Isaiah 15:3,5a

Yet another nation to destroy: Moab. More judgment, more destruction. But this time with a difference.

‘In the streets they will clothe themselves with sackcloth;
On the tops of their houses
And in their streets
Everyone will wail, weeping bitterly.’ (Isaiah 15:3)

Now, other nations have been predicted to wail and the like when they are destroyed. But the people of Moab dress themselves in sackcloth, which denotes not only mourning but humility. They are humbling themselves in the face of their destruction.

And this is what all the other nations lacked. If you can remember, it is pride itself that brought God to judge many of the other nations (and idolatry played a major part too). So what is God’s response to this?

‘My heart will cry out for Moab;
His fugitives shall flee to Zoar,
Like a three-year-old heifer.’ (Isaiah 15:5a)

Now three-year-old heifer is not actually a description of how they flee but a name of a city, apparently. So God’s heart actually crys out for Moab – He has sympathy on them, and lets some escape to Zoar, and ultimately a remnant shall remain (in chapter 16).

It just reminds us that great things come out of our own humility. The only time God can act for us is when we say no to ourselves and put ourselves in our rightful place. Let’s all be humble today!