Jeremiah 48:33-47: a reflection

33Gladness and joy is taken away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab. I have caused wine to cease from the wine presses. No one will tread with shouting. The shouting will be no shouting. 34From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for the waters of Nimrim will also become desolate. 35Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab,” says the LORD, “him who offers in the high place, and him who burns incense to his gods. 36Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like flutes, and my heart sounds like flutes for the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the abundance that he has gotten has perished. 37For every head is bald, and every beard clipped. There are cuttings on all the hands, and sackcloth on the waist. 38On all the housetops of Moab, and in its streets, there is lamentation everywhere; for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which no one delights,” says the LORD. 39“How it is broken down! How they wail! How Moab has turned the back with shame! So will Moab become a derision and a terror to all who are around him.” 40For the LORD says: “Behold, he will fly as an eagle, and will spread out his wings against Moab. 41Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are seized. The heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day will be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. 42Moab will be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnified himself against the LORD. 43Terror, the pit, and the snare are on you, inhabitant of Moab,” says the LORD. 44“He who flees from the terror will fall into the pit; and he who gets up out of the pit will be taken in the snare, for I will bring on him, even on Moab, the year of their visitation,” says the LORD. 45“Those who fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon; for a fire has gone out of Heshbon, and a flame from the middle of Sihon, and has devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones. 46Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are undone; for your sons are taken away captive, and your daughters into captivity. 47“Yet I will reverse the captivity of Moab in the latter days,” says the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

Jeremiah's long oracle against Moab reaches its heart in a single explanation for its downfall: Moab shall be destroyed as a people, because he magnified himself against the LORD. All the judgment, the broken cities, the ceased rejoicing, the ruined pride, traces back to this root: Moab exalted himself against God. In its self-sufficiency and pride, Moab had set itself up against the LORD, and that self-exaltation brought it down.

Notice the root of Moab's fall: he magnified himself against the LORD. Moab had grown proud, secure in itself, exalting itself against God, and it was this pride, this self-exaltation against the Most High, that led to its ruin. The nation that lifted itself up against God was brought low. It is a recurring theme in Scripture: pride, and especially pride that sets itself against God, goes before a fall.

That is a warning worth taking personally. The heart's temptation is always toward self-exaltation, toward a pride that, in effect, magnifies itself against God, trusting in self, answering to no one, setting our own will above his. And such pride, Scripture warns again and again, leads to a fall. Guard your heart against magnifying yourself against God. And yet, notice how the oracle ends, even against Moab: Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days. Even here, judgment is not God's final word; mercy waits beyond it. God humbles the proud, but he also, beyond the humbling, holds out restoration. Humble yourself before him, rather than being humbled; and trust that even his judgments are not the end of his mercy.

Lord, Moab was destroyed because he magnified himself against you; his pride and self-exaltation brought him down. Guard my own heart against that pride, the temptation to trust in myself, answer to no one, and set my will above yours. Keep me from magnifying myself against you. Help me humble myself before you, rather than being humbled. And thank you that even against Moab, you held out restoration in the end; your judgments are not the last word, and mercy waits beyond them. Humble me gently, and hold me in your mercy.