Egypt and Edom Judged Joel 3:19

Joel the prophet declared the LORD's “roar and voice” would affect the “mountains, hills, rivers and fountains” as He brings judgment upon the enemy nations to “Judah and Jerusalem”. In chapter three and verse nineteen of his prophesy, Joel shared how “Egypt and Edom” would be judged where we read:

Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

The verse begins, “Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah,...” Joel began with the word, “Egypt” which refers to “the land of the Copts and a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows” “shall be a desolation” or “devastation and waste”, “and Edom” which means “red” and is “the land south and southeast of Palestine” “shall be a desolate” or “devastation and waste” “wilderness” which means “pasture and uninhabited land”, “for the violence” which means “wrong, cruelty and injustice” “against the children” or “son, grandson and young men” “of Judah” which means “praised” and is “the territory occupied by the tribe of Judah”. Both “Egypt and Edom” were to become “desolate” places because of their “violence” against the people of Judah.

The verse continues, “...because they have shed innocent blood in their land.” Joel added, “because they have shed” which means “poured and spilled out” “innocent” or “clean, free from, exempt, clear, innocent and free from punishment and exempt from obligations” “blood” which means “bloodshed and that which when shed causes death” “in their land” which refers to “the earth, country, territory, district and region”. Joel gave a second reason for the enemy nations to be judged – they “poured out and spilled” the “innocent blood” of the people of Judah.

When we think through these words of Joel, we notice when the LORD comes against the enemies of Judah even the surrounding enemies will be affected. “Egypt” will be made a “waste place”, and “Edom” will become like an “uninhabited land”. What was the reason for this? Because they “shed” the “innocent blood” of the people of Judah. The LORD does not stand by and allow abuse against His people, and since this is true for both “Egypt and Edom”, how shall He be towards those who come against His Son Jesus Christ?

Next time Joel shares what will happen to “Judah and Jerusalem”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.