Lesson VII
1 Peter 4:17
(17) For the time [is come] that judgment must
begin at the house of God: and if [it first begin] at us, what shall the end be
of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Romans 2:3
(3) And thinkest thou
this, O man, that judgest them which do such things,
and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the
judgment of God?
Hebrews 9:27
(27) And as it is appointed unto men once to die,
but after this the judgment:
Israel was judged, the
Nations (Gentiles) rejoiced.
But this chapter informed
Israel that the Gentiles would not escape.
They too would be judged (1
Peter 4:17, Romans 2:3).
There will be no one who
will escape the judgment of God (Hebrews 9:27).
1. Chapter 25:1-7 Ammon. Cf Genesis 19:38
See also
Ezekiel Chapter 21:28-32.
Ezekiel 25:1-7
(1) The word of the LORD came again unto me,
saying,
(2) Son of man, set
thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against
them;
(3) And say unto the
Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my
sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was
desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;
(4) Behold, therefore
I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set
their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy
fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.
(5) And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couchingplace for flocks: and ye shall know that I [am] the
LORD.
(6) For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped [thine] hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in
heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel;
(7) Behold, therefore
I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to
the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to
perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt
know that I [am] the LORD.
Genesis 19:38
(38) And the younger,
she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same [is] the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
Ezekiel 21:28-32
(28) And thou, son of
man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD
concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The
sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter [it is] furbished, to consume
because of the glittering:
(29) Whiles they see
vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the
necks of [them that are] slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their
iniquity [shall have] an end.
(30) Shall I cause [it]
to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.
(31) And I will pour
out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my
wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, [and] skilful to destroy.
(32) Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the
midst of the land; thou shalt be no [more]
remembered: for I the LORD have spoken [it].
Chapter 25:3-4 “And say unto
the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith
the Lord God; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my
sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was
desolate: and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;
Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a
possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings
in thee: they shall drink thy milk.”
As we have stated in other lessons, God always has a reason or reasons
for what He does and what He allows.
“The men of the east are the Bedouins. The word “palaces” must be translated
“encampments.” The Bedouins set up their
tents in stone rings. And this prophecy
has been fulfilled. The Bedouin nomads
wander through Ammon’s possessions.” And I would add, to this day it is so.
Chapter 25:5 “And I will make Rabbah a stable
for camels, and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks; and ye shall know
that I am the Lord.” Rabbah
was the capital city of the Ammonites.
Here the bed of Og King of
Deuteronomy 3:11
(11) For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants;
behold, his bedstead [was] a bedstead of iron; [is] it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon?
nine cubits [was] the length thereof, and four cubits
the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
The site of the city is now where the city of Amman, Jordan, is
located. Camels are everywhere!
Chapter 25:7 “Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon
thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I
will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to
perish out of the countries; I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.” No one speaks of the Nation of Ammon to this day. What was the land of Ammon
in the days of Ezekiel is now Transjordan.
2. Chapter 25:8-11 Moab. Cf Genesis 19:37
Ezekiel 25:8-11
(8) Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah [is] like unto all
the heathen;
(9) Therefore, behold,
I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities [which are] on
his frontiers, the glory of the country, Bethjeshimoth,
Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim,
(10) Unto the men of
the east with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the
Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.
(11) And I will
execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.
Genesis 19:37
(37) And the firstborn
bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same [is] the father of the Moabites
unto this day.
The beginning of this Nation goes back to Genesis 19:37.
Ezekiel 25:8-9 “Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto the
heathen; Therefore, behold I will open the side of Moab from
the cities, from his cities which are on the frontiers, the glory of the
country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon,
and Kiriathaim.”
Isaiah 16:6-7
(6) We have heard of
the pride of Moab; [he is] very proud: [even] of his haughtiness, and his
pride, and his wrath: [but] his lies [shall] not [be] so.
(7) Therefore shall
Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely [they are] stricken.
Jeremiah 48:29
(29) We have heard the
pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.
Zephaniah 2:8-11
(8) I have heard the
reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children
of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and
magnified [themselves] against their border.
(9) Therefore [as] I
live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,
Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon
as Gomorrah, [even] the breeding of nettles, and saltpits,
and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the
remnant of my people shall possess them.
(10) This shall they
have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified [themselves]
against the people of the LORD of hosts.
