Jeremiah 48:17-32: a reflection

17All you who are around him, bemoan him; and all you who know his name, say, ‘How the strong staff is broken, the beautiful rod!’ 18“You daughter who dwells in Dibon, come down from your glory, and sit in thirst; for the destroyer of Moab has come up against you. He has destroyed your strongholds. 19Inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and watch. Ask him who flees, and her who escapes; say, ‘What has been done?’ 20Moab is disappointed; for it is broken down. Wail and cry! Tell it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste. 21Judgment has come on the plain country— on Holon, on Jahzah, on Mephaath, 22on Dibon, on Nebo, on Beth Diblathaim, 23on Kiriathaim, on Beth Gamul, on Beth Meon, 24on Kerioth, on Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near. 25The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,” says the LORD. 26“Make him drunk, for he magnified himself against the LORD. Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he also will be in derision. 27For wasn’t Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For as often as you speak of him, you shake your head. 28You inhabitants of Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock. Be like the dove that makes her nest over the mouth of the abyss. 29“We have heard of the pride of Moab. He is very proud in his loftiness, his pride, his arrogance, and the arrogance of his heart. 30I know his wrath,” says the LORD, “that it is nothing; his boastings have done nothing. 31Therefore I will wail for Moab. Yes, I will cry out for all Moab. They will mourn for the men of Kir Heres. 32With more than the weeping of Jazer I will weep for you, vine of Sibmah. Your branches passed over the sea. They reached even to the sea of Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your summer fruits and on your vintage.

As God pronounces judgment on proud Moab for exalting itself against him, something unexpected appears in the midst of the judgment: God's own grief. Therefore I will wail for Moab, God says; yes, I will cry out for all Moab. With more than the weeping of Jazer I will weep for you, vine of Sibmah. Even as he brings judgment on the proud, God does not gloat or take pleasure in it; he grieves, he weeps, he wails for Moab. The God who judges the proud takes no delight in their fall; his heart grieves even over those he must judge. Judgment is not, for God, an occasion of pleasure but of grief; he weeps even for Moab.

Notice the surprising grief of God even in judgment: I will wail for Moab, I will weep for you. God's judgment on Moab was just; Moab had exalted itself against him, and its pride would bring its fall. Yet God does not rejoice over the fall of the proud; he grieves, weeps, wails, even for Moab. The God who must judge takes no pleasure in the ruin of the wicked; his heart grieves even over those he judges. Judgment is not, for God, a matter of satisfaction but of sorrow; he weeps even as he judges. This reveals the heart of God: not a God who delights in destroying, but one who grieves even over those his justice must judge. God's grief in judgment shows a heart that takes no pleasure in the fall of the wicked.

That is worth taking to heart, for God grieves even over those he must judge, taking no pleasure in the fall of the wicked. We can imagine God as one who delights in judgment, who takes pleasure in the fall of the wicked; but even in judging Moab, God grieved, wept, wailed. God takes no pleasure in the ruin of the wicked; his heart grieves even over those his justice must judge. This reveals a God whose heart is not eager for destruction but grieves over it. Do not imagine God as delighting in the fall of the wicked; even in judgment he grieves, taking no pleasure in their ruin. Know God as one who grieves even over those he must judge, taking no pleasure in the fall of the wicked, as he wept even for proud Moab whom his justice judged; for God does not delight in destroying but grieves even over those his justice must judge, and his heart is not eager for the ruin of the wicked but sorrows over it.

Lord, as you pronounce judgment on proud Moab for exalting itself against you, something unexpected appears in the midst of the judgment: your own grief. Therefore I will wail for Moab, you say; yes, I will cry out for all Moab; with more than the weeping of Jazer I will weep for you, vine of Sibmah. Even as you bring judgment on the proud, you do not gloat or take pleasure in it; you grieve, you weep, you wail for Moab. You, the God who judges the proud, take no delight in their fall; your heart grieves even over those you must judge. Show me your surprising grief even in judgment: I will wail for Moab, I will weep for you. Your judgment on Moab was just; Moab had exalted itself against you. Yet you do not rejoice over the fall of the proud; you grieve, weep, wail, even for Moab. You who must judge take no pleasure in the ruin of the wicked; your heart grieves even over those you judge. This reveals your heart: not a God who delights in destroying, but one who grieves even over those your justice must judge. Take that to my heart, for you grieve even over those you must judge, taking no pleasure in the fall of the wicked. I can imagine you as one who delights in judgment, who takes pleasure in the fall of the wicked; but even in judging Moab, you grieved, wept, wailed. You take no pleasure in the ruin of the wicked. Keep me from imagining you as delighting in the fall of the wicked; even in judgment you grieve, Lord. Help me know you as one who grieves even over those you must judge, taking no pleasure in the fall of the wicked, as you wept even for proud Moab, for your heart is not eager for the ruin of the wicked but sorrows over it.