Jeremiah 49:7-11 – Don’t assume , llve based on reality

Having declared what would happen to the Ammonites in Jeremiah 49:1-6, the prophet now turned to declare the judgment on the Edomites in verses 7-22. Who were the Edomites? They were the descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. Their history tells us that their rivalry already began while in their mother’s womb. Esau was the one whom Jacob managed to supplant and made him sell his birth as the firstborn to him for a bowl of pottage. Their descendants the Edomites and the Jews were cousins. Their rivalry, which started with their fathers, persisted throughout the history of their existence.    

During the time of Moses, Numbers 20:14-21 reveal that the Edomites refused to permit the children of Israel to cross through their territory. And in the time of Judges, they even tried to seize Israel ( Judges 11). Psalm 137:7, we learn that Edom wickedly wished calamity would come upon that Jerusalem, that the Babylonians would burn the city to the ground.            

So here after the longest time of bitter rivalry and hostility, the message of the Lord concerning their destiny was pronounced in Jeremiah 49:7-22. This reflection will look at verses 7-11, the first five of the message Jeremiah said concerning them. The words of God to them in Verses 7-8 hinted that the Edomites took pride in their wisdom. They considered themselves smarter than people of their surrounding nations.  And since they were situated in the high rugged mountains, they had this false confidence and presumption that they had a good system of defense.  Mockingly Jeremiah told them that there was nowhere that could hide to be safe from God’s determined judgment of them.  Neither their wisdom nor their defense system.

Verses 9-10 indicate that God’s coming judgment upon them would be very thorough. Edom would be destroyed utterly. Two illustrations were used to describe how thorough the destruction would be. A vineyard worker would normally pick grapes that are ripe and leaves the unripe ones untouched, and a burglar who breaks into a house normally takes away what he wants and leaves the rest alone, but in the destruction of Edom, nothing would be left untouched.  God’s point was this: o matter where they would hide, God would ferret them out for destruction. However, God’s compassion would be demonstrated in His care for orphans and widows.

Lesson: don’t live a life based on assumption but on true knowledge. Look at how the word “assume” is spelled. Ass-u-me – when we assume, it makes an “ass of you and me.” Live life solidly and firmly grounded on the foundation and reality of God’s Word, don’t assume. 

 

 

Jeremiah 49:1-6 – Try a little kindness

Jeremiah 49 contains God’s judgment on five surrounding countries that had been tormenting Israel in the course of their history. Firstly, towards the west were the Ammonites (verses 1-6). Secondly, towards the south, were the Edomites (verses 7-22). Thirdly, in the north, were the Arameans or Damascus (verses 23-27). Fourthly, in the far west were the Elamites (verses 34-39). Finally, we are told of the tribesmen of Kedar who were scattered here and there (verses 28-33). In this reflection, we shall look at Jeremiah’s message to the Ammonites recorded in verses 1-6.    

Who were the Ammonites? After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s daughters wanted to ensure that their father would have descendants made him drunk and each took turns to have sexual relationships with him. Two sons were born to him out of those incestuous relationships. Their names were Moab, the son of the older daughter, and Ammon, the son of the younger daughter. The Moabites and the Ammonites were descendants of these two brothers. Hence, they were distant relatives of the Israelites. Remember Lot was the nephew of Abraham, and the Israelites were descendants of Abraham.  

In Jeremiah 48, we saw a long list of God’s judgments on the Moabites. Here in Jeremiah 49:1-6, God’s message of judgment came upon the Ammonites.  Here's a bit of history of what the Ammonites did to Israel.  While the Assyrians were attacking the Northern Kingdom of Israel described (2 Kings 17:6), the Ammon took the opportunity to seize the territory of Gad, a border tribe of Israel. Jeremiah 49:1 was referencing that seizure of the territory of Gad. Here the Ammonites were being chided for ignoring that they still had some blood relationship with the children of Israel. Verse 2 then warned them that they would be overtaken and Rabbah, their capital would be destroyed, and Israel would be repossessed what was theirs.

In verse 3, the people of Ammon were told to lament. For they would all be taken into captivity.  Malcam, Milcom, or Molech are all names of the national deity of the Ammonites. God said that their god and his priests, as well as the leaders of Ammon, would all come under judgment. Apparently, Ammon prided in the wealth that they had accumulated, and that had given them a sense of security. Here Jeremiah warned them that what they had would be enough to save them from the attack of the enemy. The terror they would be confronted with was from God. Jeremiah asserted that they would be taken into exile in a hurry. However, God said that their fortune would eventually be restored. What Jeremiah declared here came to pass. Ammon was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar shortly after they joined forces with the Assyrians and others to take on the Babylonians. Details can be found in Jeremiah 27:1-7.     

Though they were distantly related to Israel, the Ammonites never took that part of their history into consideration. They took advantage of their misfortunes and even join in tormenting God’s covenant people. It is bad enough not to do anything to help but to add to their trouble and misery was totally uncalled for. Here’s a Glen Campbell song to remind us to always do good, especially to those in the same household of God.

