Ammon and Moab were brothers who were born of Lot by his daughters. Their origin was an ugly, evil thing. Yet Lot was a relative of Abraham, the first forefather of the people of Israel. Hence, in blood Ammon and Moab were somewhat close to Israel.
According to the record in Ezekiel, Ammon offended God. First, when the sanctuary of God was profaned, they were happy and said, “Aha” (25:2-3). Second, when the holy land of God was made desolate, the Ammonites were also happy. Furthermore, when the house of Judah was carried away into captivity, the Ammonites again were happy. They were happy about three things: the sanctuary being profaned, the good land being made desolate, and the house of Judah being carried away. This indicates that they hated the sanctuary, the holy land, and the house of Judah.
The sanctuary was a type of the incarnated Christ tabernacling on earth as God’s dwelling place, God’s sanctuary (John 1:14). The good land also signifies Christ with all His riches and grace that God has given us. According to typology the house of Judah signifies the church. Thus, the sanctuary signifies Christ, the good land signifies all of God’s rich grace in Christ, and the house of Judah signifies the church. Today’s Ammonites hate these three things. They hate Christ, they hate the grace of God in Christ, and they hate the church.
During the first centuries A.D. the Roman Empire was a kind of Ammonite. The Roman Empire hated the incarnated Christ, the tabernacle as God’s sanctuary on earth, and it hated the rich grace given by God to His people. The Roman Empire also hated the church. There are still “Ammonites” on earth today, people who hate Christ, God’s grace, and the church. In this country and even in your neighborhood, there are some “Ammonites.”
The Moabites said, “Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen” (Ezek. 25:8). The Moabites were happy to see that Jerusalem was no longer separated from the nations. This signifies the kind of person who likes to bring the church into an association with the world and who likes to make the church the same as the nations. During the first two centuries of the church, the Roman Empire was an “Ammonite,” hating Christ, God’s grace, and the church. Then a Roman emperor, Constantine, came in not as an “Ammonite” but as a “Moabite.” He brought the church into the world, making the church nearly the same as the nations.
Today the situation is still the same. Some “Ammonites” hate the church, but some “Moabites” have come into the church and have tried to cause the church to be associated with the world and to make the church the same as the world.
Although Ammon and Moab were brothers, what they did toward the people of Israel was very different. Today we still have these two kinds of people. I am concerned that in some of the local churches certain ones might be used by Satan to be “Moabites” to bring the church back to the world and to cause the church to be associated with the world. They want the church to be the same as the world, the same as the heathen.
Like Ammon and Moab, Edom was also closely related to Israel. Edom was the son of Esau, the brother of Jacob. Therefore, according to blood Edom and the sons of Israel were cousins. Edom signifies the old man; he signifies us as the old man. Our unregenerated old man is Edom, and our regenerated new man is Israel. We may say that, in a sense, our old man and our new man are “cousins,” for they are quite close to each other.
According to the record of Ezekiel, Edom was full of hatred toward Israel, continually seeking revenge and vengeance. This is the way we are in our old man. Our old man hates the church. You may say, “I love the church,” and I believe that you do. However, sometimes you also hate the church. Have you not discovered that you are two men? On the one hand, you are a real Israelite loving the church; on the other hand, you are also a real Edomite, hating the church. Sometimes you love the church and all the leading ones, but at other times you hate the church and all the elders.
Along with Edom in the second pair is Philistia. In order to know the Philistines, we need to study Judges and 1 Samuel. The Philistines were even closer to Israel than the Edomites were. The Philistines were living very close to the good land and even mingled with the Israelites. A number of times the Philistines came to the people of Israel and intervened in their worship to God. Once the ark was captured by the Philistines and was kept by them for a period of time.
The Philistines typify you and me not as the old man but as the natural man. We have the old man, and we also have the natural man. The natural man is more difficult to recognize than the old man. An illustration may help us to understand the difference. Suppose that there are three elders in a local church. They all love the Lord. When one of them begins to take the lead among them, the others react. Their reaction is an expression of the old man. Then the brother who is taking the lead may endeavor to do many things for the church, exercising his wisdom, power, and capabilities. He may even conduct himself in a political way, maneuvering in various situations and exercising control to work things out. This is the natural man. As a result, the elders’ meetings become meetings of the old man with the natural man. This damages the church life. Some churches can hardly go on because they are frustrated by the old man and the natural man of the leading brothers.
The church is God’s new creation in Christ. Thus, in the church there is no place for things of the old man, such as jealousy, pride, competition, and dissenting. These things are all of the old creation. Also, in the church there is no place for human wisdom, talent, and gamesmanship. The things both of the old man, the old creation, and of the natural man are damaging to the church life. On the one hand, history shows us that the church has been damaged by worldly people outside the church who either persecute the church or try to bring the church into association with the world. On the other hand, history teaches us that the church has been damaged by saved persons within the church who continue to live in the old man and according to the natural man.
In the church life in the Lord’s recovery, we are not afraid of the “Ammonites,” and we are only a little fearful of the “Moabites.” Our real concern is with the “Edomites,” the old man, and with the “Philistines,” the natural man. The “Edomites” and the “Philistines” cause the most damage to the church life.