Jeremiah is speaking judgment against the enemies of Israel in 46-51. Mingled in this word of God’s wrath against the nations is the hope of salvation for Judah and Israel, and a future restoration of the nations themselves (48:47; 49:6, 39).

We should take note of the LORD’s indictment of these nations. The theme of His charge against them has implications and we can’t be unreceptive here. The heart of Moab’s sin was that “he magnified himself against the LORD” (48:26, 42). To Babylon, God says:

Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord GOD of hosts, for your day has come, the time when I will punish you. The proud one shall stumble and fall, with none to raise him up… (50:31f)

This stretches beyond the Book of Jeremiah and the transgressions of Moab and Babylon. This is a theme in the Bible. The pride of man is stupid and it will get you damned forever if you do not repent. Pride is our rebellion. It is our refusal to worship the one true God in order to worship ourselves. Or it is the refusal to truly worship the one true God because we want to worship ourselves too!

This is an epidemic not just for those apart from Christ, but for all humans, for me and you. We are fallen creatures. Only those who are part of the New Covenant have been given the eyes to see and a heart to repent. And repent is what we must do, everyday. We are not wired to wake up every morning and worship the Jesus Christ who died for us. It is much easier for us to move like Moab, to spend our days like Babylon, no matter how much ‘Christian stuff’ we throw into the mix. 

My plea for us is that we awake and see that the Moab and Babylon in us was damned at the cross of Jesus. We repent of our ‘old man propensity’ in that way. That in Jesus we are free to not worship ourselves anymore, but instead to truly worship the one true God, forever. That we see Jesus and marvel at His supremacy and grace to make prideful rebels His own. He died for us to make us stop worshiping our-crappy-selves, so that we could worship Him who is infinitely better! Jesus Christ is better! Worship Him!  O the glories of God and surpassing joy found in Him!

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!” (Psalms 95:6)