As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee - (Obadiah 1:12; Obadiah 1:15).
Remarks:
(1) Edom is often in Scripture made the type of the most hitter and inveterate enemies of God's people in all ages. The hatred of brothers, when they are at variance, is proverbially rancorous. Such was Esau's hatred of Jacob, though the latter averted it by soft words and conciliatory acts; and such was the inherited bitterness of Esau's descendants toward Israel. Therefore, God declares, "Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee ... and thou shalt be desolate" (Ezekiel 35:3-4). Those who cherish "a perpetual hatred" (Ezekiel 35:5) against their fellow-man, betray the carnal mind, which is "enmity against God" (Romans 8:7); therefore God is against them, and will give them, in righteous retribution, to "perpetual desolations" (Ezekiel 35:9).
(2) As Edom exulted over the calamity of Israel, which was the penalty of their fully-consummated "iniquity" (Ezekiel 35:5), therefore calamity was to be her own portion, and this not temporary, as in Israel's case, but for ever: there was to be no "return" to prosperity for Edom (Ezekiel 35:9). Since she delighted in bloodshedding, bloodshedding should pursue herself (Ezekiel 35:6). Since she "cut off" all of Israel who tried to escape through her territory (Obadiah 1:14), so all who pass from her land or return to it should be "cut off" (Ezekiel 35:7). Thus, should she be compelled by awful judgments to "know the Lord" as her Punisher, since she would not know Him as her Saviour (Ezekiel 35:9).
(3) The overthrow and exile of the Israelites from their land ought to have moved Edom to self-examination, lest there should be in herself sins found which might provoke God to inflict similar judgments. Instead of this, she regarded Israel's calamity as her opportunity: "These two countries shall be mine," said she, "and we will possess it." She forgot, in her wicked presumption, that land of Israel was peculiarly the Lord's possession, and the Lord's earthly dwelling-place (Ezekiel 35:10); therefore so far was Edom from being about to gain possession of Israel's inheritance, that she was about to be deprived of her own, and that for ever. He rein we have an awful example of God's retributive justice, whereby He makes 'anger, envy, and hatred' recoil upon the head of those who cherish such passions (Ezekiel 35:11). "I will even do, saith the Lord God, according to thine anger, and according to thine envy, which thou hast used out of thy hatred."
(4) Worldly men think lightly of speaking vindictive and calumnious words against the people of God, and of forming projects for taking selfish advantage of their times of extremity (Ezekiel 35:12); but God regards such words against His people as spoken against Himself. There is not a word that goeth out of our lips which God does not hear. How careful and guarded, then, we should be in our words, especially in times when our carnal passions and tempers are excited! (Ezekiel 35:13.) "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin; but he that refraineth his lips is wise" (Proverbs 10:19).
(5) What an entire reversal of the present order of things there will be at the second coming of Christ! The enemies of God, who so often seem now to triumph, shall then be cast down in desolation and everlasting sorrow (Ezekiel 35:14). The people of God, Israel and the elect Church, who so often now mourn, shall then "rejoice" with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Edom, that rejoiced over fallen Israel, shall then mourn over her own irretrievable fall; while "Jerusalem shall be a rejoicing, and her people a joy." Let us see that we take our portion now with the people of God in their season of trial, that so we may have our everlasting portion with them in their coming blessedness.