(11) The LORD [will be]
terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and [men]
shall worship him, every one from his place, [even]
all the isles of the heathen.
Here we insert a reference from Isaiah 16:6 “We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is
very proud: even of haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies
shall not be so.” Verse 7: “Therefore
shall
Jeremiah 48:29 “We have heard the pride of Moab (he is
exceeding proud)...”
Zephaniah 2:8-11 “I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon,
whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their
border. Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab
shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as
Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits,
and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the
remnant of my people shall possess them.
This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and
magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts (namely, Israel). The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he
will famish all the gods of the earth, and men shall worship him, every one
from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.”
The sin of the Moabites and the Ammonites is centered in the word ‘pride.’
Proverbs 6:16-17
(16) These six [things]
doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him:
(17) A proud look, a
lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Proverbs 16:18
(18) Pride [goeth] before destruction, and a
haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 8:13
(13) The fear of the
LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the
evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
James 4:6
(6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith,
God resisteth the proud, but giveth
grace unto the humble.
Proverbs 6:16-17 God hates pride.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth
before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:” What evil? First on the list is pride.
James 4:6 “God resisteth
the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
Who can think about Moab without remembering the story of Ruth the Moabitess? Ruth 1:4
Ruth 1:4
(4) And they took them
wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah,
and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
In any good Bible dictionary you will find an account of the famous
Moabite Stone. It was dated about 850 B.C.
The fact that the Ammonites, and implied, the Moabites, would not be
remembered among the Nations is mentioned in Ezekiel 25:10. To this day “
The area they occupied is now known to the world as “Transjordan.” Remembering this Bible history we cannot but
ask, have not the two great wars of more recent years been indications that the
same God judges proud nations today as He did in the past? Such thoughts make me wonder just what is
ahead for proud
The great lesson must be that we seriously consider what God thinks of
human pride.
3. Ezekiel 25: 12-14 Edom. Cf Genesis 36:1
Ezekiel 25:12-14
(12) Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that
Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath
greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;
(13) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon
Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall
fall by the sword.
(14) And I will lay my
vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom
according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my
vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.
Genesis 36:1
(1) Now these [are]
the generations of Esau, who [is] Edom.
Genesis 32:3
(3) And Jacob sent
messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir,
the country of Edom.
Genesis 36:8-9
(8) Thus dwelt Esau in
mount Seir: Esau [is] Edom.
(9) And these [are]
the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in
mount Seir:
Genesis 36:1
The Edomites were the descendants of
Esau, Jacob’s brother. Therefore they were first cousins!
Genesis 32:3. The
Genesis 36:8-9 The same land is
identified as Mount Seir.
2 Kings 14:7
(7) He slew of Edom in
the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of
it Joktheel unto this day.
Isaiah 16:1
(1) Send ye the lamb
to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness,
unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.
2 Chronicles 25:11-12
(11) And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and
went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir
ten thousand.
(12) And [other] ten
thousand [left] alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought
them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock,
that they all were broken in pieces.
Obadiah 1-14
(1) The vision of
Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We
have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador
is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
(2) Behold, I have
made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly
despised.
(3) The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation [is]
high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me
down to the ground?
(4) Though thou exalt [thyself]
as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring
thee down, saith the LORD.
(5) If thieves came to
thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen
till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to
thee, would they not leave [some] grapes?
(6) How are [the
things] of Esau searched out! [how] are his hidden things sought up!
(7) All the men of thy
confederacy have brought thee [even] to the border: the men that were at peace
with thee have deceived thee, [and] prevailed against thee; [they that eat] thy
bread have laid a wound under thee: [there is] none understanding in him.
(8) Shall I not in
that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise [men]
out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
(9) And thy mighty [men],
O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one
of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.
(10) For [thy]
violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
(11) In the day that
thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the
strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his
gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou [wast]
as one of them.
(12) But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the
day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou
have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction;
neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day
of distress.
(13) Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in
the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not
have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid [hands]
on their substance in the day of their calamity;
(14) Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those
of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have
delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.
Jeremiah 49:16
(16) Thy terribleness
hath deceived thee, [and] the pride of thine heart, O
thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring
thee down from thence, saith the LORD.
