The Lord Is Not Slack

Jeremiah 48:3,4,7,8

We all have cousins that we are not proud of. If you look out far enough into your family tree, there will be someone. You can't do anything about them being family, but you probably don't go around bragging about them either. Such is the case for Israel and Moab. Moab was the cousin of Israel.

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A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim,

Spoiling and great destruction.

4  Moab is destroyed;

Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.

7  For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures,

Thou shalt also be taken:

And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity

With his priests and his princes together.

8  And the spoiler shall come upon every city,

And no city shall escape:

The valley also shall perish,

And the plain shall be destroyed,

As the LORD hath spoken.

Jeremiah 48:3,4,7,8

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Abraham had a brother who died. So, he raised his brother's son Lot. After he was grown, Lot's sheep became too numerous for his and Abraham's two graze in the same area. So, they split and went their own ways. Lot chose to dwell in the pagan area of Sodom and Gomorrah. When God destroyed these two cities, he led Lot and his family out of the city. After the destruction, thinking that they would never find husbands, his two daughters got him drunk and had relations with him. From that they both became pregnant and had sons. One son was named Moab and the other Ben-Ammi. They would be the fathers of the nations of Moab and Ammon.

Both nations were pagan and enemies of Israel. Moab served the God Chemosh and part of their worship was child sacrifices. While God did not approve of their evil actions, there were times that he used them to judge Israel for their turning their backs on God. However, the time of reckoning had come. They were going to be destroyed for their pagan worship and their evil actions.

One of my favorite things to see in the Bible is when God sticks it to pagan gods. I know that they are not really gods or even something that can comprehend but it is still interesting. For instance, when Dagon, the god of the Philistines, bowed before the Ark of God in I Samuel. I laugh every time I read that story. Here, God says I'm going to send Chemosh into exile just like his people. From a practical standpoint, that is not hard to see. All the people had to do was grab their little idols and carry him with them. That was the extent of his existence. However, what God is saying to the people is that I am superior to you god. I have authority over him and I will send him into exile; just as I am doing to you. God is the supreme authority in the universe and nothing commands him. Because he is supreme, he commands everything. Some may rebel now but there will come a day when they will bow before Him.

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The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

II Peter 3:9

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While it took a long time, God did judge Moab for all the evil they did going back to the time of Moses and the Exodus. The reason is what Peter said, God does not want to destroy people. He wants them to repent. However, if we continue to refuse to repent, God will judge sin. This is not laziness or God being "slack" about his promises, but rather his mercy. There were some from Moab who repented and served God. One example is Ruth. This story is a favorite of people who study the Bible and of others who may only hear this one story. In it is a great love story, a history of the lineage of King David, and the Gospel message. It truly is a beautiful story and it was all possible because God "is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance".

Father, help me to not be stubborn and continue to do things my way when I know you do not approve. I thank you that you are longsuffering and forgiving. I do not deserve it but you are gracious and merciful. Help me to have a heart sensitive to your will and willing to repent when I am convicted of sin.