“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah,”
~ Ezekiel 25:15
Hi James and Ellen,
Does geography intrigue you? Maps are geography aids. A map will tell you where a country is located, how big the country is and where the highways, towns, rivers, lakes and mountains are in the country. In the back of the Bible that your ma and dad have, there probably are maps. Do you know over how many years the sixty-six books of the Bible were written? The sixty-six books of the Bible were written over a 4000 year or so period. The maps that can be found at the back of many Bibles will show where a country was located at a specific period of time over those 4000 or so years. The maps will also show the particular period of time or periods of time when a trip or trips of a guy or guys were made and the exodus of a people group of guys, gals and kids. If your dad has a globe of the world as the world is today, ask your dad to show you on the globe where Israel is located. Do you remember what is so special about Israel? The land which is now Israel was the land area that God promised to Abraham – then to Isaac – and then to Jacob. The people group of guys, gals and kids who God specially chose for Himself before He created planet Earth lived in Israel. These specially chosen guys, gals and kids came to be called Israelites. When Abram moved from a region – which is now Iran and Iraq, to the land area where God would promise Abraham that the land area would always be his extended family’s land area, Abraham lived with the guys and gals who were already living in that land area. When Abram moved to the land – which would become the Promised Land, Abram was already married. Abram’s wife’s name was Sarah. Abram also took with him to the Promised Land a nephew. Abram’s nephew’s name was Lot. Abram gave his nephew the choice of where to live in the Promised Land. Lot chose the best place to live in the Promised Land. Abraham and Lot lived over 4000 years ago.
How large do you think that the Promised Land’s land area was when the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids moved into the Promised Land? The Promised Land – or Israel, was about the size as the state of Vermont. Vermont is about five times larger than the state where you live with your dad and ma. Your grandmaa and grandpaa now live in Guatemala. Guatemala is about the same size as the state of Ohio. Your grandmaa and grandpaa used to live in Bolivia. Bolivia is about the same size as two states – California and Texas, combined. Bolivia is ten times larger than Guatemala. There was not that much usable land when Abraham and Lot lived in what would become the Promised Land. Abraham and Lot had kids. A couple of Lot’s kids settled with their families on the east side of the Jordan River. Where Lot’s kid’s families settled became the countries of Ammon and Moab. Abraham and Sarah had a kid who they named Isaac. Isaac and his wife Rebecca had twin boys – Esau and Jacob. Jacob would become the father of the Israelite people group. Esau – who was born just seconds before Jacob and who was to get his dad’s inheritance, gave the inheritance that he was to get from his dad to Jacob one day because he was famished. Esau ended up moving to an area south of the Dead Sea. Where Esau settled with his family became the country of Edom. Ezekiel wrote in Ezekiel 25 about the countries of Ammon, Moab and Edom. While God’s specially chosen guys and gals were living in the land which God had promised to them, how do you think that the guys and gals who were living in Ammon, Moab and Edom felt about that? The guys and gals who were living in Ammon, Moab and Edom really did not like God’s specially chosen guys and gals. This did not make God happy. This chapter tells you that God would destroy Ammon, Moab and Edom and the guys, gals and kids who lived in Ammon, Moab and Edom. Why do you think that the guys and gals who lived in Ammon, Moab and Edom disliked God’s specially chosen guys and gals so much? Your grandpaa thinks that it was maybe because Lot’s extended families became jealous that God chose Lot’s Uncle Abraham’s family to be His specially chosen guys and gals instead of Lot’s family. Your grandpaa also thinks that maybe it was because Esau’s extended family became jealous because of how God blessed Esau’s bro Jacob’s extended family and that Esau’s family was not blessed by God at all.
There was still another group of guys and gals who God said that He would destroy who were living in the land which God had promised His specially chosen guys and gals. These guys and gals were called Philistines. The Philistine guys and gals lived on a strip of land next to the Mediterranean Sea. The Philistine guys and gals caused God’s specially chosen guys and gals all kinds of problems. The Promised Land or Israel would later be called Palestine – after the name of the Philistine guys and gals. Ezekiel wrote in verse 15 “‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah,” Ezekiel goes on to say how God would stretch out His hand against the Philistines to destroy them. Look at a map at the back of the Bible that your dad and ma have. Have your dad or ma show to you on the map where the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Edomites and the Philistines lived. The countries of Ammon, Moab and Edom are today a part of the countries of Jordon and Saudi Arabia. The Philistines have become the PLO. The PLO is made up of guys who still live in the land which God promised His specially chosen guys and gals. The PLO does not have a land that they can call their very own land. The hatred and jealousy which existed 4000 years ago against God’s specially chosen guys and gals by guys and gals who are not God’s specially chosen guys and gals will always exit. Your grandpaa finds it fascinating to learn how God is unfolding His plans.
Ezekiel 25 (113)