LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
Read and pray: “And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, full of grace and truth, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father” (John 1:14)
Ammon and Moab
Ammon and Moab were brothers who were born to Lot through his daughters. Their origin was something horrible and evil. However, Lot was a relative of Abraham, the first forefather of the people of Israel. Thus, by blood, Ammon and Moab were, in some way, related to Israel.
According to the record in Ezekiel, Ammon offended God. First, when God’s sanctuary was profaned, they were happy and said, “Aha!” (25:2-3). Second, when God’s holy land became desolate, the Ammonites were also happy.
Furthermore, when the house of Judah was taken into captivity, the Ammonites were again happy. They were happy about three things: the sanctuary being profaned, the good land being desolated, and the house of Judah being taken captive. This indicates that they hated the sanctuary, the holy land, and the house of Judah.
The sanctuary was a type of Christ incarnated tabernacling on the earth as the place of God’s dwelling, the sanctuary of God (John 1:14). The good land also typifies Christ with all His riches and the grace that God has given us.
According to typology, the house of Judah typifies the church. Thus, the sanctuary typifies Christ, the good land typifies all the rich grace of God in Christ, and the house of Judah typifies 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 after Christ, the Roman Empire was a kind of Ammonite.
The Roman Empire hated the incarnated Christ, the tabernacle as the sanctuary of God on the earth, and hated the rich grace given by God to His people. The Roman Empire also hated the church. There are still “Ammonites” on the earth today, people who hate Christ, the grace of God, 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 all the nations” (Ezek. 25:8). The Moabites were happy to see that Jerusalem ceased to be separated from the nations. This represents the kind of person who likes to lead the church to associate 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, the grace of God, and the church. Then a Roman emperor, Constantine, came not as an “Ammonite,” but as a “Moabite.” He introduced the church into the world, making the church almost the same as the nations.
Today the situation is still the same. Some “Ammonites” hate the church, but some “Moabites” came into the church and tried to make the church associate with the world and make the church the same as the world. Although Ammon and Moab were brothers, what they did to the people of Israel was very different.
Today we still have these two kinds of people. I am concerned that, in some local churches, certain people may be used by Satan to be “Moabites” to bring the church back to the world and make the church associate with the world. They want the church to be the same as the world, the same as the nations.
EDOM AND PHILISTIA
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 children of Israel were cousins.
Edom typifies the old man; it typifies us as the old man. Our unregenerated old man is Edom, and our regenerated new man is Israel. We may say that, in a certain sense, our old man and our new man are “cousins,” because they are very close to one another.
According to the record in Ezekiel, Edom was full of hatred toward Israel, continually seeking vengeance and revenge. This is the way when we are in our old man. Our old man hates the church.
You may say, “I love the church,” and I believe that you love it. However, sometimes you also hate the church. Have you not discovered that you are two men? On the one hand, you are a true Israelite, loving the church; on the other hand, you are also a true Edomite, who hates the church. Sometimes you love the church and all the leaders, but at other times you hate the church and all the elders.
Together 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. The Philistines lived very close to the good land and even mingled with the Israelites. Numerous times the Philistines went to the people of Israel and interfered in their worship of God. Once the ark was captured by the Philistines and remained in their possession 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 understand the difference. Suppose there are three elders in a local church. All of them 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 strive to do many things for the church, exercising his wisdom, power, and ability. He may even conduct himself in a political way, maneuvering 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 forward 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. Therefore, in the church there is no place for the things of the old man, such as envy, pride, competition, and discord. These things are all of the old creation. Furthermore, in the church there is no place for human wisdom, talent, and human politics. The things both of the old man and of the old creation and of the natural man are harmful to the church life.
On the one hand, history shows us that the church was damaged by people from the world outside of it who wanted to persecute the church or try to lead it to associate with the world. On the other hand, history teaches us that the church was damaged by saved people 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 do not fear the “Ammonites,” and we fear only a little 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 greatest damage to the church life.
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