Ezekiel 35, Judgment on Edom

Edom sprang from Esau, Jacob’s twin brother, though no two brothers were less alike. Jacob’s betrayal of Esau, stealing his blessing from his father Isaac, was forgiven when Jacob returned from Haran with his wives and children. The two lived separated, mostly, from each other. Jacob’s family went to Egypt to live for four hundred years. When the nation of Jacob, Israel, returned to claim their land in Canaan, Edom was not friendly, 

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says cyour brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: 15 dhow our fathers went down to Egypt, eand we lived in Egypt a long time. fAnd the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. 16 And when we cried to Yahweh, he heard our voice and hsent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, jor drink water from a well. We will go along the King’s Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” 18 But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” 19 And the people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.” 20 But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him. (Numbers 20:14-21)

And when, hundreds of years later, Israel was conquered by Babylon, Edom was not friendly.

1 The word of Yahweh came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir; prophesy against it 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste. 4 I will turn your towns into ruins and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

Mount Seir is the principle mountain in Edom. This is the second prophecy of Ezekiel against Edom (see 25:12-14).

5 “‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax, 6 therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Yahweh, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. 7 I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and cut off from it all who come and go. 8 I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines. 9 I will make you desolate forever; your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

Yahweh hated bloodshed, and wanted all peoples to hate bloodshed, but Edom did not hate it when it came to Israel.

10 “‘Because you have said, “These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession of them,” even though I Yahweh was there, 11 therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Yahweh, I will treat you in accordance with the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you. 12 Then you will know that I Yahweh have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour.” 13 You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it. 14 This is what the Sovereign Yahweh says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. 15 Because you rejoiced when the inheritance of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’” (Ezekiel 35)

Yahweh was there in Israel and Judah, the two countries that made up the original nation of Israel. When Edom attacked them it was attacking Yahweh. It is much like when Jesus asked Saul (the apostle Paul before his conversion) why he was persecuting him (Acts 9:4). Edom’s god was Qaus, and they no doubt “boasted” against Yahweh that their god was superior to Israel’s because of their desolation which Yahweh had failed to prevent. They didn’t understand that Yahweh was judging His people, and that He was going to judge Edom, also.