Ezekiel 35 – The Lord Is Zealous for His People

Even the proudest mountains fall when they rise against the Lord. His people are never forgotten, even when the world turns against them.

Ezekiel 35 speaks directly to Edom—represented here as Mount Seir—bringing a word of judgment against their age-old hostility toward Israel. This is not the first time Edom appears in Ezekiel's prophecy. Back in chapter 25, they were already condemned for their violence against Judah. But here the judgment deepens. Edom’s hatred was not random; it was rooted in a long-standing rivalry between the descendants of Jacob and Esau. What stings even more is that Edom didn’t just stand by while Judah fell—they sought to benefit from Israel’s loss. They rejoiced in her ruin, and worse, they spoke arrogantly and contemptuously about God’s people. The Lord took these words personally.

Edom’s hatred, spoken and acted out, is described as perpetual. But God will not allow His covenant people to be scorned without response. He promises to lay Mount Seir desolate—not just as a punitive act, but as a demonstration of His deep allegiance and protective love toward His people. This prophecy is a sobering reminder that the Lord is not indifferent to how others treat those He has set His name upon. To speak against Israel is to speak against Him. The heart of this passage is the Lord’s unwavering covenant love. What the world calls weakness, He calls holy. What others trample, He defends.

Even when His people are being disciplined, God never hands them over as orphans. His judgments are not arbitrary; they are measured, just, and infused with divine zeal. The fall of Edom stands as a witness: no enemy of God’s people ultimately prospers, for the Lord keeps watch over His own.

Personalized Journal Entry – in the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture:

I have seen the hatred of those who rage against My people. Their words, though uttered in secret, rise before Me like smoke. They have said, These two nations and these two lands shall be mine, and we will possess them—yet they forget that I was there. They rejoiced when My inheritance was wounded, and they opened their mouths wide against the ones I love. But I am the Lord, and I have heard every word.

I have set Myself against the mountain that bore violence in its heart, against the brother who held onto ancient grudge. Because you harbored everlasting enmity and gave the sword no rest in the time of your brother’s calamity, I will make your heights desolate and your cities fall to ruin. I will lay your strongholds waste, and your boasting will become silence.

I defend what is Mine. Though My people were scattered and disciplined, they were never abandoned. Though they were mocked, I was never absent. Those who touch them, touch the apple of My eye. I will be known in My judgments. I will make it known that I heard, that I saw, and that I acted—not for wrath’s sake alone, but for love’s sake.

The mountains that rise against My covenant will fall, but those who hide beneath the shelter of My promises shall stand. I do not forget mercy, nor do I overlook injustice. As surely as I live, I will vindicate what is Mine, and My people will know they are not forgotten.

Ezekiel 35:1–15; Ezekiel 36:5; Ezekiel 25:12–14; Zechariah 2:8; Deuteronomy 32:10; Isaiah 54:17

My Prayer:

Father, I rest tonight in the sure knowledge that You take the side of Your beloved. Even when the world mocks or misunderstands, You are not distant. You see, You hear, and You act in perfect time. I thank You that You are not only holy and just—but also near and faithful.

May I never fear the hatred of the world, nor interpret silence as absence. Instead, I rejoice that You defend what is Yours and vindicate what seems despised. In Christ, I know I am hidden—shielded by the One who has already overcome all enmity.

Let me walk in peace tonight, not with clenched fists or anxious defenses, but with the calm assurance that no weapon formed against Your people will stand. Thank You that Your covenant love is more than a promise—it is a present reality.

Amen.

Devotional Credit:
Insights adapted from the Grace and Truth Study Bible, published by Zondervan.

Photo Credit:
Photo by Unsplash.