Reformation

The Spirit of the Lord gave Jeremiah a word for the Moabites. I counted the names of 21 cities of Moab in this prophecy. The Lord details what is to come upon them. The Lord knows the end from the beginning. He tells them “why” these events will happen. Did they have ears to hear what His Spirit was saying to them and to act on His Word?

“Concerning Moab: this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Woe to Nebo, for it will be plundered. Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured; the stronghold will be disgraced and shattered. Moab will be praised no more. In Heshbon people will plot her downfall: ‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.’ You also shall be cut down, O Madmen! The sword shall pursue you. Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim, ‘Plundering and great destruction!’ Moab is destroyed. Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. For in the Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping; for in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. ‘Flee, save your lives! And be like the juniper in the wilderness.’” Jeremiah 48:1-6

Nebo is located near to the northeast corner of the Dead Sea. Kiriathaim, Heshbon, Horonaim and the ascent of Luhith are all locations in Moab. The Lord provides details of what is about to happen to them. For example, Nebo will be plundered. Moab’s stronghold at Kiriathaim will be captured and destroyed. The people will cry tears as they flee up the hills in Luhith because of the destruction below.

“Because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken. Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, his priests, and his princes together. The plunderer shall come against every city,. No one shall escape. The valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord has spoken. Give wings to Moab, that she may flee and get away; for her cities shall be desolate, without any to dwell in them.” Jeremiah 48:7-9

The Moabites misplaced their trust. They trusted in their works, their treasures and in their false god Chemosh. His priests and princes led them to adore things that could not save them. Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Apart the Lord there is no victory over the devil. The Moabites needed to listen to God’s voice via Jeremiah. In fact, the Lord suggested that they should be given wings to escape what was coming.

“Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.” Jeremiah 48:10

This was a word to those appointed to execute vengeance on Moab’s sin. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered his soldiers to decimate them. Whoever let them escape would be held accountable.

God gave a similar order to King Saul of Israel. The Lord told him to not spare one Amalekite, but Saul spared their king. The Lord rebuked Saul via His prophet Samuel. Then, God took from Saul His Spirit, his crown and his life. An Amalekite dealt the final death blow to Saul. [1]

Moab needed the God of David. David was the great grandson of a Moabite woman named Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite woman who placed her trust in the God of Israel. In fact, her name appears in Matthew 1:5 in the genealogy of Jesus.

Moab’s past accolades and current finances would be insufficient to defeat the Babylonians. Moab was famous for its fortresses, but those fortresses would be no match for the battering rams and siege towers of the Babylonians. Moab’s fake god “Chemosh” would not help him.

“Moab has been at ease from his youth. He has settled on his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore, his taste remained in him, and his scent has not changed. Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I shall send him wine-workers who will tip him over and empty his vessels and break the bottles.” Jeremiah 48:11-12

Lees are sediments that winemakers must remove by pouring the wine into new containers to prevent it from becoming bitter and unpalatable. Vintage wine is best, but not when it is soured by accumulated sediment. The Moabites refused to be refined by the Lord. They were a bad taste and a bad aroma to God. Thus, the Lord was about to remove them from His land.

The nature of God is to pour out Himself for others. God the Father poured out Himself for us in giving us His Son. The Son poured out Himself for us on the cross to give us eternal life. The Spirit poured out Himself into human flesh that we might have God’s abiding presence within us. To be godly, we too must be willing to be poured out for God’s purposes.

“Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence. How can you say, ‘We are mighty and strong men for the war?’ Moab is plundered and gone up from her cities; her chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter,’ says the King, whose Name is the Lord of hosts.” Jeremiah 48:13-15

In 1 Kings 12:27, 29, King Jeroboam set up golden calves in Bethel for the people to worship. The idolatrous northern tribes of Israel had already been taken in captivity to Assyria. Idols did not save them and idols would not save Moab. Moab’s mighty men failed them as well. The Moabites were first captives inwardly, and then, afterwards, captives outwardly.

Matthew 12:28-29 says that Jesus expelled demons by the Spirit of God. Jesus compared demons with strong men who can be bound and then cast out from one’s house. 1 John 3:8 says for this purpose was the Son of God manifest to destroy the work of the evil one. The Lord prefers to save people than to see them destroyed, but people must call upon Him for help.

“The calamity of Moab is near at hand, and his affliction comes quickly. Bemoan him, all you who are around him; and all you who know his name, say, ‘How the strong staff is broken, the beautiful rod!’” Jeremiah 48:16-17

The Lord announces that these prophetic events are near at hand. 23 years later they came to pass. This prophecy was likely uttered in the fourth year of Jehoiakim and fulfilled in the fifth year of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:2). The Lord says, “Bemoan him.”

