Ammon and Moab were brothers who were born of Lot by his daughters. Their origin was ugly and evil. Yet Lot was a relative of Abraham, the first forefather of the people of Israel. Hence, by blood Ammon and Moab were somewhat close to Israel. Although Ammon and Moab were brothers, what they each did toward Israel was very different.
According to the record in Ezekiel, the Ammonites offended God (25:2-3). When the sanctuary of God was desecrated, they were happy. When the Holy Land of God was made desolate, they were happy. When the house of Judah was carried away into exile, they were also happy. The Ammonites were happy about three things: the sanctuary being desecrated, the land of Israel being desolated, and the house of Judah being carried away into exile. This indicates that they hated the sanctuary, the Holy Land, and the house of Judah.
The Moabites said, “Look, the house of Judah is just like all the other nations!” (v. 8). The Moabites were happy to see that Jerusalem was no longer separated, different, from the nations. The Moabites signify persons who like to bring God’s people into an association with the world and who like to make God’s people the same as the nations.
Like Ammon and Moab, Edom was 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. However, Edom was full of hatred toward Israel and was continually seeking vengeance (v. 12).
Philistia and Edom were in the second pair. According to Judges and 1 Samuel, the Philistines were even closer to the Israelites than the Edomites. The Philistines lived 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 (1 Sam. 5:1; 6:1). Therefore, when referring to the Philistines, Ezekiel said that they acted in vengeance against the people of Judah and were full of vengeance to destroy them with a perpetual enmity (Ezek. 25:15).
The people of Tyre were occupied with business dealings, silver and gold, and enjoyment. They cared only for pleasure. According to Ezekiel, the people of Tyre declared that Jerusalem would fall and that they were happy about it. Furthermore, they were also proud. The king of Tyre exalted himself to such an extent that he even made himself a god. Hence, the Bible considers the king of Tyre as a figure of Satan (26:1-6; 28:1-19).
Sidon forms a pair with Tyre. Ezekiel said that Sidon was a pricking briar or a painful thorn to the house of Israel (v. 24). Sidon signifies people who damage the life of God’s people.
According to the Bible, Egypt is a nation that depends on its own resources, not on God. Egypt has the Nile River as the resource of its riches. The Egyptians did not depend on the rains from heaven but on the water from the Nile. In addition, they exercised their wisdom to develop their natural resources in order to become rich and have an abundant supply. Whenever the children of Israel were short of food, they went down to Egypt for the supply. Hence, Egypt represents persons who exercise their natural wisdom and develop their natural resources in order to be rich and have a supply. At the time of Ezekiel, Israel turned to Egypt and leaned on Egypt, trusting in Egypt as their staff. However, God said that Egypt was a staff made of reeds that broke easily (29:2-9).
When Ezekiel speaks about Tyre and Egypt, he also speaks of “Eden, the garden of God” (28:13; 31:9, 16). With their riches and resources, Tyre and Egypt made their contemporary world a garden of Eden. This was not the garden of Eden made by God; it was a garden of Eden made by those who cared only for their rich enjoyment on earth, not for God. However, God said that He would send Egypt, with its garden of Eden, to Hades, to the pit, to the depths of the earth. This reveals that God will judge the people who care only for earthly happiness and enjoyment but do not need God.
God came to execute judgment and destroy the nations (25:7, 16; 28:16; 30:10), by making them desolate (25:13; 26:19; 29:9-12; 30:7), bringing them very low (29:14; 30:6), consuming them (28:18; 30:8), and delivering them to the lower parts of the earth, to the pit (26:20; 31:14, 16-18; 32:18-30). Eventually, all those who hate God’s people will be in the lower parts of the earth. This is the place where every persecutor of God’s people will eventually go.