Moab is my washpot.
Moab is my washpot
“Moab is my wash-pot,” nothing more--a thing contemptible and despicable as compared with the eternal realities of covenant blessings; yet, for all that, there was a use for Moab, a use to be rightly understood. My object will be to show that, contrary to the ordinary course of nature, but not contrary to faith, even this ungodly world may be made to assist our advance in holiness. Moab may become our washpot. The defiling world may be made helpful to us in the following ways.
I. First of all, ungodly men, if we are in a gracious spirit, may be of solemn service to us, because we see in them what sin is. They are beacons upon the rocks to keep us from danger. They are our washpot in that respect, that they warn us of pollution, and so help to prevent our falling into it. We were “heirs of wrath even as others.” “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Our sins are different, but we were all without exception shapen in iniquity, and as in water, face answereth unto face, so the heart of man to man. When you see the wickedness of an ungodly man, make him your washpot, by remembering that you also, though you are regenerate, are encompassed with “the body of this death.” By remembering what we are, and what we were, we may, by taking warning from the evil courses of others, avoid the like condemnation. There are certain sins which we readily detect in others, which should serve as loud calls to us to correct the same things in ourselves. For instance, as to the matter of bodily indulgence. The sinner is a man who puts his body before his soul, and his head where his feet should be; he is a monster in nature. When, therefore, you see a drunkard, or an unchaste person, say to yourself, “I must mortify my members, and give my spiritual nature the predominance. For this I must cry mightily to God, the Eternal Spirit, lest the body of this death prevail over me. I must keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest I, too, become a prey to the same animal passions, which lead sinners captives.” Warnings are neglected by the foolish. The young sluggard sees the huge thorns and thistles in the older sluggard’s garden, and yet he follows the same lazy habits. One sheep follows another into the shambles. The Lord make us wise and prudent, and from the errors of others may we learn to steer our own course aright.
II. We see in the ungodly the present evil results of sin.
1. First, are you not very certain, those of you who watch unconverted and ungodly people, that they are not solidly happy? What roaring-boys they are sometimes I How hilarious their laughter! Their joy comes and goes with the hour. See them when the feast is over--“Who hath woe? Who hath redness of the eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; the men of strength to mingle strong drink.” Mark them when alone: they are ready to die with dulness. Ungodly men at bottom are unhappy men. “The way of transgressors is hard.” “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” Their Marah is never dry, but flows with perennial waters of bitterness.
2. It is not merely that ungodly men are not happy; there are times when they are positively wretched through their sin. Sometimes fear cometh upon them as a whirlwind, and they have no refuge or way of escape. When we think of the despair of men, of blasted hopes, Moab may become our washpot, and may keep us from setting our affection upon their fleeting joys. If young men knew the price of sin, even in this life, they would not be so hot to purchase pleasurable moments at the price of painful years. Who would coin his life into iniquity to have it returned to him in this life, red-hot from the mint of torment!
III. Men of this world are made useful to us since they discover in us our weak places. Their opposition, slander, and persecution, are a rough pumice-stone, to remove some of our spots. If we cannot bear a little shake from men, how shall we bear the shaking of heaven and earth at the last day? The world often tries us as with fire, and the things which we reckoned to be gold and silver perish in the ordeal if they are but counterfeit, but we are gainers by such a loss. In the world our temper is tried, and too often we become irritated. What then? Why, just this. If sanctification has regulated our emotions, patience will have her perfect work, and charity will suffer long; but if we are soon angry and find it hard to forgive, let us not so much find fault with those who try us as with ourselves, because we cannot bear the ordeal. Our pride must go down, we must become slow to wrath, we must be content to be as our Lord, the meek and lowly Saviour.
IV. In reference to the world to come, the terrible doom of the ungodly is a most solemn warning to us. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Moab is my wash-pot
Implying that Moab should be reduced to slavery, it being the business of a slave to present the wash-hand basin to his master. With the Greeks, πλύνειν τινά, to wash down any one, was a slang term, signifying to ridicule, abuse, or beat; hence we have the word washpot applied to the subject of such treatment. “You don’t appear to be in your right sense, who make a washpot of me in the presence of many men.”--Aristophanes. (Thomas S. Millington.)
Over Edom will I cast out my shoe.--
Edom vanquished
The person who is about to wash his feet casts his shoe to a slave. “To Edom will I cast my shoe,” (Hengstenberg). Or else the idea of casting the shoe in contempt upon Edom expresses at once the taking possession victoriously of the Edomite land and the treading upon the pride of Edom, wherewith he had trodden the Israelite land as an invader. The casting of the shoe was also a symbol of transference of possession (Ruth 4:7). (A. R. Fausset.)