The Lord says that Moab’s strong staff and beautiful rod will be broken. “To give an idea how many sheep the Moabites had, in the days of King Mesha they supplied Israel with 100,000 lambs and 100,000 fleeces in annual tribute.” [2]

“O daughter inhabiting Dibon, come down from your glory, and sit in thirst; for the plunderer of Moab has come against you, he has destroyed your strongholds. O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and watch; ask him who flees and her who escapes; say, ‘What has happened?’” Jeremiah 48:18-19

Dibon on the Arnon River had access water but would be reduced to shame and thirst. The border town people of Aroer would ask the people who were fleeing, “What has happened?” They did not have modern communication methods in those days, so when the prophecy comes to pass, the border town people will wonder why the Moabites are fleeing their country.

“Moab is shamed, for he is broken down. Wail and cry! Tell it in Arnon that Moab is plundered. And judgment has come on the plain country: on Holon and Jahzah and Mephaath, on Dibon and Nebo and Beth Diblathaim, on Kirjathaim and Beth Gamul and Beth Meon, on Kerioth and Bozrah, on all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near. The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 48:20-24

The Lord encourages loud cries for Moab. Let the people along Arnon River on the border with Ammon know what is happening. He lists eleven cities of Moab by name and then, says, “all the cities of the land of Moab far or near.” “The horn of Moab is cut off” means his strength is gone. His arm is broken means he cannot fight.

“Make him drunk because he exalted himself against the Lord. Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he shall also be in derision. For was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him, you shake your head in scorn. You who dwell in Moab, leave the cities and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove which makes her nest in the sides of the cave’s mouth.” Jeremiah 48:25-28

The cup of God’s wrath is alluded to in various verses of the Bible. Jesus drank this cup for us. The cup of wrath is a brew of curses for lawbreakers. Galatians 3:10 speaks of these curses, saying, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’” Galatians 3:13-14 says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

God would have been merciful to the Moabites if they had humbly turned to Him and professed their need of Him. Moab chose to exalt himself against the Lord. They mocked Israel. Thus, the Lord advised the Moabites to flee to the mountains and make nests like doves do in caves.

What would become of Moab’s brew? Moab was a wine producer. Vomiting and wallowing in vomit is a symptom of too much alcohol content in one’s body. Ironically, Moab who made others drunk to the point of vomiting would become drunk and wallow in their vomit.

“We have heard the pride of Moab (he is exceedingly proud), of his loftiness, arrogance, and pride, and of the haughtiness of his heart. I know his wrath, says the Lord, but it is not right; his lies have made nothing right.” Jeremiah 48:29-30

According to Proverbs 6:16-19 there are six things the Lord hates. At top of the list is “haughty eyes.” Who is anyone to be arrogant against another? We are all equally created by God. He created and sustains us. He hates it when we look down on others. If we do it, it is we who are low down in that moment.

James 4:6 says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” John R.W. Stott wrote, “Pride is your greatest enemy. Humility is your greatest friend.” C.S. Lewis wrote, “It was through pride that the devil became the devil.”

Moab’s heart was filled with pride, wrath and lies. If he had turned to the Lord, the Lord would have cleansed his heart and filled it with love, joy and peace.

“Therefore I will wail for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; I will mourn for the men of Kir Heres. O vine of Sibmah! I will weep for you with the weeping of Jazer. Your plants have gone over the sea, they reach to the sea of Jazer. The plunderer has fallen on your summer fruit and your vintage. Joy and gladness are taken from the plentiful field and from the land of Moab; I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses; no one will tread with joyous shouting — not joyous shouting!” Jeremiah 48:31-33

Ephesians 4:30 urges us not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. The prophet speaks of wailing, crying, mourning and weeping for the Moabites. He is sad that beautiful people in a beautiful land have shut their ears to God. Sibmah was noted for its vineyards. Jazer was noted for its cattle. The Lord showed Jeremiah visions of their harvest being removed by foreigners. Rather than joy, gladness and shouting at harvest time, they would experience sadness.

The Lord speaks in similar way of Babylon in Revelation 18:22. He says, “The voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in you.”

“From the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh and to Jahaz they have uttered their voice, from Zoar to Horonaim, like a three-year-old heifer; for the waters of Nimrim also shall be desolate.” Jeremiah 48:34

Heshbon was a fertile land. Elealeh, Zoar, Horonaim and the waters of Nimrim are all locations in Moab. Those who flee from Heshbon shall cry as a young heifer because there is no water. Moabites shall flee as far as Elealeh. Thus, there will be cries in all quarters, from one end of the country to the other. Everywhere slaughter and wasting!

“Moreover, says the Lord, I will cause to cease in Moab the one who offers sacrifices in the high places and burns incense to his gods. Therefore My heart shall wail like flutes for Moab, and like flutes My heart shall wail for the men of Kir Heres. Therefore, the riches they have acquired have perished.” Jeremiah 48:35-36

Sacrifices and incense burning to idols ceases because the people are gone. Flutes were used at funerals and in general mourning. Kir Heres was a city in Moab. Their devotion to false gods was an ill-advised investment. They reaped death.

In Luke 12:21, Jesus warned against laying up treasures for self and not being rich toward God.

