Their judgment may have been warranted, but it didn’t matter. The nations around them were mocking the people of God, the apple of his eye, the people of Jerusalem. And God was having none of it.
Judgment against the Kingdoms of Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia
A Word to the Kingdom of Ammon
6 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, 7 therefore I am about to stretch out My hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations.
A Word to the Kingdom of Moab
8 This is what the Lord God says: “Because Moab and Seir said, ‘Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,’ 9 therefore I am about to expose Moab’s flank beginning with its[a] frontier cities, the pride of the land: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. 10 I will give it along with Ammon to the people of the east as a possession, so that Ammon will not be remembered among the nations.
A Word of the King of Edom
12 This is what the Lord God says: “Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah and incurred grievous guilt by taking revenge on them, 13 therefore this is what the Lord God says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom
A Word to the Kingdom of Philistia
15 This is what the Lord God says: “Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with deep contempt, destroying because of their ancient hatred, 16 therefore this is what the Lord God says: I am about to stretch out My hand against the Philistines, cutting off the Cherethites and wiping out what remains of the coastal peoples.
In the ancient culture nations were known to be established by their gods. If a nation stood strong, it meant their god was strong. If a nation was destroyed, it meant their god was weak. So when the LORD handed over Israel to Assyria and Babylon, his own name was defiled.
But when they nations began to mock the fall of Israel, God brought judgment upon them for their behavior. The Israelites were the apple of His eye and what he was doing was because of their sin, not because of the lack of power as God on His part. Because of this they began to think the LORD God Almighty as no different than any of the other gods of the nations.
The nations ahd become arrogant and slanderous, not seeing that if God would bring judgmnet to His own people, would He not also do so to the Gentile nations? Through his righteous judgment he brought them humility for their sin as well as establishing himself as the One True God of the earth.
Here’s the thing. God is going to preserve His covenant people, the nation and those who are in it. They are His possession, His treasure, the apple of His eye. This is true even though they do evil. Mocking them even today is serious business.
On the flip side there is no promise of preservation for any Gentile nation. Consider that the Gentile nations are any nation that is not Israel, we should be wise in how we treat Israel. The Scripture tells us even to pray for the “peace of Jerusalem.”