“Woe to Nebo, for it is laid waste!
Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken;
the fortress is put to shame and broken down; 2 the renown of Moab is no more.
In Heshbon they planned disaster against her:
‘Come, let us cut her off from being a nation!’
You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence;
the sword shall pursue you.
3“A voice! A cry from Horonaim,
‘Desolation and great destruction!’ 4Moab is destroyed;
her little ones have made a cry. 5For at the ascent of Luhith
they go up weeping;
for at the descent of Horonaim
they have heard the distressed cry of destruction. 6Flee! Save yourselves!
You will be like a juniper in the desert!…
45 “In the shadow of Heshbon
fugitives stop without strength,
for fire came out from Heshbon,
flame from the house of Sihon;
it has destroyed the forehead of Moab,
the crown of the sons of tumult. 46 Woe to you, O Moab!
The people of Chemosh are undone,
for your sons have been taken captive,
and your daughters into captivity. 47 Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab
in the latter days, declares the Lord.”
Thus far is the judgment on Moab.
REFLECTION:
This chapter predicts the punishment of Moab. The Moabites were the descendants of the incest between Lot and his eldest daughter (cf. Gen. 19:30-37). They tempted the Israelites to worship idols (cf. Num. 25:1-3) and joined Nebuchadnezzar’s army in attacking Judah in 602 BC, but in the end Moab was destroyed by Babylon. Chemosh (v46) is a false god worshipped by the Moabites, and the most important part of its worship ceremony is the sacrifice of children as a burnt offering. This evil act aroused God’s fierce anger and incurred severe punishment from God. We should understand that our God is a jealous God. The first commandment in the Ten Commandments is not to worship other gods. The sin of idolatry is a blasphemy against the true God and the sin that offends God the most. We should be vigilant in this world filled with all kinds of tangible and intangible idols, we must not be tempted to follow the world in idol worship and evil deeds in the process of idolatry, and otherwise we will incur severe punishment from God.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to enlighten you and enable you to examine all aspects of your life and your thoughts to see if there are any tangible or intangible idols that are injuring your life; pray that God will remove these idols and cleanse you, and heal the injury caused by the idols; ask God to help you live a holy life, to be a good witness for Him, so that your friends and relatives who are still worshipping idols will realize the great harm of idols, and you can bring them to God.
1The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.
2 “Thus says the Lord:
Behold, waters are rising out of the north,
and shall become an overflowing torrent;
they shall overflow the land and all that fills it,
the city and those who dwell in it.
Men shall cry out,
and every inhabitant of the land shall wail. 3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
the fathers look not back to their children,
so feeble are their hands, 4 because of the day that is coming to destroy
all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon
every helper that remains.
For the Lord is destroying the Philistines,
the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor. 5 Baldness has come upon Gaza;
Ashkelon has perished.
O remnant of their valley,
how long will you gash yourselves? 6 Ah, sword of the Lord!
How long till you are quiet?
Put yourself into your scabbard;
rest and be still! 7 How can it be quiet
when the Lord has given it a charge?
Against Ashkelon and against the seashore
he has appointed it.”
REFLECTION:
Philistia was located in the plains along the coast of Judah. It had always been a strong enemy of Israel, and there were constant wars between the two countries. The Philistines were an idolatry nation, did not know the true God, and were cruel and fornicating. They had always harboured hatred against God’s people, and would not be satisfied until Israel was destroyed. The Philistines were so strong that the Israelites were frightened and felt powerless against them. However, it is not possible with humans, but everything is possible with God. This passage foretold that God would remove the Philistines, protect His people, and give them peace. Those who try to destroy the people of God will eventually be destroyed by God. Today, we live in an environment where there is no war and live a rich and comfortable life, but we also face powerful enemies. A wide variety of worldly values permeates our society. As the people of God, we are experiencing a difficult spiritual battle. The power of darkness is the “Philistines” we face today. Sometimes its powerful forces often make us feel powerless and even fearful. However, let us not forget that God will protect us. The devil’s defeat is set, and its ultimate end is to be wiped out by the Lord like the Philistines at that time, and fall into the bottomless pit forever. Therefore, we should be brave and fearless, victorious by the Lord, and strive to live a holy life in the filth and darkness.
PRAYER:
Pray for the Lord to strengthen your heart, give you courage and strength, so that you can stand firm in the turbid currents of the world; pray for the Lord to walk with you, so that you can always look to Him in your daily life, gain strength from God to overcome sin, and live a holy life that bear a beautiful witness for the Lord.
27 “But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
nor be dismayed, O Israel,
for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid. 28 Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
declares the Lord,
for I am with you.
I will make a full end of all the nations
to which I have driven you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
REFLECTION:
The six chapters after Chapter 46 are Jeremiah’s prophecies to the nations, from which we can see that God has a beautiful plan for the world. We can learn more about God’s divine nature from this passage. Although God specifically chooses the Israelites to fulfill His will, He loves all people and wants people all over the world to return to Him. At the same time, we also see that God is holy and will not tolerate any sin. God’s judgment is not based on prejudice and revenge, but on the principles of justice and equality. We also see that God does not like to judge people. He is more willing to show grace and mercy, and use His love to save all those who are willing to return to Him. Whether in ancient times or in the present, God will discipline His people out of love, in order to guide them back to Him. When we are faced with God’s discipline, we should not be afraid, but should receive the lessons humbly. We should understand that God disciplines us to love us, to purify us, and to make our lives more holy and abundant.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to give you a humble and repentant heart, sincerely confess your transgressions to Him, and be willing to live a holy life from now on; pray that God will give you the confidence and courage to be free from fear and disobedience to God’s discipline, and humbly receive His teachings in His discipline, through which we will be purified, and our lives will grow more.
