This Chapter lists the various sins of Moab and the various judgments that God prophesied against her as a result, vs 1-6,8,9,12,15-25,28,40,41,43-46.

Her sins included trusting in the things that she did and in her riches, vs 7; being lax in doing the Lord’s work and refraining from carrying out the destruction that was needed against her own sin, vs 10! Besides from her earliest days Moab had lived undisturbed and was never taken into exile!

As a result, her people were like wine allowed to settle undisturbed on its dregs, never poured out from one jar to another. They were like wine which tasted like it always did and whose aroma remained unchanged, vs 11! This meant that a lack of difficult circumstances caused their character to remain unchanged, such that they did not become more humble and godly. Instead, she trusted in her idol Chemosh, vs 13, and God was determined to put an end to the same, vs 35!

Further the Moabites thought themselves to be heroes and mighty in battle, vs 14, and boasted against God, vs 26,42. They also laughed at the people of God and spread rumours about God’s people that were not true, vs 27, thus revealing the height of their pride, arrogance and haughtiness because of which they were deceived into having a high opinion about themselves, inspite of their many sinful acts, vs 29,30! In punishing them, God was going to soon reveal their boastings to be false and their pride ill-founded!

Weeping would be found in her and joy and gladness would depart even as her crops, fruit and vines were destroyed, vs 31-34,36-39! Yet, in the days to come, God promised to reverse Moab’s ill fortune, vs 47, perhaps because she would have realised her folly and repented of her sins as time went by!

The above list of Moab’s sins is a good checklist for us to go through and repent of, incase we find ourselves in a similar predicament.

As we do so, in all honesty and humility, we have an opportunity to avert God’s judgment and avail of his forgiveness and cleansing by the precious blood of Jesus.

God gives us His prophetic Word in advance because he always desires the sinner to repent and partake of His forgiveness so that judgment can be averted and replaced with His blessings instead. Let him who has an ear, hear!
Amen.

Rowena Thomas
Mumbai, India.