◄ Jeremiah 48:16 ►
Moab's calamity is at hand, and his affliction is rushing swiftly.
Study Bible
The calamity of Moab
The word "calamity" in Hebrew is "אֵיד" (eyd), which signifies disaster or ruin. Moab, a nation descended from Lot, often found itself in conflict with Israel. Historically, Moab was a prosperous region east of the Dead Sea, known for its fertile lands and strategic location. The prophecy against Moab highlights the impending judgment due to their pride and idolatry. This serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty over nations and His intolerance of sin, emphasizing that no nation, regardless of its past prosperity, is beyond the reach of divine justice.

is near at hand
The phrase "near at hand" underscores the immediacy and certainty of the impending judgment. In Hebrew, "קָרוֹב" (qarov) conveys proximity, both in time and space. This urgency reflects the prophetic nature of Jeremiah's message, where the fulfillment of God's word is imminent. It serves as a warning to Moab and a broader lesson to all nations about the consequences of turning away from God. The nearness of judgment also calls believers to live in readiness, acknowledging that God's timing is perfect and His plans are unfolding according to His divine will.

and his affliction
"Affliction" in Hebrew is "צָרָה" (tsarah), meaning distress or trouble. This term conveys the intense suffering and hardship that Moab will experience as a result of their actions. The use of "his" personalizes the affliction, indicating that it is specifically tailored to Moab's transgressions. This reflects the biblical principle that God’s judgments are just and measured, corresponding to the deeds of those who face them. For believers, it is a call to self-examination and repentance, recognizing that God disciplines those He loves to bring them back to righteousness.

is rushing swiftly
The phrase "rushing swiftly" captures the rapid and unstoppable nature of the coming judgment. The Hebrew word "מִהֵר" (miher) suggests speed and urgency. This imagery of swift movement conveys the idea that once God's judgment is set in motion, it cannot be delayed or hindered. It serves as a powerful reminder of the certainty and force of divine justice. For the faithful, it is an encouragement to trust in God's timing and to remain steadfast in faith, knowing that His purposes will be accomplished swiftly and decisively.

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 a nation that turned away from God and faced His judgment.

2. Jeremiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his prophecies concerning the judgment of nations, including Moab. He served as a mouthpiece for God, warning of impending doom due to disobedience.

3. Calamity
Refers to the impending disaster or judgment that God is bringing upon Moab due to their sins and idolatry.

4. Affliction
The suffering or distress that Moab will experience as a result of God's judgment. This term emphasizes the severity and swiftness of the coming punishment.

5. Prophecy
The act of delivering God's message, often concerning future events. Jeremiah's prophecy about Moab serves as a warning and a call to repentance.
Teaching Points
The Certainty of God's Judgment
God's judgment is inevitable for those who persist in sin and rebellion. Just as Moab's calamity was near, so is the judgment for unrepentant sin today.

The Swiftness of Divine Justice
God's justice is not only certain but also swift. We must be vigilant and live righteously, knowing that God's timing is perfect and His actions are decisive.

The Call to Repentance
Prophecies of judgment serve as a warning and a call to repentance. We should heed these warnings and turn back to God, seeking His mercy and forgiveness.

The Sovereignty of God Over Nations
God is sovereign over all nations, and His plans will prevail. We should trust in His ultimate authority and align our lives with His will.

The Importance of Obedience
Disobedience leads to destruction, as seen in Moab's fate. We are called to obey God's commands and live according to His Word.
Bible Study Questions
1. What can we learn from the fate of Moab about the consequences of turning away from God?

2. How does the prophecy against Moab in Jeremiah 48:16 relate to God's overall plan for justice and righteousness?

3. In what ways can we apply the lessons from Moab's judgment to our personal lives and communities today?

4. How do the prophecies against Moab in Jeremiah and other books of the Bible demonstrate God's consistency and faithfulness?

5. What steps can we take to ensure that we are living in obedience to God and avoiding the pitfalls that led to Moab's downfall?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 15-16
These chapters also contain prophecies against Moab, highlighting the consistency of God's message through different prophets.

Numbers 22-24
The account of Balaam and Balak, where Moab's king sought to curse Israel, showing the longstanding enmity between Moab and God's people.

Psalm 60:8
Moab is referred to as a "washbasin," symbolizing its subjugation and the low regard in which God holds it due to its rebellion.

Zephaniah 2:8-11
Another prophecy against Moab, emphasizing God's judgment on nations that oppose His people.
Sermons
The Ease of MoabA.F. Muir
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
Affliction, Apace, Calamity, Disaster, Exceedingly, Fast, Fate, Hasted, Hastened, Hastens, Hasteth, Hurries, Moab, Quickly, Swiftly, Trouble
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 48:16-17

     5801   brokenness

Jeremiah 48:16-18

     5857   fame

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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