Four Messages for Four Cities - Ezekiel 25

For today's reading to make some sense, you will need to picture yourself standing in a particular spot (anywhere will do) and then imagine fanning around 180 degrees. At various points as you slowly turn, you would stop and speak a message to those cities lying in the distance. Seems weird, I know, but this is what Ezekiel is doing - he is delivering a message to 4 different cities today - Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia.

The reason for the 4 messages is that God is now going to respond to the actions of all of these places. Each one of them had acted against Israel in some way or another - laughing at her demise, scorning Yahweh, hating the Jews and seeking revenge against Judah. Each message in this chapter is a personal response to their hatred of God and the Lord seems focused on showing that "He is the Sovereign Lord." 

Again, it is not a joyous chapter to read, especially if you are sensitive person, but I found something intriguing in the last verse of Ezekiel 25. For me it points us towards the Cross and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Read these words first:

" ¹⁷ I will execute terrible vengeance against them to punish them for what they have done. And when I have inflicted my revenge, they will know that I am the Lord.”

So we know that he is speaking to the people of Philistia, but could we interpret these words in a prophetic sense? That the 'terrible vengeance' that God allowed in happen, with Jesus dying on the cross, was so that we would not be punished for our sins. And when God had sufficiently dealt with sin and death, through the cross and empty tomb, we would ALL know that he is Lord. 

How does that sound? Does it make sense? 

Living in Grace
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