The city of Petra was the capital city of Edom. “Petra” from the Greek word that means “rock.”. The Hebrew word
was Sela (2 Kings 14:7, Isaiah 16:1). The city of Petra was a noted pagan city. In 2 Chronicles 25:11-12 there is a record of
one of the many battles between
Numbers 20:14-21
(14) And Moses sent
messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest
all the travail that hath befallen us:
(15) How our fathers
went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians
vexed us, and our fathers:
(16) And when we cried
unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth
out of Egypt: and, behold, we [are] in Kadesh, a city
in the uttermost of thy border:
(17) Let us pass, I
pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through
the vineyards, neither will we drink [of] the water of the wells: we will go by
the king's [high] way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left,
until we have passed thy borders.
(18) And Edom said
unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out
against thee with the sword.
(19) And the children
of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle
drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without [doing] any thing [else], go through on my feet.
(20) And he said, Thou
shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him
with much people, and with a strong hand.
(21) Thus Edom refused
to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from
him.
Numbers 21:21-22
(21) And Israel sent
messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
(22) Let me pass
through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we
will not drink [of] the waters of the well: [but] we will go along by the
king's [high] way, until we be past thy borders.
Deuteronomy 2:27
(27) Let me pass
through thy land: I will go along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the
right hand nor to the left.
Numbers 20:14-21 There is mention of “The Kings Highway.”
Numbers 21:21-22 The same Kings
Highway went north from Edom through Moab and Ammon (see
also Deuteronomy 2:27).
Although this Highway already existed in the days of Moses, it was
paved by the Romans in the second century A.D. And it remains to this day. I have traveled over the road more than once.
Psalm 137:7
(7) Remember, O LORD,
the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase
[it], rase [it], even to the foundation thereof.
Amos 1:11-12
(11) Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for
four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because he did pursue his
brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear
perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:
(12) But I will send a
fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.
Obadiah 8-14
(8) Shall I not in
that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise [men]
out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
(9) And thy mighty [men],
O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one
of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.
(10) For [thy]
violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
(11) In the day that
thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the
strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his
gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou [wast]
as one of them.
(12) But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the
day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou
have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction;
neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day
of distress.
(13) Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in
the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not
have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid [hands]
on their substance in the day of their calamity;
(14) Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those
of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have
delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.
Job 4:1
(1) Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and
said,
Isaiah 34:5-6
(5) For my sword shall
be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea,
and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.
(6) The sword of the
LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, [and] with the blood of
lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a
sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the
land of Idumea.
Isaiah 63:1-4
(1) Who [is] this that
cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this [that is] glorious in his apparel, travelling in the
greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness,
mighty to save.
(2) Wherefore [art
thou] red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him
that treadeth in the winefat?
(3) I have trodden the
winepress alone; and of the people [there was] none with me: for I will tread
them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be
sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
(4) For the day of
vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Jeremiah 49: 7-22
(7) Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of
hosts; [Is] wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel
perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?
(8) Flee ye, turn
back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will
bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time [that] I will visit him.
(9) If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave [some]
gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.
(10) But I have made
Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide
himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours,
and he is not.
(11) Leave thy
fatherless children, I will preserve [them] alive; and let thy widows trust in
me.
(12) For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment [was] not to
drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and [art] thou he [that] shall
altogether go unpunished? thou shalt
not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink [of it].
(13) For I have sworn
by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah
shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities
thereof shall be perpetual wastes.
(14) I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the
heathen, [saying], Gather ye together, and come
against her, and rise up to the battle.
(15) For, lo, I will
make thee small among the heathen, [and] despised
among men.
(16) Thy terribleness
hath deceived thee, [and] the pride of thine heart, O
thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring
thee down from thence, saith the LORD.
(17) Also Edom shall
be a desolation: every one that goeth
by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.
(18) As in the
overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour [cities]
thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.
(19) Behold, he shall
come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the
strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who [is] a chosen [man],
that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the
time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
(20) Therefore hear
the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes,
that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman:
Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their
habitations desolate with them.
(21) The earth is
moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the
Red sea.
(22) Behold, he shall
come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah:
and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a
woman in her pangs.
Lamentations 4:21
(21) Rejoice and be
glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land
of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee:
thou shalt be drunken, and shalt
make thyself naked.
