Moab, the progenitor of the nation of the Moabites, was the first-born son of Lot by one of his daughters (Gen. 19:30-38). There can be little wonder that the descendants of such a union would be of a low type of character. Someone has said that the proper time to begin to rear a boy is to start with his great-great-great grandparents. Much practical and spiritual philosophy is wrapped up in such a statement. This principle is observable on every hand. It is a wonderful thing to be well-born, but it is a far greater thing to be born again. Unfortunately the Moabites were poorly born. There is little wonder then that these people were of the character which we see portrayed on the pages of Sacred Writ.

THE nations of the world appear in the Scriptures only as they come in touch with the Chosen People. We therefore see them as Israel approaches her land on her way to Canaan. Her passage through the land of Moab is recorded in Numbers, chapters 21-25. The next time she came in contact with Moab was in the days of Saul, as is recorded in I Samuel 14:47. Once more, in the days of David, the paths of the two nations crossed, as we see in II Samuel 8:2. After the division of the kingdom--probably in the days of Omri, king of Israel--the northern kingdom conquered Moab and laid a very heavy yearly tribute upon that nation (II Kings 1:1, 3:4ff.). During the days of Omri and of Ahab, his son and successor, Moab paid tribute to Israel. But in the days of Jehoram of Israel, Moab revolted and threw off the yoke of bondage. The Moabitish account of this revolt is recorded on the famous Moabite stone which was found at Dibon in 1868. About this time, the Moabites, together with the children of Ammon and the Edomites, invaded the southern boundaries of Judah, but suffered an overwhelming defeat by the miraculous intervention of the Lord at En-gedi (II Chron., chap. 20). A little later, in the time of Jehu, ruler of the northern kingdom, the Syrians invaded the territory of Trans-Jordan as far as Arnon and took possession of the land (II Kings 10:32,33). These people who had been subjected by the northern kingdom again wreaked their vengeance against the weakened kingdom of Israel. But in the days of Jeroboam II, according to the prophecy of Jonah (II Kings 14:25), they reconquered the territory east of the Jordan from the entrance of Hamath to the Dead Sea. Around 754 B.C. (according to the Ussher chronology) Tiglathpileser III of Assyria overran and devastated the country east of the Jordan, possibly as far south as the river Arnon. After this invasion it is quite possible that the Moabites again took possession of their ancient territory and extended their borders beyond that of the Arnon which constituted their northern boundary. Such are the bare facts as they appear in the historical records concerning Moab and her relation to Israel.

Now let us look at an ancient prophecy regarding Moab. In Isaiah, chapters 15 and 16; Jeremiah, chapter 48; and Ezekiel, chapters 20-35, we find predictions regarding this unhappy people.

Let us now look more carefully at the prophecy of Isaiah. The oracle begins with these words: "The burden of Moab." If one will read the fifteenth chapter of Isaiah, one will receive a clear, vivid, graphic picture of the desolations that were foretold would come upon Moab. Isaiah, the statesman-prophet, wept most bitterly concerning the Moabites and their sufferings which he foresaw and which we now know have already come to pass. He begins his vision by stating that Ar of Moab and Kir of Moab would be laid waste in one night and brought to desolation. These are two of the outstanding ancient cities of the country. The former is in the north-central part of the country south of the Arnon River. Kir is still farther south, about the middle of the country. This latter city was one of the most powerful fortresses in all the Near East. I have had the privilege of staying in this city and preaching the gospel there.

According to verse 2 of this prophecy Isaiah saw the fleeing, horror-stricken refugees going up to the heathen temple to supplicate their god to intervene in the crisis which had come upon the nation. The word, Bayith, most likely refers to the most important shrine of Chemosh, the god of Moab. The prophet sees these fleeing refugees going to Dibon and to other high places to weep. Terror has paralyzed the country. They are gathered on the heights of Nebo to worship Chemosh, their God. They are at Medeba also. Baldness is seen on everyone's head and the beard is cut off. From verse 3 we see that the people in their great distress gird themselves with sackcloth and are in the streets. On the housetops and in the broad places he sees everyone in deep mourning. Moreover, at Heshbon and at Elealeh there is great wailing which can be heard as far as Jahaz, another important city of the northeastern section of the country. The men in the armed forces are crying aloud and are hysterical. Their souls within them are gripped with fear.

