I Will Destroy You

Ammon was a nation located east of the Israelite tribes of Gad and Rueben who were also both situated east of the Jordan River and Dead Sea.  We know from Genesis 19:38 that the Ammonites were descended from Lot’s youngest daughter’s son Ben-ammi.  From Deuteronomy 2:19 we learn that God did not allow Israel to attack or take any of the Ammonites land because He had given it to Lot’s descendants. Remember Lot was Abraham’s nephew. We also know from Deu. 23:3,4 that because the Ammonites and Moabites refused to help the Israelites during their journey out of Egypt that God excluded them from ever entering “the Lord’s assembly.” 

In the book of Judges Ammon attacked Israel on many occasions and were a snare to them because of their idol worship. The Israelite judge, Jephthah, defeated them in battle as did multiple kings later—Saul, David, Jehoshaphat and Uzziah.  In 1 Kings 11:5 we learn that Solomon married an Ammonite woman Naamah, and, because of her, worshiped Milcom, their detestable idol.  Naamah’s son Rehoboam, followed after Solomon as king of Israel.  When some of Judah’s exiles returned from Susa to Israel, the Ammonite official, Tobiah was a major thorn in Nehemiah’s side.  The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah each pronounced judgment from the Lord against Ammon.  
 
Meditation
Ezekiel 25:6,7--For this is what the Lord God says: “Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced over the land of Israel with wholehearted contempt, therefore I am about to stretch out My hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and eliminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am Yahweh.”
 
The prophet Ezekiel delivers a stunning final word from God to Ammon.  God reached His “enough.”  There is no Ammon today.  Because of her persistent idolatry and hatred towards Israel, God did what He said He would do.  He made Ammon a wasteland.  There are several lessons we can learn from this story.
1.  Any nation that is consistently antagonistic towards Israel is doomed.  
2.  Lot compromised himself morally and barely (by God’s mercy) survived the annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah. Unfortunately, his offspring turned away from worshipping God and became enemies of Abraham’s descendants, Israel. Idolatry is rebellion against God and a sure ticket for destruction.  
3.  God does not like it when people celebrate the demise of other people.  We should never rejoice over an enemy’s ruin.  Contempt for people has no place in the body of Christ.  We ought to pray for our adversaries and grieve when they are wasted.  All people are made in God’s image and even those who rebel against Him are still loved though they will suffer the consequences of rejecting Christ.  If we engage in gloating, we invite God’s hand of punishment against us.  If we extend the gospel we are living in His favor.
 
Inspiration
You made man but not the sin in him.—St. Augustine in Augustine Confessions
 
©2018 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)