The hatred of Edom against Israel is referred to in: Psalm 137:7; in Amos 1:11; and in Obadiah
10-14.
Teman and Bozrah
were cities of Edom (Amos 1:12).
“Wise men” were identified with Teman
(Obadiah 8-9; Job 4:1).
The other prophets speak about judgments upon the land of Edom (Isaiah
34:5-6; Isaiah 63:1-4; Jeremiah 49:7-22; Lamentations 4:21; Obadiah 10).
“When Nebuchadnezzar besieged
The cruel Herods of Jesus’ time were Edomites. All
accounts state that since the days of the Romans, the Edomites,
as a separate people, have disappeared from history. But it seems that the scriptures indicate
that, in the future, the land of Edom will still face more judgments.
Ezekiel 25:13 states that God will cut off man and beast from Edom and
will make the land desolate. No words
could describe that land today better than the word “desolate”.
4. Ezekiel 25: 15-17 The Philistines.
Ezekiel 25:15-17
(15) Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the
Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful
heart, to destroy [it] for the old hatred;
(16) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand
upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims,
and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.
(17) And I will
execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know
that I [am] the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.
The word, Philistines, means “coast dwellers”. They resided along the coast line of the
Mediterranean Sea (verse 16). There is a
considerable amount of information about the Philistines in the Bible.
Amos 9:7
(7) [Are ye] not as
children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith
the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor,
and the Syrians from Kir?
Jeremiah 47:4
(4) Because of the day
that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, [and] to cut
off from Tyrus and Zidon
every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil
the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.
Amos 9:7 speaks of the
“Philistines from Caphtor.”
Jeremiah 47:4 “Philistines, the
remnant of the country of Caphtor”.
All commentaries seem to agree that “Caphtor”
refers to the Isle of Crete. So the
original Philistines did not originate in
Was it not the Lord who brought the French and English to
Ezekiel 25:15 speaks of “the
old hatred” of the Philistines. In the context, hatred against Israel. So the trouble in the
Genesis 21:32, 34
(32) Thus they made a
covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned
into the land of the Philistines.
(34) And Abraham
sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.
Genesis 26:1, 14
(1) And there was a
famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham.
And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines
unto Gerar.
(14) For he had
possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and
the Philistines envied him.
The Philistines are named as being in the land when Abraham came
(Genesis 21:32, 34). Isaac sojourned in
their land and prospered so much that the Philistines “envied him” (Genesis
26:1,14).
These people are mentioned many times during the days of the
Judges. Two examples.
1) Judges 3:31
We read about Shamgar slaying
Philistines.
Judges 3:31
(31) And after him was
Shamgar the son of Anath,
which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also
delivered Israel.
2) Judges Chapters 14-16 The story of Samson and the
Philistines.
In the book of Samuel, there is more on the Philistines.
1 Samuel 4:1
(1) And the word of
Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to
battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
1 Samuel 5:1-2
(1) And the
Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
(2) When the
Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and
set it by Dagon.
1 Samuel 6:1
(1) And the ark of the
LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
1 Samuel 4:1
Israel went to battle against the Philistines.
1 Samuel 5:1-2 The Philistines
captured the ark of the covenant.
1 Samuel 6:1 The
Philistines kept the ark for seven months.
1 Samuel 17:1-58 David fought Goliath who was a Philistine.
1 Samuel 6:17
(17) And these [are]
the golden emerods which the Philistines returned [for]
a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron
one;
Joshua 13:2-3
(2) This [is] the land
that yet remaineth: all the borders of the
Philistines, and all Geshuri,
(3) From Sihor, which [is] before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, [which is] counted to the Canaanite: five
lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites,
the Gittites, and the Ekronites;
also the Avites:
Joshua 16:5-10
(5) And the border of
the children of Ephraim according to their families was [thus]: even the border
of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar,
unto Bethhoron the upper;
(6) And the border
went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north
side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh,
and passed by it on the east to Janohah;
(7) And it went down
from Janohah to Ataroth,
and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at
Jordan.
(8) The border went
out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is
the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.
(9) And the separate
cities for the children of Ephraim [were] among the inheritance of the children
of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.
(10) And they drave not out the Canaanites that
dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites
unto this day, and serve under tribute.