If you see your brother standing by the road
With a heavy load from the seeds he's sowed
And if you see your sister falling by the way
Just stop and say, you're going the wrong way
 
You got to try a little kindness
Yes show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you'll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets
 
Don't walk around the down and out
Lend a helping hand instead of doubt
And the kindness that you show every day
Will help someone along their way
 
You got to try a little kindness
Yes show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you'll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets
 
 

  

Jeremiah 48:40-47 – Live responsibly before God

In these closing verses in Jeremiah 48:40-47, the prophet declared God’s final judgment and destruction of Moab. Babylon, the nation whom the Lord would use in dealing with Moab would swoop down on her like an eagle pouncing on her prey. As the city of Kerioth was being captured, the stronghold of Moab would be seized. So much so that the hearts of their men would become faint and frail like a pregnant woman travailing in labor. God once again underscored the reason for the judgment in verse 42. It was because as a people Moah had become arrogant toward the Lord.

In verses 43-44, God made it explicitly known what Moab would be experiencing. There was no place that they could go to dodge the impending judgment. He put it this way: This was how God put it:  

 “Terror, pit, and snare are coming upon you,

O inhabitant of Moab” declares the Lord.
“The one who flees from the terror
Will fall into the pit,
And the one who climbs up out of the pit
Will be caught in the snare;
For I shall bring upon her, even upon Moab,
The year of their punishment” declares the Lord.   

 

In verses 46-47, Jeremiah made known that the key cities in Moab would end up being burnt and the people captured and taken into captivity. And yet in His mercy, God promised to restore the fortune of Moab in the latter days.   

 

Jeremiah’s declaration of judgment on Moab recorded in chapter 48 was a lengthy one. In this prophecy, it is impossible to miss the message of how depraved sin and pride are. We can see it as a call of God not to be complacent in life and never to cherish any form of idols in life. We must recognize the sovereignty of God and worship only Him as we live lives responsibly. Know this: ultimately, everyone, believers or not, will all be accountable to Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords. We are told in Philippians 2:9-11 that God has “…highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.” 

Jeremiah 48:31-39 – Seek a blessed life

Prophetically, Jeremiah saw the devastation and ruin of the beautiful vineyard in the land of Moab. Distressed by what he saw, he lamented for Moab. So he described his distress in Jeremiah 48:31-39.

Here we see the prophet having compassion for people he didn’t even know. From these verses, we get the impression Moab where wine was once in abundance would be depleted of it. The joyful sound of the people trampling on the grapes to produce wine could no longer be heard. In place of their joyful shouts what was heard would be the shouting of invaders trampling over the vineyard.

There would be widespread cries of despair. The outcry of people in distress would be heard from one end to the other. They could be heard from “…Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz …and their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah.  All worship, sacrifices, and burnings of incense to the gods in the cities of Moab would stop. God was going to put an end to it. 

There will be great mourning in the land. The sound of the flute, an instrument that was usually played at funerals, would be heard. There would be open mourning both in the places where the worship of their gods was carried out and in the public. Hope for Moab would be totally gone.  Like a shattered vessel, she would be discarded. They would become an object of shame and scorned and be sneered and jeered at.

It is a fearful thing to incur the wrath of God. Verses like these remind us of what the Psalmist said in Psalm 1:4-5. “The wicked would be like chaff which the wind drives away…the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” We should instead seek instead to be like the blessed man described in the same Psalm. Our delight should be in the law of the Lord and in His law let us meditate day and night. Then we shall be like a fruitful tree firmly planted by streams of water and yield our fruit and have lives that witness to the goodness of God. Then in whatever we do, we shall prosper.

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).”

Jeremiah 48:11-20 – There’s no real security except in God

Continuing with the message of judgment on Moab, Jeremiah 48:11-12 reckoned Moab to be wine that had been untouched. Why? All because she had not been taken into exile before. And like untouched wine, Moab had not lost its flavor or aroma. But now her destiny had changed. Babylon was coming to take them into captivity. She would be like wine emptied from the shattered decanter. And Chemosh, the god whom they had long trusted would prove to be powerless and incapable of rescuing them from this predicament. The Moabite's confidence in this god would be shaken just as Israel's whose trust was in Bethel, was shaken.   

Jeremiah 48:14-20 showed why Moab could no longer boast of her might. In verse 14 God derided her and sarcastically implied that her army could no longer claim to be “mighty warriors, and men valiant for battle.” The Lord declared her total defeat. Their best fighting men would be dreadfully slaughtered, and widespread mourning in the desolate nation would be experienced. Mockingly, in verses 18 -20, Moab was told that her power would be broken, and she no longer could sit comfortably and securely perched on her high mountainous throne. Instead, she would be brought low to grovel on parched earth and all her defenses be brought to ruin.

In these verses, we cannot get away from seeing Moab as a symbol of pride and arrogance. With Moab firmly sitting on high ground, the people must have mistakenly presumed that they were impenetrable. Like them, we too can mistakenly presume that we are safe and secure because we have wealth and position. But we need to realize that our knowledge of God should guide us to place our trust in Him and not in whatever we think can ensure our security, be it wealth or position.

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.