Oh friends, once again we are back with our daily bible study after this long pause. I thank you so much for your patience and waiting. Okay, our today’s chapter still focuses on God’s chronicles of punishing a nation by nation for their disobedience. It might actually sound as if God is all that rude and judgmental in these chapters but I hope we shall be able to read another God’s heart, the important side of Him-His grace. We open the chapter with a citation of how powerful God is (verse 1). In other words, this introduction is assuring us that things happen according to His will and no one can stop His purposes.
The country of Moab would be under distress. They had hoped in the protection of their god, Chemosh, but this trust would be destroyed since the god would not save them. The narration depicts of specific cities within the country for some specific reasons, but the conclusion of it all is the destruction of a country that hoped so much in its wealth, power of the army, good geographical position, and gods (verses 1-10). Verses 11 and onwards depicts Moab as a country that had much pride, and had never tasted some kind of troubles for years. However, God was sure that their punishment was coming and they would be evacuated from one jar into another, from clean houses and places into caves like a dove hiding for the enemies of Moab would prey on it just as an eagle does a dove or hen. God via his prophet goes ahead and describes how Israel had trusted so much in the god (verse13) but all this had not protected her when its time of troubles arrived.
What is amazing about God is this: He punishes us in tears. The bible is clear, He does not glad in the destruction of a sinner but is always there waiting patiently on us so we can get saved (Ezekiel 18:23). Despite His just punishment on us, He still moans our suffering or our death in this case. So again God mourns for Moab via prophet Jeremiah (verses 31, 32, 36). Yeah, Moab had laughed when Israelites were being smashed by nations. It had acted as if it was better than Israel and its pride has risen higher and higher (verses 27-29) but all this would be nothing greater for her but to bring ruin. And as God planned this just punishment, He still could not help it but feel sorry for such a stubborn nation. No wonder God promises to restore Moab in the last days (verse 47). This simply means the redemption of us all at the coming of Jesus for the second time.
Let us go back and remember what exactly happened to Moab. According to the writers of Wiersbe Bible Commentary, The Moabites were descendants of Lot (Gen. 19:20–38) and, along with the Ammonites, the enemies of the Jews. During the Babylonian crisis, however, both Moab and Ammon allied themselves with Judah in an ill-fated attempt to defeat Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 27:3). In 582, Nebuchadnezzar’s army invaded Moab, Destroyed the people and the cities, and left desolation behind. Israel we referred to on verse 27 was conquered by Assyria in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:1-6). The capture of Israel (the northern kingdom) came after Israel and Syria had joined in hands to forcefully make Judah part of the anti-Assyrian deal in times of prophet Isaiah.
Our focus today is on verse 27, “Moab, you made fun of Israel. Israel was caught in the middle of a gang of thieves. When you spoke about Israel, you shook your heads and acted as if you were better than it”. You see, I usually shudder when I am using someone as example for I am never sure that I will never be like him or her. For those who follow my articles, we agreed that, at times, it is only luck that we need to make it through some situations though we also noted that there is no such thing as luck with God. So no matter how careful we play the game, we never know we may end up being like someone else who we laughed at the other day. No, this should not tamper with the right faith of believing in the brighter tomorrow and I think and feel that we can determine never to be like somebody but the day we shall start looking down on others and wondering why the hell they are not improving, we shall be signing on a ticket to the same place.
What is the point? It is nice and educative to cite examples of failures in others and aspire to be different but it is not wise to think that you are too much good or wise not to drown in the same or even worse waters. Actually, I am sorry on this. There are so many things I used to judge in others when I was still young, but as I grow and experience more problems and responsibilities, I can now understand what was going on in the other families or people’s lives. Yeah, there is a lot of failure out here due to people’s ignorance and their own faults, but our smartness is not enough to guarantee us safety too. We all live on grace, on luck in our words.
So Moab had laughed and made fun of Israel when enemies surrounded it, and instead of learning from it and doing better than Israel (I mean trusting God more than them), Moab hoped so much in its army, gods, wealth and nice plateau. What happened next was that Moab’s time came and eh the fall was great (I mean worse). It is bad, very bad to make fun of someone who is falling or not doing well. God bless you
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