Jeremiah 48:21-30 –Boast only in the goodness of God

One city after another, each city of Moab far and wide came face to face with God’s judgment. Jeremiah 48:21-24 said “Judgment has also come upon the plain, upon Holon, Jahzah and against Mephaath, against Dibon, Nebo and Beth-diblathaim,  against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul and Beth-meon, against Kerioth, Bozrah and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near.”  God was indicating the extensiveness of the destruction that would overtake Moab. The word “horn” indicates Moab’s power and “arm” indicates her authority.  In saying that “The horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken,” God was saying this once powerful nation full of authority had been debunked.

Verses 26-28 went on to disgustingly describe the state of Moab as God judged her. The nation was made drunk not by wine but by the wrath of God. She was compelled to drink of the wrath of God and made to wallow in her “vomits.” This repulsive description was intended to show how degraded Moab would become. Besides, Moab would be ridiculed in the same way they once mocked Israel. Making Israel the subject of their scorn and mockery was needless. Israel did not deserve that kind of treatment for she did not commit any act deserving the mockery which Moab had hurled at them.  

In Jeremiah 48:28, the inhabitants of Moab were told to leave the cities and hide in places that were inaccessible to the enemy force that was coming. Verses 29-20 then bring us the key issue God had with Moab – her pride. Moab’s boastful arrogance and self-absorbed stun stood out like a foul stench. Their insolence and boastings were like hot air that was not worth the needless vibration they made in the air. They were all futile and would come to naught.   

Pride and boasting always go together much like a hand in glove. In boasting we always exalt ourselves at the expense of others. Proverbs 16:5 said in no uncertain terms that “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly, he will not be unpunished.”  In Jeremiah 29:23, God explicitly said, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches.” There is only one thing that God will allow us to boast. He said, “Let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things (Jeremiah 9:24).”