Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab - restoration promised to Moab for righteous Lot's sake, their progenitor (Genesis 19:37; Exodus 20:6; Psalms 89:30-33). Compare the same promise of restoration as to Egypt, Jeremiah 46:26; Ammon, Jeremiah 49:6; Elam, Jeremiah 49:39. Gospel blessings, temporal and spiritual, to the Gentiles in the last days are intended.
Remarks:
(1) When judgment had begun with Israel, the house of God, it was sure soon to visit Moab, the pagan enemy of God and His people (1 Peter 4:17). (2) Moab trusted in her "strongholds" (Jeremiah 48:18, note) and fastnesses of stupendous rocks as securing her safety; but, so far from these saving her, they were the occasion of her being given by God to destruction, because she "trusted in her works and in her treasures" (Jeremiah 48:7), instead of turning humbly to the God of Israel. All creature confidences provoke the jealousy of the Creator, the only true object of trust; and so far are they from saving the sinner, that they actually bring down upon him the judgments of God.
(3) Moab might save herself by flight out of her cities into the solitary wilderness (Jeremiah 48:6; Jeremiah 48:9); but where shall unpardoned sinners flee for safety from the divine vengeance in the day of judgment? No "wings" (Jeremiah 48:9) can waft them out of the reach of Him of whom David saith, "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me" (Psalms 139:9-10).
(4) So complete is the vengeance to be executed on Moab, that a curse is pronounced (Jeremiah 48:10) on whatever agent employed by God should fail to do his work of punishing her thoroughly; just as Saul was deprived of his kingdom for not having fulfilled to the letter God's command to destroy utterly the Amalekites (1 Sam
15); and also as Ahab was condemned to judgment for having "let go out of his hand a man (the Syrian king) whom God appointed to utter destruction," his life being made by God the forfeit for the spared Syrian king's life, and Ahab's people for the people of the Syrian king (1 Kings 20:42). The same principle holds good generally of all who exercise sacred functions. "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully" or "negligently." The Lord will not be served by halves; He demands whole-hearted obedience. Like Caleb, whosoever would be His servant must follow Him "fully" (Numbers 14:24). He must spare no lust which God condemns in himself, or in those over whom he is set by the Providence of God. Above all, the faithful minister must "not handle the Word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth must commend himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Corinthians 4:2).
(5) Moab's pride of her strength had been in a great measure due to the long course of ease and undisturbed prosperity which she had enjoyed. Just as wine left long in the same position, so as to settle on its own lees (Jeremiah 48:11), retains its full and delicate flavour, which it would lose by being poured from vessel to vessel, so carnality, sensuality, and pride are often fostered by unsanctified prosperity. The Psalmist has well said (Psalms 55:19), "Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God." Where there are no changes in the outward circumstances of the flourishing sinner, he is likely himself to remain inwardly unchanged. But changes, though sometimes slow in coming, are sure to come at last. God will sooner or later send His appointed instruments to "empty" all those who are full of themselves (Jeremiah 48:12; Luke 1:53). Earthly prosperity and enjoyments shall at last cover with the "shame" of disappointment those who have made them "their confidence" (Jeremiah 48:13). Then men's boasted "might" and "strength," like Moab's in her day of trial (Jeremiah 48:14), shall prove to be utter weakness.
(6) The sin in Moab which especially provoked God's displeasure was that "he magnified himself against the Lord" (Jeremiah 48:26; Jeremiah 48:42). God's great work in the moral government of the world is to glorify Himself in exalting the humble and abasing the "proud" (Jeremiah 48:29). He especially visits with retribution in kind those who make His people a "derision" (Jeremiah 48:27), and who exult over their calamities. It is a mark of a spirit estranged from God to take pleasure in the misfortunes of others, and particularly in those of the children of God. However guilty the latter be in respect to God, who therefore chastises them, the worldly have no reason to pride themselves on their downfall; for "if judgment begin at the house of God, what shall the end be of them who obey not the Gospel of God? and if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18-19.) Men's pride, arrogancy, and haughtiness shall "not effect" the lofty aims which they contemplate (Jeremiah 48:30). Nay, on the contrary, their Babel tower of pride shall fall, and overwhelm its builders in its ruins. As they "derided" God's people, so "the Lord shall have them in everlasting derision" (Jeremiah 48:20; Jeremiah 48:27; Psalms 2:4). (7) How marvelous are the unsearchable riches of God's mercy, that, after such fearful threatenings of judgment on Moab, there should follow a promise of grace even to guilty Moab "in the latter days" (Jeremiah 48:47). Under Messiah, the "Light to lighten the Gentiles," even the descendants of doomed Moab, long after her national existence had ceased, are translated from the captivity of sin, darkness, and death, to the freedom of Gospel light, life, and holiness. For the sake of righteous Lot, God, who keeps mercy unto thousands of them that love Him (Exodus 20:6), has deliverance and peace in store for Moab in her latter end. Let us learn, from this prophetic announcement of God's dealings with Moab, to adore the infinite love of our covenant-keeping God, while we tremble at His judgments and fear His holy name! Let us seek not to be what Moab once was, "a vessel wherein is no pleasure" (Jeremiah 48:38), but "a vessel of mercy ... prepared unto glory!" (Romans 9:23.)