JEREMIAH 48A
Moab receives no more praise verse 1- 5
Against Moab thus says the LORD of hosts
the God of Israel
Woe unto Nebo – for it is spoiled
Kiriathaim is confounded and taken
Misgab is confounded and dismayed
There shall be no more praise of Moab
in Heshbon they have devised evil against it
Come – let us cut it off from being a nation
ALSO you shall be cut down – O Madmen
the sword shall pursue you
A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim
spoiling and great destruction
Moab is destroyed her little ones have caused a cry to be heard
for in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up
for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies
have heard a cry of destruction
Moab trusted in wealth and false gods verse 6- 7
Flee – save your lives – and be like the heath in the wilderness
for BECAUSE you have trusted in your works and in your treasures
you shall also be taken and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity
with his priests and his princes together
Moab is spoiled by the Babylonians verse 8- 10
And the spoiler shall come upon every city – and no city shall escape
the valley also shall perish – the plain shall be destroyed
as the LORD has spoken
Give wings unto Moab – that it may flee and get away
for the cities thereof shall be desolate
without any to dwell therein
Cursed be he that does the work of the LORD deceitfully
and cursed be he that keeps back his sword from blood
Moab illustrated as aged wine verse 11- 13
Moab has been at ease from his youth – and he has settled on his lees
and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel
neither has not gone into captivity
THEREFORE his taste remained in him
and his scent is not changed
THEREFORE – BEHOLD – the days come – says the LORD
that I will send unto him wanderers
that shall cause him to wander
and shall empty his vessels
and break their bottles
Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh
as the house of Israel was ashamed of Beth-el their confidence
Moab is judged by the LORD verse 14- 17
How say you – We are mighty and strong men for the war?
Moab is spoiled – and gone up out of her cities
and his chosen young men are gone down
to the slaughter says the King
whose name is The LORD of hosts
The calamity of Moab is near to come
and his affliction haste fast
All you that are about him – bemoan him
and all you that know his name – say
How is the strong staff broken and the beautiful rod
Moabite city of Dibon destroyed verse 18- 19
You daughter that does inhabit Dibon – come down from your glory
and sit in thirst for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon you
and he shall destroy your strongholds
O inhabitant of Aroer – stand by the way – and espy
ask him that flees – and her that escapes – and say
What is done?
Moabite cities listed to be destroyed verse 20- 25
Moab is confounded – for it is broken down
howl and cry tell you it in Arnon – that Moab is spoiled
and judgment is come upon the plain country upon
Upon Holon – Jahazah – Mephaath – Dibon – Nebo – Beth – diblathaim
Kiriathaim – Beth-gamul – Beth- meon – Kerioth – Bozrah
and all the cities of the land of Moab – far and near
The horn of Moab is cut off – and his arm is broken
says the LORD
Moab rebelled against the LORD verse 26- 27
Make you him drunken – for he magnified himself against the LORD
Moab also shall wallow in his vomit
and he also shall be in derision
For was not Israel a derision unto you?
Was he found among thieves?
for since you spoke of him – you skipped for joy
Moabites full of pride verse 28- 31
O you that dwell in Moab – leave the cities – and dwell in the rock
and be like the dove that makes her nest in the sides
of the hole’s mouth
We have heard the pride of Moab (he is exceeding proud)
his loftiness – his arrogancy – his pride
and the haughtiness of his heart
I know his wrath – says the LORD
BUT it shall not be so – his lies shall not so effect it
THEREFORE will I howl for Moab – and I will cry out for all Moab
MINE heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres
Moabite produce is destroyed verse 32- 33
O vine of Sibmah – I will weep for you with the weeping of Jazer
your plants are gone over the sea
they reach even to the sea of Jazer
the spoiler is fallen upon your summer fruits
and upon your vintage
And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field
and from the land of Moab
and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses
none shall tread with shouting
their shouting shall be no shouting
Moab shall be full of terror verse 34
From the cry of Heshbon – even unto Elealeh – even unto Jahaz
have they uttered their voice
from Zoar even unto Horonaim
as a heifer of three years old
for the waters also of Nimrim
shall be desolate
Moab illustrated as a jar verse 35- 39
MOREOVER I will cause to cease in Moab – says the LORD
him that offers in the high places
him that burns incense to his gods
THEREFORE MINE heart shall sound for Moab like pipes
and MINE heart shall sound like pipes for men of Kir-heres
BECAUSE the riches that he hath gotten are perished
For every head shall be bald – and every beard clipped
upon all the hands shall be cuttings – upon the loins sackcloth
There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab
and in the streets thereof
for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure
says the LORD
They shall howl – saying
How is it broken down
How has Moab turned the back with shame
so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all
them about him
Reason for destruction of Moab verse 40- 42
For thus says the LORD
BEHOLD – he shall fly as an eagle
and shall spread his wings over Moab
Kerioth is taken – and the strongholds are surprised
and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that day
shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs
And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people
BECAUSE he has magnified himself against the LORD
There is no escape of judgment verse 43- 45
Fear – and the pit – and the snare – shall be upon you
O inhabitant of Moab – says the LORD
He that flees from the fear shall fall into the pit
he that gets up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare
for I will bring upon it – even upon Moab
the year of their visitation –says the LORD
They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force
BUT a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon
and a flame from the midst of Sihon
and shall devour the corner of Moab
and the crown of the head of the
tumultuous ones
Moabite land will be restored verse 46- 47
Woe be unto you – O Moab – the people of Chemosh perish
for your sons are taken captives – and your daughters captives
YET I will bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days
says the LORD
Thus far is the judgment of Moab
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 11 Moab hath been at ease form his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
(8105 “lees” [shemer] means dregs, to lead a quiet and tranquil life, aged wine or settlings.
