Prophesies against the nations continues with Moab.
Ryrie has a footnote to put this chapter in context: why is God calling out Moab? In addition to their checked history with Israel, in general, they attacked Israel in 602 under Babylonian orders. This is part of the story in 2 Kings 24:2.
It starts with a "woe" and includes words like destroyed, shamed, shattered, captured, and then shame and shattered again. That's just verse 1.
Continued judgement and prophesy include:
- no longer praise for Moab
- Heshbon has devised calamity for her
- nations conspire to end her as a nation
- the sword will follow you
- the people will cry out in the devastation and destruction
- Moab is broken
- her children will cry out
“Flee, save your lives,
That you may be like a juniper in the wilderness. Jeremiah 48: 6
There is something poetic about that verse. I wanted to capture it word for word. There wasn't much hope in the first five verses; but being told to flee does sound like some have a way through this.
Verse 7 on the other hand, holds less promise:
“For because of your trust in your own achievements and treasures,
Even you yourself will be captured;
And Chemosh will go off into exile
Together with his priests and his princes. Jeremiah 48: 7
Another reminder that trusting in ourselves is an affront to God. That self-esteem, self-reliant pablum was sold to us everywhere we looked growing up. Believe in yourself. Trust in yourself. Everything you need is already in you...but we see the outcome of those lies..."you yourself will be captured."
There's a song by the Eurythmics, Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves, which is the feminist version of this same lie. But today women realize they are also captured by their own self-reliance. God gave us structure and it starts with Him. Self is pretty low in the organizational flow chart. It works for nations as well. If you want to go it alone without God...you'll find out exactly what your limitations are.
One last note on the last half of verse 7 that's related. When Moab is captured, her god, Chemosh, along with the princes and priests who worshiped him, will be taken into exile. This idea of trusting in ourselves comes to us from the enemy. All the way back to Eve we see him encouraging us to think for ourselves and come to conclusion apart from God. When we seek idols and when we chase false Gods, including ourselves, we lose.
Verses 8-9 emphasize that this destruction will destroy every city in the nation. The land will also be ruined. The people are going to have to flee because nothing will be left for them there.
Verse 10 can be interpreted two ways for me:
“Cursed be the one who does the Lord’s work negligently,
And cursed be the one who restrains his sword from blood.
Does this refer back to when the Lord send Moab after Israel via Babylon (2 Kings 24)? Did they not execute what God asked of them then? Or, is this a curse on the Babylonians if they don't completely obliterate the nation of Moab? The second one makes more sense in the text placement; but it could also mean both Moab and Babylon, since they were both mercenaries
Verse 11 ends this direct quote from the Lord that started in verse 1. The Lord points out that Moab, as a nation has been at ease since his youth. He's never been taken captive or suffered from a series of oppressors. Apparently, Moab's flavor is about to change. That's a vivid and terrifying prophesy. Your fundamental essence is about to be rocked. Brace for impact.
Verse 12 is a therefore. After everything He said in verses 1-11, 12 sums it up: I'm sending the Babylonians to tip over the vessel of Moab, which will be poured out and the jar will be shattered. So poetic. Such great visuals for us to understand what He is telling these people.
Verse 13 He emphasizes that the people of Moab will be ashamed of their god, Chemosh.
Starting in verse 14 is another list of prophesies and consequences:
- Your men will no longer be able to claim to be valiant and mighty warriors.
- Moab has been destroyed.
- Your choicest young men were slaughtered.
- All of this is declared by the actual KING, the lord of hosts.
- disaster and calamity will come soon.
- Mourn and note his broken royalty.
- Come down from your glory, daughter, and sit on the parched ground.
Verses 21-24 list specific cities or locations in Moab that will fall. Verse 25 declares that the horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken. I take that to mean that this powerful nation in the region is no longer powerful.
Verse 25 explains that this is happening because Moab has been arrogant toward the Lord. Verse 27 reminds Moab that it's been scornful of Israel. We learn more details about this starting in verse 28.
- you're going to have to fly away because of the pride of Moab
- haughtiness, arrogance, self-exaltation
- idle boasts
The Lord (or Jeremiah?) will wail, cry out, and weep for Moab.
The end of verse 32 declares that the destroyer has fallen.
In these verses we see the grapes and vines suffer. The earth pays the price for human sin.
God promises to end Moab and all of those sacrificing to false gods on the high places. The people will lament. It sounds like God intentionally blessed them at one point and He is holding them accountable for worshiping false gods. It sounds like they should have known better.
Interestingly, here's how the chapter ends:
“Woe to you, Moab!
The people of Chemosh have perished;
For your sons have been taken away captive
And your daughters into captivity.
47 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab
In the latter days,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 48: 46-47
Compare this to the Philistines...it's a much longer prophesy, it's much more personal, and has notes of hope not given to the Philistines. It seems to be much closer to a message that would be sent to the people of Israel. They are being run off the land for now, but will be included in the Messianic kingdom.
Very interesting.