Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Determined Judgment on Moab

Read: Isaiah 15:1-18:7; Galatians 1:1-24; Psalm 58:1-11; Proverbs 23:12 It is believed that Chapter 15 and 16 was a prophecy Isaiah delivered in the first years of Hezekiah's reign and was fulfilled in the fourth when Shalmaneser, on his way to invade Israel, may have attacked and defeated the strongholds of Moab. Moab probably had made an alliance with Israel and Syria in a league against Assyria, incurring the vengeance of Assyria. *** When God determines judgment it is swift and thorough. His judgment was a direct assault against their gods and those who worshipped them. Nebo was the place where the temple to the god Chemosh was worshiped. Chemosh is another name for Asherah. This is the wife of Baal who taught her followers to transgender all babies as an act of worship to her. She is being worshipped all over America today. *** God had determined their total destruction and nothing would be able to stop it. All the crying out to their gods would do nothing. When God finishes his attack on them, he will set up one of David’s descendants as their king. He will rule with mercy and truth and do what is right and just. *** This is a picture of what is happening in our day. Ungodly nations are coming down to be turned over to righteous government under Christ’s ambassador. *** God gave them three years before the complete destruction of Moab would take place. He always gives a time for the people to repent. But, only a few would survive. Even less of the leaders would survive. Then, the people would look to God, their creator, the Holy One of Israel. They would no longer look to their idols for help or bow down to Asherah. *** They could plant all they wanted now but they would never reap a harvest of anything but grief and unrelieved pain. *** Ethiopia would plan an attack but be cut off by the Lord before they could launch them. They will end up bringing gifts to the Lord in Jerusalem. *** Paul wrote to the church at Galatia rebuking them for turning from grace back to law. Grace includes the death and resurrection of Christ; the reconciliation of our selves to God. It says that we are no longer sinners but the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. They were teaching that you had to get yourself perfect by obeying the law to please God. We know that our faith pleases God and anything other than that is self-righteousness. Paul reminded them of what he did when he tried to do what the law said. He persecuted Christians all in the name of righteousness and obeying the law. But when Christ was revealed to him in person, he began to proclaim the Good News of grace and freedom in Christ, the resurrected one. Paul stayed with Peter for three years being discipled in the law of love through Christ. He now preached the very faith he tried so hard to destroy. He didn’t want them to be guilty of what he did. *** Lord, may we be able to discern the difference between law and grace, life and death, bondage and freedom because though they are very opposite, Satan clothes the false in light. May we see through his smoke screen and choose life.