“There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.” Jer 48:2

Moab's destruction mirrors very closely the judgment of the Philistines. All major cities of Moab are brought to ruin as Babylon pours across the region destroying everything in its path to victory. Moab has had a long history throughout the Bible as not being a good neighbor to Israel. God told Israel, as they entered the promised land, not to disturb the Moabites because He promised Lot a possession. Deut.2:9,19

This came after the king of the Moabites, Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel in Numbers 22-24. Later on, God caused Israel to serve Eglon, a king of the Moabites that Ehud killed to free Israel in Judges 3. Ruth was a Moabitess who married Boaz, the great-grandfather of David. The Moabites became tributaries under David's rule, but under Solomon, a high place was erected to Chemosh encouraged by one of his many wives 1 Kings 11:1-13. Chemosh was the Moabite version of Baal where immorality and child sacrifices were offered, also known as the abomination of Moab (1 Kings 11:7). This high place in Israel continued until Josiah broke it down shortly after finding the book of the law in the temple. 2 Kings 23:13-14, “And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence. How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war?” God is mocking Moab for putting their confidence in their false god to defend them from the Babylonians. Psalms 65:5 tells us that God is our salvation who is the confidence to the ends of the earth… Moab thought that they could continue doing what they had always done without any retribution from God. In Jer 48:11-12 God likened Moab to aging wine bottles that have not been opened for years and the “Lees” or sediment has settled making them vulnerable to break. The Moabites like the Philistines never became a nation after the Babylonian campaign. “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.” Have we, like Moab become overconfident that we do not heed God's warnings in His word? “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Cor 10:12)