Jeremiah 48:1-10 – Pride comes before fall.

The Moabites were the descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Moab and Ammon were Lot’s sons born out of his daughter’s incestuous relationship with him while he was drunk. All this took place after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Details of how it all happened can be found in Genesis 19:30-38.  In Jeremiah 27:1-7, we saw a treasonous act of King Zedekiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar had put on the throne of Judah in place of his nephew Jehoiachin.  He foolishly formed a coalition with Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon to come against Babylon. We were told that Jeremiah was sent by God with a message for those with whom Zedekiah was seeking an alliance.

The message God had for them came through an illustrated sermon. Jeremiah was instructed to make a yoke and put it around his neck. A yoke, as we know, was an implement that was used to put around the necks of two oxen to pair them together so that they could move in tandem with each other. Obviously, God was not for this alliance. He was making known that whatever Nebuchadnezzar was ordained to do was part of His plan. He was and still is the only one who would sovereignly determine the destiny of nations and men. No one, whether man or beast, could or would be in any position where He had not ordained. And no one now or ever could change the course of His plan. But at this juncture in history,  God had ordained that every nation both people and beasts would come under the control of Babylon. Hence no one would be able to take her down till the time God her regime ended.  In Jeremiah 48, God’s message focused on Moab’s doom.

Naming the different cities and towns of Moab such as Nebo, Kiriathaim, Horonaim,  and others Jeremiah 48 pictured for us scenes of the devastation of Moab. In her anger, Babylon destroyed cities and brought down fortresses heaping great distress on the Moabites. Refugees were described as fleeing from the invading force. The cities of Moab would be left desolate without inhabitants.  Hard to imagine but the catastrophic scenes were disastrous and chaotic.  Verse 7 reveals the pride of the Moabites. They prided themselves in “their achievements and treasures.” The naming of Chemosh was to let the Moabites know that even this national god of theirs could not prevent them from going into exile. They and their national and religious leaders would be brought into captivity. The Babylonians were instruments of God’s judgment, and they would execute His judgment and bring it to its completion. Verses 8-10 indicate that no city would be spared, every plain and plateau would be destroyed. The executioners were told to be diligent in their duties or be cursed by their negligence. Like Egypt, Moab could not escape the judgment. For the one who initiated the judgment was none other than God of all nations. He is in charge and in sovereign control of the affairs of mankind.  

One key issue seen in Moab was pride. This is what God said of them in verse 7, “For because of your trust in your own achievements and treasures….” Pride the Bible says comes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction.  Let us exercise humility and live life gingerly. God resists the proud but will give grace to the humble.