DEVOTION: Here we have a group of people who are descendants of Lot that have never gone into captivity. If you remember that they continually fought against the children of Israel which meant that they were magnifying themselves against the LORD.
They had lived at ease for so long that they thought no one or nothing could touch them. They were like wine that had never been moved from one container to another.
In the making of wine the grapes were crushed and placed in containers. They were to sit in those containers for just the right amount of time for all the refuse or sediment or dreg to settle on the bottom. Once this took place they were to be moved to another container before the refuse at the bottom took the sweetness of the wine away and turned it into a syrupy taste. This process took about forty days for the wine to ferment.
The children of Moab had settled on their sediment for too long. They were syrupy. They didn’t taste good in the mouth of the LORD because of their dependence on the false god Chemosh. They apparently knew who the LORD was but didn’t honor HIM. Their rebellion brought judgment.
We can follow the example of the Moabites by magnifying ourselves over the LORD. We can tend to think that we can do without the LORD. We settle for living a life that is opposite of the way the LORD wants us to live. If we settle on the dregs HE has to judge us for our rebellion.
CHALLENGE: Continual growth in the LORD is necessary. We can’t settle on our past accomplishments. We have to move forward. There is no retirement age with the LORD. HE can stir us up at any age.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 29 We have heard the prideof Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart. (1347 “pride” [ga’own] means exaltation, arrogance, majesty, pomp, or swelling.
DEVOTION: The children of Moab were descendants of Lot. They were cousins to Israel but they were the enemy of Israel. Abraham brought his brother’s son Lot with him to the Promised Land. Lot picked the best of the land which was near the city of Sodom. God destroyed the cities of the plain including Sodom. Lot and his two daughters fled into a cave. One of the daughters had a son by Lot named Moab.
Two nations came of those descendants of Lot. Now we have one of these nations worshiping false gods in this chapter. They are also full of arrogance toward the ONE TRUE GOD. They depended on their works and wealth. They thought they could mistreat Israel and God would do nothing about it. They were mistreating their own relatives. God judged them for their relationship to Israel and HIMSELF.
One of the problems with every individual that comes into this world is that they can get an exalted opinion of themselves. Some people fight this opinion but others keep it all of their lives.
At the end of the chapter the LORD promises that HE will bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days. They will be around for the end times. It is thought this is going to happen during the Millennial reign of Christ.
However, the LORD is telling Jeremiah that in the present they are going into captivity.
HE gives many reasons in this chapter but this verse seems to sum it up. They are full of themselves. They are arrogant. They are haughty. They are full of pomp. They are lofty.
When we look at the church today, do we see some of these tracts? When we look at some Christians, do we see some of these tracts?
We are to have a learning attitude. We need to be willing to listen to the LORD. If we think that we can do something ourselves, we are sadly mistaken. We have to be totally dependent on the LORD. HE is able to give us strength to face any challenge that comes our way. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: Dependence is necessary for proper growth in the LORD. Our attitude affects our relationship to the LORD. Strive for the right attitude in our service to the KING!)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnifiedhimself against the LORD. (1431 “magnified” [gadal] means greater, stronger, more important, boast, lifted high, to speak arrogantly, to speak proudly, or to act arrogantly.)
DEVOTION: The Bible teaches that pride comes before the fall. Here is a nation that has given the children of Israel a hard time most of their existence. They were near relatives as Lot was the founder of the race through his daughter. They have been fighting almost from the beginning. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt they gave them a hard time.
Now the children of Israel are being judged for their sin. They are going into captivity. The nation of Moab thought that they were safe but the LORD sent Jeremiah to inform them that HE was going to judge them at the same time.
However, they didn’t believe Jeremiah’s warning. They thought that they could be arrogant and the LORD was not going to deal with them. They were wrong. This is true of any nation that tries to be arrogant or boast that they don’t need the God of the Bible. We have many leaders in our nation who are thinking this thought. It is wrong thinking. Once we leave God out of our daily lives HE will show us that HE is still the creator of the world.
One day our nation is going to have to hear the judgment of God because of all that is happening in our nation. We have shed too much innocent blood in the form of babies that have been used for personal gain rather than loved by parents.
