Seize the Moment – Day 1386
Your Story Matters!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, January 2.
What can you tell me about the Moabites? Why should you even care about this ancient people group? As you read Isaiah, one of the temptations is to start speed reading through his many oracles, just like you might have done with Moses’ genealogies. People matter to God, so be careful of hardening your heart to their destruction or dulling your mind to their unique stories. Isaiah 15:1-2 began two chapters of bad news for the Moabites, “The oracle concerning Moab. Surely in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined; surely in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined. They have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, even to the high places to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba; everyone’s head is bald and every beard is cut off.”
This was not the first oracle given for the destruction of the Moabites. In Numbers 21:29, Moses stated, “Woe to you, O Moab! You are ruined, O people of Chemosh!” The Moabites have been around a while, as their origin story goes all the way back to Lot, the nephew of Abraham, when he hid with his two desperate daughters in a mountain cave (Genesis 19:30-38). Moab was birthed in a scandal and grew into a people who were a thorn in Israel’s side, as can be seen from a few examples from Israel’s history:
- Balaam attempted to curse the Israelites upon the order of Balak the king of Moab (Numbers 21:21-35; 22:1-24; 25).
- Ehud, judge of Israel, defeated the Moabites who were oppressing Israel (Judges 3:12-21).
- David, king of Israel, later defeated Moab (2 Samuel 8:2).
Yet, the Moabite story ultimately points to God’s redemption because Ruth the Moabitess is in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5; Ruth 1:4).
Seize the moment and pay attention to people’s stories. Stories matter because people matter to God!
God bless you!
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YOUTUBE:
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