God Judges Mount Seir

35:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 35:2 “Son of man, turn toward Mount Seir, and prophesy against it. 35:3 Say to it, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: “‘Look, I am against you, Mount Seir; I will stretch out my hand against you and turn you into a desolate ruin. 35:4 I will lay waste your cities; and you will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord! 35:5 “‘You have shown unrelenting hostility and poured the people of Israel onto the blades of a sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment. 35:6 Therefore, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I will subject you to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. 35:7 I will turn Mount Seir into a desolate ruin; I will cut off from it the one who passes through or returns. 35:8 I will fill its mountains with its dead; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines, those killed by the sword will fall. 35:9 I will turn you into a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 35:10 “‘You said, “These two nations, these two lands will be mine, and we will possess them,” – although the Lord was there – 35:11 therefore, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I will deal with you according to your anger, and according to your envy, by which you acted spitefully against them. I will reveal myself to them when I judge you. 35:12 Then you will know that I, the Lord, have heard all the insults you spoke against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They are desolate, they have been given to us for food.” 35:13 You exalted yourselves against me with your speech and hurled many insults against me – I have heard them all! 35:14 This is what the sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will turn you into a desolation. 35:15 As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I deal with you – you will be desolate, Mount Seir, and all of Edom – all of it! Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

The Lord declares judgment on Mount Seir, which stands for Edom. He is against them because they hated Israel, rejoiced in Israel’s ruin, and tried to take Israel’s land. Their own land will become desolate, and this judgment will show that the Lord is truly the Lord.

God speaks directly against Mount Seir. He says he will stretch out his hand against it and make it a waste. This is not random disaster. It is judgment from the holy Lord.

Edom had shown constant hostility toward Israel. It had acted with cruelty when Israel was in trouble. It had also rejoiced over Israel’s ruin and spoken proud words against God’s people and God’s land. The Lord says he heard every insult.

The punishment matches the sin. Because Edom loved violence, violence will come upon it. Because it wanted Israel’s inheritance, its own land will become empty. Its cities will be ruined, and no one will live there.

The repeated line, “Then you will know that I am the Lord,” shows the purpose of the judgment. God acts so that his name, holiness, and justice are known. The passage warns that envy, cruelty, and proud gloating are serious sins before God.

• God is holy and actively judges proud evil.
• Edom’s hostility toward Israel was not hidden from God.
• Violence and envy bring real judgment.
• God hears insults spoken against his people and his purposes.
• Judgment can reveal that the Lord alone is God.

• Warning: God is against those who show unrelenting hostility and rejoice in another’s ruin.
• Warning: Bloodshed and arrogant speech bring judgment.
• Warning: Do not treat God’s people or God’s work with contempt.
• Command: Recognize the Lord’s holiness and fear his justice.

This oracle shows that God defends his covenant purposes and does not allow hostile nations to have the last word over the land he gave. By judging Edom, he vindicates his name and prepares the way for the next promise of restoration to Israel.

Do not rejoice when others fall. Do not envy what belongs to someone else. Do not speak proud words against God’s people or God’s work. Trust that God sees injustice and will judge it rightly.

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