Judgment is the only way that some people will believe that there is a Creator of our world that needs to be worshiped by all. HE is longsuffering but don’t look at it as if HE doesn’t exist. HE does.
CHALLENGE: We as a group of believers need to show the world that we are genuine believers in what the Bible teaches before it is too late!!! We don’t want to see HIS wrath on our nation!!
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
- Chastity (Purity in living)
- Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
- Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
- Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
- Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
- Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
- Frugality (wise use of resources)
- Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
- Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
- Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
- Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
- Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
- Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
- Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
- Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 8, 10, 12, 15,
25, 26, 30, 35,
38, 40, 42- 44,
47
LORD of hosts verse 1, 15
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 1
God of Israel verse 1
Judgment of God on Moab verse 1- 47
Lord has spoken verse 8
Work of the LORD verse 10
King verse 15
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Moab (descendants of Lot) verse 1- 47
Enemies verse 5
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Result of sin:
spoiled, confounded, dismayed verse 1
Evil verse 2
Madman verse 2
Trusted in works verse 7
Trusted in treasures verse 7, 36
Worshiped false god: Chemosh verse 7, 13, 35, 46
Work of the LORD deceitfully verse 10
Settled on lees verse 11
Israel worshiping golden calf: Beth-el verse 13
Confidence in false gods verse 13, 35
Drunken verse 26
Magnified themselves against the LORD verse 26, 42
Thieves verse 27
Pride verse 29
Loftiness verse 29
Arrogancy verse 29
Haughtiness verse 29
Lies verse 30
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Joy verse 27, 33
Gladness verse 33
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Israel verse 1, 13, 27
Bethel their confidence verse 13
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Latter days verse 47
QUOTES
This metaphor must be interpreted with care. Wine that is undisturbed improves in quality, but Moab was not being praised for its relative peacefulness. Wine that is left too long undisturbed becomes syrupy and unfit to drink. Ease and affluence of a nation may lead to weakness and internal decay; that was Moab’s condition. If we are to become everything the Lord wants us to be, there must be a certain divine discontent and striving to realize one’s fullest potential. A willingness to be “shaken” in order to grow and mature does not contradict the advice of Phil 4:11 and Heb 13:5, correctly understood and linked to Phil 3:14.(Huey, F. B. (1993). Vol. 16: Jeremiah, Lamentations. The New American Commentary (390). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
In making wine, first the grapes were stomped, then the juice was placed into bottles or skins and allowed to ferment. During this time the sediment, or dregs, would settle to the bottom. After 40 days the fermented wine was carefully poured into another container to separate it from the dregs. If the dregs were allowed to remain, the wine became too sweet and thick and was spoiled. This object lesson from nature was ultimately applied to people who had become too complacent (cf. Zeph. 1:12). Moab had never felt the harsh reality of exile so, like the unpoured wine, her aromawas unchanged. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Je 48:11–13). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
48:11, 12 This wine-making imagery is vivid. In the production of sweet wine, the juice was left in a wineskin until the sediment or dregs settled onto the bottom. Then it was poured into another skin until more dregs were separated. This process continued until the dregs were all removed and a pure, sweet wine obtained. Moab was not taken from suffering to suffering so that her bitter dregs would be removed through the purging of pain. Thus the nation was settled into the thickness and bitterness of its own sin. Judgment from God was coming to smash them.(MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Je 48:11). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Lest Moab think her captivity was just accidental, God reminded her that her destruction would come because she defied Him. In view of her rebellion, none would escape; those who would try to flee God’s terror would fall into a pit. Any who managed to get out of the pit would be caught in a snare (cf. Amos 5:18–20). God would make sure that all in Moab would take part in the year of her punishment.(Dyer, C. H. (1985). Jeremiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1196). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
In 582, Nebuchadnezzar’s army invaded Moab, destroyed the people and the cities, and left desolation behind. The reason for this judgment was Moab’s pride (48:7, 29–30) and complacency (v. 11). The Moabites were certain that their god Chemosh would protect them (vv. 7, 13, 35, 46) and that no army could scale the heights to reach them on their secure plateau (v. 8). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 166–167). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
Ver. 42. And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, &c.] For some time, not always; since the captivity of Moab is promised to be returned, ver. 47 or from being such a people as they had been, enjoying so much ease, wealth, power, and prosperity. Abarbinel takes it to be a comparative, and renders it, more than a people; that is, shall be destroyed more than any other people; but the former sense is best. Because he hath magnified himself against the Lord; the Targum is, against the people of the Lord; this is the cause of his destruction; see the note on ver. 26.(Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 662). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
And let’s be clear: The people who turn buying pens and eating Oreos into a politically significant act have no ground to complain when a privately owned business like Chick-fil-A publicly proclaims that it is pro-family. So the next time you’re hungry, by all means feel free to take into consideration Chick-fil-A’s commitment to the traditional family and giving back to the community. After all, it’s still a free country. (Squawking Over Chick-fil-A Eric Metaxas) [I’m going to buy Chick-fil-A as often as I see one. RS]