The invasion, with all the horrors of war, sweeps onward through the entire country. So appalling is the distress that the prophet declares, "My heart crieth out for Moab." The nobility of the land has fled to Zoar and to Eglath-shelishiyah. They go up the ascent of Luhith. This reference possibly indicates a sanctuary to which the people resort. At Horonaim they are crying out because of destruction. Moreover, at the waters of Nimrim there is desolation. The fugitives have fled northward to this place but there is nothing except desolation and destruction everywhere. The cry of distress goes roundabout and throughout all the borders of Moab. Not only does the prophet see this desolation which was to come upon Moab in the immediate future but in the last verse of this chapter he describes another judgment which he compares to the actions of a lion which stealthily comes upon its prey. Since the lion cannot be a literal one, it is quite likely that it has a symbolic significance and refers to some power that would make war against and invade the country. Since the word lion is used, some commentators have interpreted this symbol as referring to the country of Judah which would later make war against Moab. On this point, however, I cannot be dogmatic.

In Isaiah, chapter 16, verses 1 and 2, we find the prophet giving instructions to Moab in her great distress to send her tribute of lambs to the ruler of Zion. As we have seen above, the Moabites had to pay a heavy tribute to the kings of the northern kingdom until Mesha, king of Moab, revolted. In the latter years of the existence of the northern kingdom, the government was rather weak--especially after the days of Jeroboam II. Isaiah therefore calls upon the Moabites for them to send lambs to Jerusalem. This invitation was simply an exhortation for the Moabites to come and worship the true and the living God who was dwelling in His Temple at Mount Zion and who could be approached by any who would come in humility and faith.

Still speaking to the frightened refugees, whom he is inviting to worship God, the prophet compares them to wandering birds which have been scattered out of their nests and which are at the fords of the Arnon. In verse 3 the point of view is changed. Here the messengers from Moab are represented as being in Jerusalem and as asking the leaders of Israel to give counsel, to execute justice, and to make their shade as the night in the midst of the noonday. They ask the Jerusalem authorities to hide their outcasts, to betray not the fugitives. In other words, they are asking the leaders of Israel to take them under their wing and to protect them in this national crisis. Moreover, they plead that their outcasts and fugitives might dwell with Judah. They also request Israel to be a covert--a protective covering--to Moab. The reason for their imploring aid from Judah is that this kingdom has weathered the gale of a foreign invasion and has survived the ordeal, the destroyer and extortioner having ceased from her borders. Judah, therefore, according to the way of thinking of the Moabites, is in a position to give protection and assistance to Moab in this, her hour of distress.

THE vision of the Moabites appealing to the Davidic house at Jerusalem for assistance in a crisis was suggestive to the prophet of the time in the future when the nations of earth will make their appeal to the Messiah in Mount Zion for His blessing and protection. Thus in verse 5 of chapter 16, Isaiah foretold the reign of King Messiah: "And a throne shall be established in lovingkindness; and one shall sit thereon in truth, in the tent of David, judging, and seeking-justice, and swift to do righteousness." As we have already seen in our study of chapter 9, King Messiah will return to this earth and establish His reign in Judah when the people of Israel confess their national sin of rejecting Him. He will then mount the throne of David and re-establish it. This, of course, will be the beginning of the millennial reign of our Lord. Converted Israel at that time will go into all the world and proclaim the truth to every mortal who survives the Tribulation and who enters the millennial kingdom. These nations will accept the Lord Jesus Christ and His salvation. Then each converted nation will apply to King Messiah to be annexed or united to the kingdom of Israel as is suggested in these most striking words: "Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this" (Isa. 9:7).

Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. The national characteristic of the Moabites was that of pride. It was my happy privilege to go throughout the length and breadth of the land of Moab and Edom in 1937. I had an opportunity of coming in touch with the people of the land, preaching in many of the villages--through an interpreter. The testimony of those who were acquainted with the peoples of Moab and Edom was that they are the proudest people on earth. This characteristic was evidently dominant in the days of Isaiah, for in verses 6 and 7 of this chapter the prophet denounced their pride and arrogancy and forewarned that God would bring judgment upon the people because of this.

