. Because Edom rejoiced over the desolation of Israel's inheritance, the Lord will treat it the same way; Seir will be desolate, and all of Edom, and they will know that he is the Lord.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Edom kept up an everlasting hostility and handed Israel over to the sword in its time of ruin. The text points out that Edom's sin was exploiting the calamity of a kindred people, not a simple war between neighbors.
Edom said that the two nations and the two lands would be its own and that it would possess them, although the Lord was there. It is the mistake of one who thinks he can seize what God has given to another, forgetting that he is present.
Edom boasted against the Lord and multiplied its words, and the Lord has heard. God hears even what is said arrogantly behind the back of someone who suffers, and he does not overlook it.
Because Edom rejoiced over the desolation of Israel's inheritance, the Lord will do the same to it. The principle is simple: whoever delights in another's ruin receives the same measure.
5 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: Against Mount Seir, that is, Edom. — Ezekiel 35:2
Answer: An everlasting hostility. — Ezekiel 35:5
Answer: That they would be its own and that it would possess them. — Ezekiel 35:10
Answer: That it boasted against him and multiplied its words, and that the Lord heard. — Ezekiel 35:13
Answer: Because Edom rejoiced over the desolation of Israel's inheritance. — Ezekiel 35:15
It is easy to rejoice quietly when a rival is doing badly. Ezekiel 35 reminds us that God hears those words and sees those feelings. For a small group it is a good starting point to talk about envy, resentment and rivalry between churches, families or coworkers. The Christian response is to weep with those who weep and to pray for those who have hurt us.
The chapter also encourages those who have been mocked at their moment of deepest pain: God saw it and does not forget. Those who feel wounded can hand the wrong over to the Lord instead of seeking revenge on their own.
Ezekiel 35 leaves Mount Seir desolate and so prepares the contrast with chapter 36, where the mountains of Israel will receive a word of restoration and a new heart.
The Edomites descended from Esau, Jacob's brother, so their hostility toward Israel seemed especially grave. When Jerusalem fell, Edom took advantage and joined in the plunder, which is why it appears with harsh reproaches in several prophets, such as Obadiah. Ezekiel sums up its sin as an ancient enmity.
The language of the prophets is often intense and points to a complete judgment on the nation that acted against God. The essence of the message is that Edom will not have the last word over the land of Israel. Interpreters discuss how the detail was fulfilled, but the central point is God's justice toward those who mock his people.