The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 46:1), some time after he had been carried to Egypt by Johanan and his soldiers, following the destruction of Jerusalem. It was a word regarding what various nations would experience in days to come. Regarding the Egyptians, for example, their mighty army with horses, lances, and armor would not be sufficient to the task of defending them from the Babylonians. The soldiers would flee in terror from the invading Babylonian army (46:2-5). It turns out that the Philistines would be in just as much trouble: the Babylonian army would come in like a flood and would overflow them, everyone shall wail, and parents will not dare stop running to rescue their children (47:1-3).

And the same for the Moabites. They had been at ease, trusting in their strong fortresses (48:7, 11), but calamity was near at hand, and Moab’s scepter would be broken (48:16-17). “Let Moab wallow in his vomit” (48:26). “Moab shall be destroyed as a people, because he magnified himself against the Lord” (48:42). Thus the end of Moab seems assured. Until we read just a few more verses. If “Moab shall be destroyed as a people,” it seems there would be no Moab left: and yet – astonishingly, after a chapter of judgment and devastation – “I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, says the Lord” (48:47).

The sins of Moab were no doubt great. As were the sins of Judah. Throughout Jeremiah we have read of the inevitability of punishment on Judah, and that continues here: “I will chastise you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished” (46:28). But although the people of Judah would go into exile, “Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease” when God saves them and their offspring from the land of their captivity” (46:27). So: “have no fear, my servant Jacob, says the Lord” (46:28).

We see deep grace in God’s love for Judah here, restoring them in the end despite all the wreckage of the Babylonian invasion: deep and astonishing grace. The Lord of the covenant finds a way to show covenant faithfulness to the chosen people. But what about the Moabites? Surely God’s judgment on them must be final: “Moab shall be destroyed as a people.” No. It looks like God’s grace gets to prevail there, too. “I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days.” And if there is hope for Moab for grace and restoration, there must be hope for all the rest of us as well.

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We are afraid of many things, O Lord. When we sense the overwhelming destruction coming all around us, we fear that it will come to us as well. When we feel your chastisement upon us, we fear that it will last forever. Yet we will hope in you, O God, believing in your astonishing grace, even for lost souls like us.