In the northern section of the country, running from the present Amman of Trans-Jordan down to Heshbon and Jazer over to the sea, is a fine grape country. The raisins from eS Salt are at the present time famous. The vine of Sibmah was famous in Isaiah's day. In his mentioning the judgments that would come upon Moab, he spoke of the luxuriant and fruitful vineyard in this section of the country and told about the weeping that would result from the destruction of this great source of revenue. This prediction is found especially in verses 8-10. The prophet sees that all gladness and joy ceases or perishes from the land. His heart therefore is saddened because of the desolation that he saw would be wrought.

According to verse 12 of this chapter the people of Moab would go to their high places and worship, imploring their God, Chemosh, to intervene for them and to save their land. Throughout the Old Testament we read of the high places at which people worshiped. When I was in Petra in 1937, I climbed to the height of the high place of that city. It was about one thousand feet in elevation. Climbing the jagged rocks was a most difficult feat. When we reached the top we saw the well-preserved place where the gods were worshiped. The altar was well preserved and so were the places of ablution. Thus Isaiah saw the people of Moab going to these high places and worshipping, imploring divine intervention. But, he declared, their prayers and petitions would avail them nothing. The gods of the nations are but stocks and stones, whereas our God is a living God and is a very present help in time of need. Oh, that we could learn this lesson today!

In verse 13 of chapter 16 we find the following words of Isaiah: "This is the word that Jehovah spake concerning Moab in time past." This statement doubtless refers to the oracle which we have been studying and which is found in Isaiah 15:1-16:12. In 16:14, however, there appears this oracle: "But now Jehovah hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and of no account." The oracle which we have been studying was rather indefinite so far as the time for the desolation foretold was concerned. In the new oracle spoken by Isaiah the time limit is given very definitely--"Within three years, as the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and of no account." The judgment described in the long oracle may have been uttered by some prophet in the years before Isaiah's day, or it may have been uttered at the beginning of his ministry. But in this closing verse the prophet was very specific and indicated that the whole prediction concerning the devastation of Moab would be accomplished in exactly three years.

I have gone, as I stated above, throughout the length and breadth of the country. It is indeed a Godforsaken, barren land. It is true that wheat and grain are grown in that section; but, whenever the moisture is insufficient, there is a crop failure, and great distress comes upon the people. In the eS Salt region grape-growing is the principal means of livelihood. It is true, also, that there are some olives, together with other fruits and vegetables; but, in the main, Moab lies in this desolate condition which was foretold by the prophet. One should study carefully Jeremiah, chapter 48, in connection with his examination of Isaiah's prediction concerning Moab in order to have a clear, graphic picture of the prophecy.

In chapter 17 of Isaiah's prophecy we read of the burden which the prophet uttered concerning Damascus of Syria. Damascus is the oldest city in the world today. Reference is made to it in Genesis 15:2. It is indeed a quaint and interesting city. I have visited it on two occasions and have been intrigued by its quaintness and by the primitive methods employed in the manufacture of goods today. The same methods which were used in ancient times are still employed today. Nevertheless most excellent articles are manufactured there.

In vision the prophet saw a time when Damascus would no longer be a city but would be reduced to a heap of ruins. At the time foreseen, he likewise observed that the cities of Aroer would likewise be forsaken. There are two cities by the name of Aroer in Trans-Jordan: one in the territory which anciently belonged to Reuben and the other northward in the territory occupied by Gad. It is quite likely that these two cities are referred to in this oracle (Isa. 17:2). The destruction of these two most important cities, together with Damascus, is shown by the fact that the prophecy foretold that flocks of sheep would lie down among the ruins, showing that all life, practically speaking, would become extinct.

Suddenly, in verse 3, the prophet shifted his point of view to that of the northern kingdom of Israel. Here he prophesied that the fortress of Ephraim--probably the city of Samaria, the capital--would cease, that the kingdom would likewise be reduced, and that there would be only a remnant in Syria. The glory of both the kingdom of Ephraim and that of Syria would pass away. But why are these two countries spoken of in connection with each other? The answer is probably to be found in the fact that those kingdoms became united in a confederacy against the kingdom of Judah (chap. 7).

