Year 6, Day 100: Jeremiah 48

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Up

• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.

Jeremiah 48 is all about the destruction of Moab.  As we’ve heard in many other chapters, Jeremiah describes the rise of the Babylonian Empire.  He talks about how the Babylonians will swoop down upon Moab like an eagle.  Moab’s destruction will be swift.  None of this is new.  We’ve heard similar things all throughout this book.

The point that I heard in this chapter was actually the reason why Moab is to be judged.  Moab worships Chemoth.  Moab does not pay respect to God.  In fact, they ignore Him!  God takes it rather personally.  The Moabites have decided to put something else in their Up position other than God.

In fact, occasionally God seems to taunt the Moabites through their choice in deities.  God tells them that they will be destroyed.  But then He specifically calls out Chemoth by saying that Chemoth cannot save them.  Their god is not as powerful as God.  God has purposed their destruction and Chemoth is powerless to do anything about it.

If we are going to put something into our Up position, doesn’t it make sense that we put the most powerful being possible?  If we’re going to worship something, shouldn’t we worship something that can do something about our trials, needs, worry, doubts, fears?  Shouldn’t we worship something that can celebrate with us, too?  God deserves to be in our Up position, there can be no doubt here.

<><