Judgment on Moab (Jer. 48:1–25)

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). Over twenty different places are named in this chapter, some of which we can’t identify with certainty, but the list shows how detailed God can be when He wants to predict future events.

I. The Destruction of Moab (48:1–10)

1 Against Moab. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:“Woe to Nebo! For it is plundered, Kirjathaim is shamed and taken; The high stronghold is shamed and dismayed—2 No more praise of Moab. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Come, and let us cut her off as a nation.’ You also shall be cut down, O Madmen! The sword shall pursue you; 3 A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim: ‘Plundering and great destruction!’ 4 “Moab is destroyed; Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard; 5 For in the Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping; For in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. 6 “Flee, save your lives! And be like the juniper in the wilderness. 7 For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together. 8 And the plunderer shall come against every city; No one shall escape. The valley also shall perish, And the plain shall be destroyed, As the LORD has spoken. 9 “Give wings to Moab, That she may flee and get away; For her cities shall be desolate, Without any to dwell in them. 10 Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.

A. MOAB’S LAND TO BE DESTROYED

Nebo, mentioned here by Jeremiah, was not the mountain of the same name on which Moses viewed the Promised Land and died. It was a city inhabited by the tribe of Reuben that was later captured by Moab. The city of Kiriathaim was also inhabited by the tribe of Reuben and later captured by Moab.

God was now predicting that it would be captured from Moab by others. Heshbon was the capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites, during the Exodus. It was given to the tribe of Reuben that rebuilt it, though it was on the border of the tribe of Gad.

B. The people of Moab would flee and run for their lives to escape the coming judgment.

One of the tragedies of warfare is the suffering of innocent children. The “little ones” in Moab would cry out as they went “weeping bitterly”. They would be led up to Luhith on the road down to Horonaim. The people were encouraged to flee for their lives and become like a “bush in the desert,” a figure whose meaning is uncertain. It may mean they would seek to be inconspicuous and unnoticed.

Judgment on Moab would be so thorough that not a single town would escape the “destroyer” The “valley” and the “plain” would be destroyed. God was so determined to assure Moab’s destruction that He threatened to curse those nations appointed to destroy Moab who were lax in doing his work.

II. The Humbling of a Complacent Nation (48:11–17)

11 “Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, And his scent has not changed.12 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I shall send him wine-workers Who will tip him over And empty his vessels And break the bottles. 13 Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, As the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence. 14 “How can you say, ‘We are mighty And strong men for the war’? 15 Moab is plundered and gone up from her cities; Her chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter,” says the King, Whose name is the LORD of hosts. 16 “The calamity of Moab is near at hand, And his affliction comes quickly. 17 Bemoan him, all you who are around him; And all you who know his name, Say, ‘How the strong staff is broken, The beautiful rod!’

A. Moab’s history was one of relative peace.

Jeremiah compared her to wine left on its dregs that had not been poured from one jar to another. 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. Moab had never felt the harsh reality of exile so, like the unpoured wine, her aroma was unchanged.

B. God vowed that days were coming when He would arouse Moab from her complacency

He would send men to pour her out as wine that was no longer fit to drink. At that time Moab would be ashamed of Chemosh (cf. 48:7) just as Israel was ashamed when she had trusted in Bethel.

Moab felt confident in her warriors who were valiant in battle. But these men would not be able to prevent her destruction. In fact they would go down in the slaughter which was at hand. Moab’s calamity would come quickly. Jeremiah called for those nations surrounding Moab to come and console her at the time of her destruction.

III. Judgment on Moab’s Cities (48:18–25)

18 “O daughter inhabiting Dibon, Come down from your glory, And sit in thirst; For the plunderer of Moab has come against you, He has destroyed your strongholds. 19 O inhabitant of Aroer, Stand by the way and watch; Ask him who flees And her who escapes; Say, ‘What has happened?’ 20 Moab is shamed, for he is broken down. Wail and cry!Tell it in Arnon, that Moab is plundered. 21 “And judgment has come on the plain country: On Holon and Jahzah and Mephaath, 22 On Dibon and Nebo and Beth Diblathaim, 23 On Kirjathaim and Beth Gamul and Beth Meon, 24 On Kerioth and Bozrah, On all the cities of the land of Moab,Far or near. 25 The horn of Moab is cut off, And his arm is broken,” says the LORD.

A. These verses contain the names of ten Moabite cities.

The mighty city of Dibon was to humble herself because God vowed to come up against her. Those living in the remote city of Aroer were to stand by the road and ask the people fleeing past what had happened. They would be told that Moab had been disgraced and shattered.

Jeremiah listed the cities of the Transjordan plateau that would be destroyed. Though the location of some is not certain, he seemed to follow a general movement from north to south. His point in naming these 11 cities was to show that all the towns of Moab, both far and near, would be destroyed.

B. Jeremiah used two symbols to show that Moab’s power would be broken.

First, he said Moab’s horn would be cut off. An animal horn was a symbol of strength. Second, he said that Moab’s arm, also a symbol of strength, would be broken.

Jeremiah pictured Moab’s impending doom as someone becoming drunk . Because Moab had defied the LORD she would now wallow in her vomit and be ridiculed by others.