Well in my study today I came to Jeremiah 48, which is the prophecy against Moab. In reading through John Calvin's commentary on this chapter, I have found out that the Moabites were the children of Lot. Thus, they had some blood relation to the Israelites. They knew of Abraham and how they were related to him through their father Lot. Because of this knowledge, they were in a different camp that that of say the Egyptians or the Babylonians. There is always a stark difference between God's response to those who know better and those who are ignorant of the truth.
Not only did the Moabites know that the Israelites were related to them through the blood of their father Lot, but in spite of that, they were guilty of three things: (1) they were spared from the destruction and purging that God commanded the Israelites as they entered into the promise land (Canaan), (2) they were constantly plotting against the nation of Israel, and (3) they just sat back and watched the nation of Israel fall apart at the seems.
It is interesting that as I went through and read at least Calvin's stuff that it was apparent that God will punish those who do and those who do not. God is looking for obedience from His children. For those who do things against God with a full knowledge of what God wants, there is coming a time when He will punish them (and it will probably come with embarrassment, Jeremiah 48:26). In the same manner, for those who sit back and do nothing when God's name and character is at stake, knowing full well that they should do something, God will punish them. There are no fence sitters on God's kingdom.
So where does this leave me then today. Here I know that there have been times when I have do things (lot of things, lots of times) that I know God has said, "Don't do that, Ben." What does that mean for me? In the same manner, there have been times when I have sat by and not done or said anything when God's name was at stake.
I don't want to sound like a broken record and I don't want to read into Christianity something that is not there. But isn't this where the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes into play in my life one more time. Here Moab, knowing full well who they are, who the Israelites are, and how they are connected, yet are treating the people of God (which means really God Himself) like garbage. God says that because of their pride and arrogance he is going to destroy them. That is my lot in life as well. I can't even begin to say that strong enough. I have know the things of God and have chosen either to go against them many times in my life or I have chosen to remain quiet (leave my pride in tact) when I should have spoke up. My reward for that should the same as that of the Moabites. I should be made a laughingstock. I should wallow in my vomit...because of my arrogance towards the Lord. I have presumed upon His grace, I have exulted me above Him so many times (all the times where I in effect through my actions have said, "I know what you want God, but I will do what I want this time.") Ahhhhh! Do you hear how horrible that sounds?
So what is it that has kept God from doing to me what He did to the Moabites (and He would be so just and right in doing that to me, no doubt about it)? I want to say that His love, patience, mercy, perseverance, grace, and long suffering are the attributes that allow Him or cause Him to have mercy on me and not destroy me. However, I don't think that is true. Because while all of that is absolutely true, the other attributes are right there as well. His wrath, justice, jealousy, sovereignty, holiness and righteousness are sitting there in perfect harmony with the other attributes that I mentioned. The first set do not negate the second set. God is in perfect harmony and unity with Himself. His love does not negate his anger. His justice is not negated by his mercy. And so on it goes.
So why is it that I have not been treated like the Moabites were treated for their arrogant actions and arrogant silence? I can experience God's love because Christ experienced God's wrath. I can experience God's mercy because Christ experienced God's anger. I can sit here and read God's Word, understand it, be convicted of it, be changed by it because Christ and Christ alone has satisfied all that God would want to pour out on me.
I deserve a whole lot more than what I have been given. That is a fact. It isn't that all of what I have deserved has gone away, been forgotten about, or ignored. That's a fact. All of what I have deserved was handed over to Christ, and He bore that in my place. Why study the Moabites and care about this chapter in Jeremiah...it's because it leads me back to the Gospel and makes me that much more thankful for what Christ has done.
