Jeremiah 49:1-6 Ammon’s Future
God passes judgment on Ammon. They trusted in their wealth and false gods to protect them. They too will fall to Nebuchadnezzar.
The Ammonites are descendants of Lot’s youngest daughter. Like her sister, who gave rise to the nation of Moab, she got her father drunk and took advantage of him to have a child. This made them cousins of Israel. But this didn’t stop Israel and Ammon from ever going to war with one another.
The first war happened when Israel was nearing the Promised Land and asked to go through the land of Ammon. The king of Ammon didn’t believe Israel would pass through and brought soldiers to fight against Israel. Ammon lost. But the most notable story of conflict between these two nations comes in Judges 11. Amon had taken some of the territory that Israel had conquered and Israel wanted it back. Jephthah led the people in battle. He has quite a ‘backstory’ that I invite you to read. The tragic part of this story is the promise Jephthah made to the Lord, IF he was victorious in battle. He was victorious against the enemy but was crushed when he had to perform his vow. “The first thing that comes out of my door I will sacrifice as a burnt offering to the Lord.” His daughter was the first through his door. He HAD to keep his vow to the Lord. And he did.
God tells Jeremiah that Ammon is going down HARD. Just like the other nations, God is bringing Nebuchadnezzar down on them all. Ammon was trusting in her wealth to keep her safe. We don’t know if Ammon was trying to buy their safety from Nebuchadnezzar. As you can see, it didn’t work. Nebuchadnezzar sacked the city as thoroughly as he did with Israel. God sent him on a mission to Judge the nations. He would later be judged.
Ammon’s god, Milcom of Molech, will be proven useless. At the time of their conquest, Ammon is living in the territory of Gad. I don’t know if the territory was emptied because of conquest, Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Israel, or some other disaster that drove the people of Gad out. God will NOT let them keep this territory. He told them, through Jeremiah, that He would give it back to Ammon but he would also restore the fortunes of Ammon AFTER their time in captivity.
Ammon is another nation that was assimilated into the society of their captors. But God says they will rise again. I don’t know how or when, but HE said it an that’s all I need to know. He has it figured out. Currently though, the capitol city in Jordan is named Ammon.
Father God, You can restore something out of nothing. It doesn’t matter where these people are today, YOU can bring them back; just as You stated. What You have planned for them is another unknown to me. I guess when the time is right, and if I have a need to know.