After making this general statement regarding these two kingdoms, the prophet devoted the rest of the oracle to the fate that would overcome the kingdom of Ephraim. He foretold that the time would come when "the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean" (vs. 4). He compared the condition of this northern kingdom with that of the harvester gathering the standing grain as when one "gleaneth ears in the valley of Rephaim." This valley was at the southern outskirts of the city of Jerusalem. Just as the harvester and those gathering olives would leave the gleanings in the field for the poor of the land, so, declared the prophet, there would be left in Israel the gleanings only of its civilization, culture, and inhabitants. This fact is set forth in verse 6.

The prophecy regarding the destruction of Babylon and that of Ephraim are, by most interpreters, explained as being fulfilled in the invasion and desolation wrought by Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, who rejuvenated the tottering Assyrian Empire when he came to the throne in 744 B.C. His reign extended to 727 B. C. This information is gleaned from profane history of those times.

In Isaiah 17:7,8, however, it is quite evident that the prophet lifted up his eyes from beholding the devastation wrought by Tiglath-pileser III and beheld the end of the age, foretelling the destruction that would come at that future time. This position becomes evident when we note the following language: "In that day shall men look unto their Maker, and their eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And they shall not look to the altars, the work of their hands; neither shall they have respect to that which their fingers have made, either the Asherim, or the sun-images. In that day shall their strong cities be as the forsaken places in the wood and on the mountain top, which were forsaken from before the children of Israel; and it shall be a desolation" (Isa. 17:7-9). In verse 7 is a universal prediction that all men will, at the time foreseen, look unto their Maker and their eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. Then they will no longer look to their altars, the work of their hands, nor to anything which they have devised in the form of worship. We know positively that they did not do anything like this at the time of the immediate fulfillment of verses 1-6 of this prophecy. On the contrary, we understand that at the conclusion of the Tribulation men will look to God and He will spare them. Thus, between verses 6 and 7 of our prophecy, we have the long lapse of time intervening between the days of Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria and the days of the Tribulation which are yet future.

But why will there be such universal wreckage at this future time--especially in Israel? The answer to this question is found in verses 10 and 11: "For thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength; therefore thou plantest pleasant plants, and settest it with strange slips. In the day of thy planting thou hedgest it in, and in the morning thou makest thy seed to blossom; but the harvest fleeth away in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow."

To be out of the will of God is to have trouble and to invite disaster. Such is inevitable. God must punish all disobedience. It is quite clear from this connection that this judgment will be due solely to the fact that Israel has forgotten the God of her salvation and has not been mindful of the God of her strength. But in this prophecy we are told that Israel will plant pleasant plants and will set out strange slips. There are two interpretations of this statement. One is that in ancient times certain types of plants were placed in gardens in connection with various cults, such as that of Adonis. This is altogether possible. The other interpretation is that it looked forward to the end of the age when the Zionistic movement is attempting to build up their home-land by an afforestation program such as is in progress today. Those taking this position interpret this passage of scripture as depicting an effort to rehabilitate the nation in the land of the fathers independent of God. This understanding likewise is possible, in view of the facts of the context. However, one cannot be positive as to which one is meant.

Regardless of which view we take, we see from verse 11 that all human efforts will fail "in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow." There can be no doubt that the quotation, "the day of grief and of desperate sorrow," refers to the time of the great Tribulation which is called "the time of Jacob's trouble." There will be nothing from the standpoint of human nature upon which Israel at that time can depend. Her extremity, however, will be God's opportunity.

In the last paragraph of chapter 17 we have a prediction of the great Tribulation Period in the following words: "Ah, the uproar of many peoples, that roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations, that rush like the rushing of mighty waters! The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but he shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like the whirling dust before the storm. At eventide, behold, terror; before the morning they are not. This is the portion of them that despoil us, and the lot of them that rob us" (Isa. 17:12-14). Here the invasion of Palestine by the nations of the world is compared to that of the roaring of the billows of the sea. In the war of the great day of God, the Almighty, the armies of the world will be gathered together in Palestine and its environs to make the final assault upon Messiah who will return at the end of the Tribulation in glory and power and who will defeat utterly all the forces of the nations. This fact is shown in such passages as Zechariah, chapter 14, and Revelation 19:19-21. Suddenly, according to Isaiah 17:14, the victory will come and Israel will be delivered.