During these years, the Philistines occupied five cities (1 Samuel 6:17).
It seems that “The lords of the Philistines” ruled all five cities
(Joshua 13:2-3; Joshua 16:5-10).
The five cities were Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron.
1.
Gaza (We hear much about the “Gaza strip” on today’s
news.) This is where Samson died (Judges
16:28-30).
Judges 16:28-30
(28) And Samson called
unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen
me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the
Philistines for my two eyes.
(29) And Samson took
hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was
borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
(30) And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself
with [all his] might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the
people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than
[they] which he slew in his life.
Jeremiah 47:1
(1) The word of the
LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that
Pharaoh smote Gaza.
Amos 1:6-7
(6) Thus saith the LORD; For three
transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof;
because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver [them] up to
Edom:
(7) But I will send a
fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof:
Acts 8:26
(26) And the angel of
the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go
toward the south unto the way that goeth down from
Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
The city was taken by Egypt (Jeremiah 47:1).
Amos 1:6-7 That prophet
predicted that judgment would destroy Gaza.
Perhaps this had already taken place when Philip was sent to Gaza,
because the text states of it, “which is desert” (Acts 8:26).
2. Ashdod With the other
four Philistine major cities, “it was at the zenith of power at the time of
King Saul” about 1020 B.C. (M. Unger).
1 Samuel 5:1-5
(1) And the
Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
(2) When the
Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and
set it by Dagon.
(3) And when they of
Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon [was] fallen upon his face to
the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his
place again.
(4) And when they
arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon [was] fallen upon his face to
the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms
of his hands [were] cut off upon the threshold; only [the stump] of Dagon was
left to him.
(5) Therefore neither
the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the
threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
Amos 3:9
(9) Publish in the
palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble
yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the
midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.
Nehemiah 13:23-26
(23) In those days
also saw I Jews [that] had married wives of Ashdod, of
Ammon, [and] of Moab:
(24) And their
children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and
could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each
people.
(25) And I contended
with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their
hair, and made them swear by God, [saying,] Ye shall
not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your
sons, or for yourselves.
(26) Did not Solomon
king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many
nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made
him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to
sin.
1 Kings 11:1-4
(1) But king Solomon
loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the
Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians,
[and] Hittites;
(2) Of the nations [concerning]
which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them,
neither shall they come in unto you: [for] surely they will turn away your
heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
(3) And he had seven
hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned
away his heart.
(4) For it came to
pass, when Solomon was old, [that] his wives turned away his heart after other
gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as [was] the heart
of David his father.
1 Samuel 5:1-5 The city is mentioned 21 times
in the Old Testament.
Amos 3:9 speaks of “the palaces of Ashdod.”
Nehemiah 13:23-26 Nehemiah tells about Israelites, after returning from
Babylon, who then had married “wives of Ashdod,” their children “speaking half
in the speech of Ashdod and half in the Jews’ language.” He reminds them of the “outlandish women” who
had turned the heart of King Solomon from the Lord (1 Kings 11:1-4).
Now, Ezekiel 25:17 states that God will “execute great vengeance” and
“furious rebukes” on the cities of the Philistines, which included Ashdod.
3.
Ashkelon It was located 12 miles north of the city of
Gaza.
Judges 14:19
(19) And the Spirit of
the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of
them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which
expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's
house.
2 Samuel 1:20
(20) Tell it not in
Gath, publish [it] not in the streets of Askelon;
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the
uncircumcised triumph.
Zephaniah 2:4
(4) For Gaza shall be
forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive
out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted
up.
Zechariah 9:5
(5) Ashkelon shall see
[it], and fear; Gaza also [shall see it], and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king
shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
Judges 14:19 The Philistines occupied this city at the time of Samson.
2 Samuel 1:20 David names Askelon as being inhabited
by daughters of Philistines.
Zepheniah 2:4 “Gaza shall be forsaken,
and Ashkelon a desolation.”
Zechariah 9:5 “... Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.”
I have taken pictures of the ruins at this site. Ashkelon was the birthplace of Herod the
Great.
4.
Gath The
word means “wine-press”.
Amos 6:2
(2) Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: [be
they] better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
1 Samuel 5:8
(8) They sent
therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they
answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they
carried the ark of the God of Israel about [thither].
