◄ Jeremiah 48:20 ►
Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.
Study Bible
Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered.
Moab, a nation descended from Lot, often found itself in conflict with Israel. The shame and shattering of Moab refer to its defeat and humiliation, a common theme in prophetic literature where nations opposing God's people face judgment. Historically, Moab was a powerful kingdom east of the Dead Sea, known for its pride and idolatry. This prophecy aligns with earlier warnings in Isaiah 15-16 and Amos 2:1-3, emphasizing God's sovereignty over all nations. The shattering signifies a complete and devastating defeat, reflecting the consequences of Moab's arrogance and sin.

Wail and cry out!
The call to wail and cry out is a typical prophetic expression urging lamentation over impending doom. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, public mourning involved loud cries and wailing, often accompanied by tearing clothes and wearing sackcloth. This phrase underscores the severity of Moab's destruction and the deep sorrow it would cause. It serves as a warning to other nations about the seriousness of divine judgment and the need for repentance.

Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.
The Arnon River served as a significant geographical boundary between Moab and the Amorites, later becoming part of Israel's territory. Declaring Moab's destruction by the Arnon highlights the totality of the judgment, reaching even the borders of the land. This proclamation serves as a public announcement of Moab's downfall, ensuring that the news spreads throughout the region. The destruction of Moab fulfills earlier prophecies and serves as a testament to God's faithfulness in executing justice. The imagery of destruction also foreshadows the ultimate judgment and restoration themes found in the New Testament, pointing to the need for salvation through Christ.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moab
An ancient kingdom located east of the Dead Sea, often in conflict with Israel. Moab is frequently mentioned in the Bible as an enemy of Israel and a symbol of pride and idolatry.

2. Arnon
A river and a significant geographical boundary in the region, often marking the border between Moab and its neighbors. It serves as a point of reference for the proclamation of Moab's destruction.

3. Jeremiah
The prophet who conveyed God's messages of judgment and hope to the nations, including Moab. His prophecies often called for repentance and warned of impending judgment.

4. Destruction of Moab
A prophetic event where Moab faces divine judgment due to its pride and idolatry. This serves as a warning to other nations and individuals about the consequences of turning away from God.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Pride
Moab's downfall serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of pride and self-reliance. We are called to humble ourselves before God and acknowledge our dependence on Him.

The Certainty of God's Judgment
Just as Moab faced judgment, we are reminded that God's justice is certain. This should lead us to live righteously and warn others of the consequences of sin.

The Call to Repentance
The destruction of Moab is a call to repentance for all nations and individuals. We must turn away from idolatry and seek God's forgiveness and guidance.

The Role of Prophecy
Jeremiah's prophecy highlights the importance of listening to God's word and responding appropriately. We should be attentive to the messages God sends through His Word and His messengers.

The Importance of Lament
The call to wail and cry out reflects the biblical practice of lament. It is important to express sorrow for sin and its consequences, both personally and corporately.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the destruction of Moab illustrate the consequences of pride and idolatry in our own lives today?

2. In what ways can we heed the warnings of God's judgment as seen in Jeremiah 48:20 and other prophetic scriptures?

3. How can the practice of lament, as called for in this verse, be incorporated into our personal and communal spiritual lives?

4. What lessons can we learn from the role of prophecy in the Bible, particularly in the context of Jeremiah's message to Moab?

5. How can we apply the themes of humility and repentance from this passage to our daily walk with God, and what other scriptures support these themes?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 15-16
These chapters also prophesy the downfall of Moab, highlighting the themes of lament and judgment due to Moab's pride and idolatry.

Psalm 60:8
This verse mentions Moab as a "washbasin," symbolizing its subjugation and humiliation, reinforcing the theme of Moab's downfall.

Zephaniah 2:8-11
These verses speak of God's judgment on Moab and Ammon for their pride and insults against His people, emphasizing the broader theme of divine justice.
Sermons
The Strong Staff and the Beautiful RodW. R. Williams.
People
Chemosh, Gamul, Jeremiah, Sihon, Zoar
Places
Arnon, Aroer, Beth-diblathaim, Bethel, Beth-gamul, Beth-meon, Bozrah, Dibon, Elealeh, Heshbon, Holon, Horonaim, Jahaz, Jahzah, Jazer, Kerioth, Kir-hareseth, Kiriathaim, Luhith, Madmen, Mephaath, Moab, Nebo, Nimrim, Sea of Jazer, Sibmah, Zoar
Topics
Announce, Arnon, Broken, Confounded, Cry, Crying, Declare, Destroyed, Disappointed, Disgraced, Dismayed, Grief, Howl, Laid, Loud, Moab, News, Shame, Shattered, Sounds, Spoiled, Wail, Waste
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 48:20

     4260   rivers and streams

Library
August 8. "Be Like the Dove" (Jer. Xlviii. 28).
"Be like the dove" (Jer. xlviii. 28). Harmless as a dove, is Christ's interpretation of the beautiful emblem. And so the Spirit of God is purity itself. He cannot dwell in an unclean heart. He cannot abide in the natural mind. It was said of the anointing of old, "On man's flesh it shall not be poured." The purity which the Holy Spirit brings is like the white and spotless little plant which grows up out of the heap of manure, or the black soil, without one grain of impurity adhering to its crystalline …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

How those are to be Admonished who Decline the Office of Preaching Out of Too Great Humility, and those who Seize on it with Precipitate Haste.
(Admonition 26.) Differently to be admonished are those who, though able to preach worthily, are afraid by reason of excessive humility, and those whom imperfection or age forbids to preach, and yet precipitancy impells. For those who, though able to preach with profit, still shrink back through excessive humility are to be admonished to gather from consideration of a lesser matter how faulty they are in a greater one. For, if they were to hide from their indigent neighbours money which they possessed …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Balaam's Prophecy. (Numb. xxiv. 17-19. )
Carried by the Spirit into the far distant future, Balaam sees here how a star goeth out of Jacob and a sceptre riseth out of Israel, and how this sceptre smiteth Moab, by whose enmity the Seer had been brought from a distant region for the destruction of Israel. And not Moab only shall be smitten, but its southern neighbour, Edom, too shall be subdued, whose hatred against Israel had already been prefigured in its ancestor, and had now begun to display Itself; and In general, all the enemies of …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Meditations for the Sick.
Whilst thy sickness remains, use often, for thy comfort, these few meditations, taken from the ends wherefore God sendeth afflictions to his children. Those are ten. 1. That by afflictions God may not only correct our sins past, but also work in us a deeper loathing of our natural corruptions, and so prevent us from falling into many other sins, which otherwise we would commit; like a good father, who suffers his tender babe to scorch his finger in a candle, that he may the rather learn to beware …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Prophet Joel.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The position which has been assigned to Joel in the collection of the Minor Prophets, furnishes an external argument for the determination of the time at which Joel wrote. There cannot be any doubt that the Collectors were guided by a consideration of the chronology. The circumstance, that they placed the prophecies of Joel just between the two prophets who, according to the inscriptions and contents of their prophecies, belonged to the time of Jeroboam and Uzziah, is …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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