“For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped; on all the hands shall be cuts, and on the loins sackcloth. A general lamentation on all the housetops of Moab, and in its streets; for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure, says the Lord. They shall wail: how she is broken down! How Moab has turned her back with shame! So, Moab shall be a derision and a dismay to all those about her.” Jeremiah 48:37-39

“For I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure, says the Lord.” This word harkens back to Jeremiah 18:1-10 where the Lord showed Jeremiah a potter making a pot. When the pot did not meet his expectation, the potter reformed the clay into another pot. If an earthly potter could do what seemed best to him, God declared that He could do so as well. If God has no pleasure in a nation, He can reform it.

Paul wrote in Romans 9:21-23, “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory?” The Moabites had committed horrific crimes. God was very patient with them. He warned them. They ignored his warnings. He intervened. Without grief, there is no newness. The Lord brought grief so at least some of them might be made anew.

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:20-21, “In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” A person’s transformation from dishonor to honor occurs via repentance of sin, receiving Christ and being filled the Holy Spirit. A person filled with the Spirit is a vessel of honor. “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ is not His.” (Romans 8:9)

“For thus says the Lord: behold, one shall fly like an eagle and spread his wings over Moab. Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are surprised; the mighty men’s hearts in Moab on that day shall be like the heart of a woman in birth pangs. And Moab shall be destroyed as a people because he exalted himself against the Lord. Fear and the pit and the snare shall be upon you, O inhabitant of Moab, says the Lord. He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit, and he who gets out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For upon Moab, upon it I will bring the year of their punishment, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 48:40-44

Nebuzaradan, the captain of Nebuchadnezzar’s army, is the eagle that hovered around Moab until the time appointed by the Lord for him to swoop down and carry Moab away. Kerioth is specifically mentioned as being surprised. The hearts of mighty men would experience intense fear. Those who tried to escape would be captured by ambushes prepared for them. The year of Moab’s punishment would come suddenly. “The eagle swooped as promised. Josephus reported how Nebuchadnezzar came from Babylon in 582 B.C. to destroy the Moabites.” [3]

“Those who fled, stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of exhaustion, but a fire shall come out of Heshbon, a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the brow of Moab, the crown of the head of the sons of tumult. Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh perish; for your sons have been taken captive, and your daughters captive.” Jeremiah 48:45-46

Jeremiah sees the escapees from the battle resting under the cool shadow of Heshbon City but suddenly a fire devours them. The people of Chemosh perish. They bowed to a false god and that false god let them down.

“Chemosh worship was a bloody business. When Mesha king of Moab saw that he was about to be defeated by Jehoshaphat king of Judah, he sacrificed his firstborn son to Chemosh on the walls of Kir Hareseth. In the days of Balaam, Moabite women seduced the Israelites to worship their gods. King Solomon later married Moabite women and set up an altar to Chemosh.” “The Bible says that one reason Israel finally was divided into two kingdoms was because God’s people worshiped ‘Chemosh the god of Moabites,’ among other pagan deities.” [4]

“Like all the judgment passages of Jeremiah, chapter 48 is a warning about sin’s wages.” [5]

The Lord revealed to the Apostle John a worse future for unbelievers than Jeremiah did to the Moabites. In Revelation 20:9-10, 15, John saw fire come down from God out of heaven and devour those who made war with Christ and Christ’s followers. The devil was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented day and night forever and ever. “Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

The Lord warns us in the New Testament to believe the prophetic words of God more than the consensus of unbelieving people around us. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 says, “For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

God’s love for people compels Him to tell us that the wages of sin is death. Our sin cost His Son Jesus Christ a very cruel and inhumane death on the cross. The cross reminds us that sin is unacceptable to God. God’s love for people also compels Him to tell us that His gift to us is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, resurrected from the dead on the third day. He revealed Himself to His disciples so that we would know that He has the power to resurrect the dead and to give eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.

“Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab in the latter days, says the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.” Jeremiah 48:47

In Habakkuk 3:2, the prophet prayed, “O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.” Jeremiah saw a remnant of the captive Moabites returning to their land. Theo Laetsch wrote, “While Moab’s national existence has ceased forever, descendants of Moab also are among the elect of God, and He knows where and how to find these individuals chosen by Him to be heirs of eternal life.”

The Lord remembered the descendants of Lot with mercy. The Moabite race descended from Lot. God rescued Lot and his family from Sodom and Gomorrah. In 2 Peter 2:7-8, Peter wrote that the Lord “delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds).”

Among Lot’s descendants there shall always be a remnant of people who have faith in God as he did. Ruth and her grandson David were his descendants. Jesus was also in his genealogy. The most important connection anyone can have is to be connected to Jesus Christ. “Whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)


[1] 1 Samuel 15:1-34; 2 Samuel 1:10

[2] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 664-665. See also 2 Kings 3:4.

[3] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 660-661. Includes a quote from Flavius Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews, in The Works of Josephus, trans. William Whiston (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1987), 10.9.7.See also Jeremiah 48:29-31, 40

[4] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 664. See also Numbers 25; 1 Kings 11:1-13, 33; 2 Kings 3:26-27

[5] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 666-668