Sharper Iron — A Time to Destroy and a Time to Build: Oracles against Philistia and Moab

Rev. Peter Ill, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Jeremiah 47:1-48:10.

Jeremiah’s second and third oracles to foreign nations address Israel’s neighbors to their west and east. The Philistines lived along the seacoast and had long been enemies of the LORD’s people. The Moabites lived east of the Dead Sea and also had found themselves in numerous conflicts with Israel throughout the Old Testament. The LORD addresses them both to let them know that the judgment they face comes from Him. The Philistines experience the LORD’s judgment both at the hands of Egypt from the south and at the hands of Babylon from the north. Moab receives disaster for its great pride and idol worship of Chemosh. Recognizing that the LORD is the God over all history and all nations, Christians repent of their sins in the face of disaster and take comfort in the truth that God has not forgotten His people.

“A Time to Destroy and a Time to Build” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Jeremiah. The prophet calls the people of Judah and Jerusalem to repent of their faithless idolatry and warns them of the destruction that is coming in the Babylonian exile. Yet Jeremiah does not leave us without hope in the midst of such dark days. Jeremiah and all who believe the Word of God he preached survive because of hope that is found in the righteous Branch from the line of David, Jesus Christ.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.

Jeremiah 47:1-48:10

Judgment on the Philistines

47 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.

²“Thus says the Lord:
Behold, waters are rising out of the north,
    and shall become an overflowing torrent;
they shall overflow the land and all that fills it,
    the city and those who dwell in it.
Men shall cry out,
    and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
³At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
    at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
the fathers look not back to their children,
    so feeble are their hands,
⁴because of the day that is coming to destroy
    all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon
    every helper that remains.
For the Lord is destroying the Philistines,
    the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.
⁵Baldness has come upon Gaza;
    Ashkelon has perished.
O remnant of their valley,
    how long will you gash yourselves?
⁶Ah, sword of the Lord!
    How long till you are quiet?
Put yourself into your scabbard;
    rest and be still!
⁷How can it^[a] be quiet
    when the Lord has given it a charge?
Against Ashkelon and against the seashore
    he has appointed it.”

Judgment on Moab

48 Concerning Moab.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:

“Woe to Nebo, for it is laid waste!
    Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken;
the fortress is put to shame and broken down;
²    the renown of Moab is no more.
In Heshbon they planned disaster against her:
    ‘Come, let us cut her off from being a nation!’
You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence;
    the sword shall pursue you.

³“A voice! A cry from Horonaim,
    ‘Desolation and great destruction!’
⁴Moab is destroyed;
    her little ones have made a cry.
⁵For at the ascent of Luhith
    they go up weeping;^[b]
for at the descent of Horonaim
    they have heard the distressed cry^[c] of destruction.
⁶Flee! Save yourselves!
    You will be like a juniper in the desert!
⁷For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures,
    you also shall be taken;
and Chemosh shall go into exile
    with his priests and his officials.
⁸The destroyer shall come upon every city,
    and no city shall escape;
the valley shall perish,
    and the plain shall be destroyed,
    as the Lord has spoken.

⁹“Give wings to Moab,
for she would fly away;
her cities shall become a desolation,
with no inhabitant in them.

¹⁰“Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed.

Footnotes

Jeremiah 47:7 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew you
Jeremiah 48:5 Hebrew weeping goes up with weeping
Jeremiah 48:5 Septuagint (compare Isaiah 15:5) heard the cry

English Standard Version (ESV)

Rev. Timothy Appel

Although a mathematics degree may not be incredibly helpful to (proudly born-and-raised Texan) Rev. Timothy Appel while hosting Sharper Iron, his love of CFW Walther and the season of Easter will come in handy. His Call is shepherding the flock at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, Illinois, and he’s also husband to wife Kristin and dad to their growing basketball team of children. When he’s not carrying out pastoral duties, you may find him reading “The Lord of the Rings,” snacking on Reese’s peanut butter cups, playing dominoes with his boys, or studying up on Texas history (including Sam Houston, of course).