Is God's judgment a sure Thing?

Read Jeremiah 48.

All sin grieves the heart of God.  In the days of Noah, sin was so rampant "the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart." (Genesis 6:6)  The Apostle Paul warned, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30).  When sin reaches a certain point without repentance, God will act.  It pained God to bring judgment on Moab.  "I wail for Moab; I cry out for all Moab." (v.31)

Moab was the son of Lot, whom he fathered through incest.  His descendants lived on the southeast side of the Dead Sea.  The Moabites are described in this chapter as being prosperous and self-sufficient.  Nothing seemed to be a bother to them until now.

An enemy will come upon them like a fast, swooping eagle (v.40).  The reaction by the soldiers of Moab will be like a woman with labor pains (v.42).  In the totality of the devastation, their national identity will be lost.  God called this judgment His doing and even promised to curse anyone who held back during the battle in punishing Moab (v.10).

As people flee for their lives, those they pass will ask "What has happened?" (v.19)  Others may ask why this happened.  God is very clear as to the answer.

1. "Because you trusted in your works and your treasures." v.7
They worked hard and watched their incomes go up.  Being financially independent can result in a wrong sense of self-sufficiency.  Independence often leads a person to claim no need of God.  The LORD loves those who live day by day with total dependence on Him.

2. "Because he magnified himself against the LORD." v.26 and v.35
Every life has a spiritual vacuum.  If one does not turn to the one true and living God, they will endeavor to fill that emptiness with false beliefs.  The Moabites made up their own gods and worshiped them with sacrifices and offerings.  The LORD will share His glory with no one or nothing else.  He demands exclusive worship.

3. "Because he magnified himself against the LORD." v.42
This charge against Moab is repeated for emphasis.  Once a person thinks they have no need of God, and then make up their own worship, they will become defiant against the LORD and His claims.  They will rail against the truth and be accepting of any alternative.

A basic take away from reading the Scriptures is who God is, why and how He acts.  The destruction of Moab and these other nations (exactly as predicted) are facts of history.  The consistent message of God's love and patience is for people to respond in faith and obedience before it is too late.

President John Adams said, "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."