Jeremiah 48:11 - “…Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another – she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged…”

Moab –The Moabites were Gentiles, historical enemies of Israel. They were descended from Abraham’s nephew Lot (Genesis 19:37), so they were distant relatives of the Israelites.  Geographically, their location was in modern-day Jordan, near the Dead Sea. Biblical prophecies often associate Moab with the sin of pride (see, for example, Isaiah 16:6; Isaiah 25:11; Jeremiah 48:29). Moab had enough shared history with Israel that they should have known the Lord, but they were too complacent and self-satisfied to seek Him – like many nominal Christians and churchgoers today.

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Jeremiah 29:11 - ”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah wrote his book during a time when the nation of Israel was in a state of falling away from God.  At that point in history, they had departed from God’s perfect plan.  God had warned them many times of the consequences He could already see.  On this occasion, the Lord was using the prophet Jeremiah to speak this warning – yet they persisted in unbelief.  Because of their disobedience, a foreign empire, the Babylonians, oppressed them.  They could have avoided this affliction if they had simply listened to and obeyed the voice of the Lord.   

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Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

How can we hear from God?  How can we know his will?  In the Bible, God gives many general guidelines about how to please him (faith, righteousness, sanctification), and how we displease him (selfishness, sin, lies, etc.).  These are general revelations, applicable to everyone. 

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Jeremiah 35:1-19 - ”…But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.  Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.’  We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us.“

The people of Jerusalem were being unfaithful to the Lord and were resistant to the revelations brought by Jeremiah. The Lord brings in this dedicated family as a contrast.  continue