1 Samuel 6:17
(17) And these [are]
the golden emerods which the Philistines returned [for]
a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron
one;
1 Samuel 27:4
(4) And it was told
Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
1 Samuel 17:4
(4) And there went out
a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose
height [was] six cubits and a span.
1 Chronicles 18:1
(1) Now after this it
came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath
and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 Chronicles 11:5-8
(5) And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.
(6) He built even
Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,
(7) And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,
(8) And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,
2 Chronicles 26:6
(6) And he went forth
and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the
wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built
cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
Amos 6:2 speaks of “Gath of the Philistines”.
1 Samuel 5:8 The Philistines took the ark of God to Gath.
1 Samuel 6:17 When they were sending trespass-offering of golden emerods, they sent one for each of the five cities,
including Gath.
1 Samuel 27:4 When David fled from Saul in fear, he went to Gath.
1 Samuel 17:4 It was the birth-place of the giant Goliath.
1 Chronicles 18:1 David captured the city.
2 Chronicles 11:5-8 Rehoboam, King of Judah,
made it one of his cities of defence.
2 Chronicles 26:6
King Uzziah “went forth and warred
against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath and the wall of
Ashdod.”
5
Ekron
1 Samuel 5:10 The ark was moved from Gath to Ekron.
1 Samuel 5:11 and
6:16 The lords
of the Philistines sent the ark away from Ekron on a
new cart.
2 Kings
1:2,16 The God of Ekron
was Baal-zebub, “the god of flies.”
Zephaniah
2:4 “Ekron
shall be rooted up.”
Zecharaiah 9:5 “and Ekron, for her
expectation shall be ashamed.”
Isaiah 2:6 speaks
of the “soothsayers like the Philistines.”
1 Samuel 13:5 In
the days of King Saul the Philistines had 30,000 chariots.
1 Samuel 13:19-22 The
Philistines oppressed the Israelites for in those days there were no
black-smiths allowed to be in Israel so that the Israelites had to go to the
Philistines to sharpen their tools. It
was their way of keeping Israel from having defensive weapons.
Wycliffe History states: “The
Palestinian shore is strewn with the wrecks of harbours
where other shores might show instead the wrecks of ships.”
Zephaniah 3:6-8
(6) I have cut off the
nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no
man, that there is none inhabitant.
(7) I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so
their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose
early, [and] corrupted all their doings.
(8) Therefore wait ye
upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up
to the prey: for my determination [is] to gather the nations, that I may
assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, [even] all my fierce
anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
Zephaniah 3:6 states: “I have cut off the nations; their towers are
desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth
by: their
cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none
inhabitant.” At the time of that writing,
the Prophet would have the cities of the Philistines in mind.
Zephaniah 3:7 gives the reasons for this destruction. “I said, Surely thou
wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be
cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all
their doings.”
Zephaniah 3:8 “Therefore wait ye upon me, saith
the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather
the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for
all
the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.”
Learn: This prophecy
is still to be fulfilled in the time of the Great Tribulation.
Zechariah 14:2
(2) For I will gather
all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the
houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into
captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Zechariah 14:2 “For I will gather all nations
against Jerusalem.” Actually for their destruction.
All peoples and Nations will be without excuse.
God has recorded the history of what He has done to the cities of the
Philistines, and since then to other cities, as a warning to those who
hereafter have lived as did those before them.
Every ruined site of every town and city is a warning to the people of
this earth that the day is coming when they too shall be judged.
Daniel 5:17-22
(17) Then Daniel answered
and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to
another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the
interpretation.
(18) O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and
majesty, and glory, and honour:
(19) And for the
majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and
feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and
whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
(20) But when his
heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his
kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
(21) And he was driven
from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling [was]
with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet
with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the
kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth over it
whomsoever he will.
(22) And thou his son,
O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though
thou knewest all this;
“Then Daniel answered and said before the king. Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy
rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known
to him the interpretation. thou king, the most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy
father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory ,and honour. And for the majesty that he gave him, all
people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would
he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom
he would he put down. But when his heart
was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly
throne, and they took his glory from him:
And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the
beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like
oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most
high God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whom he will. And thou his son, O
Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though
thou knewest all this.”
Thus will God speak to the
Nations who have turned against Israel!