The Oracle Concerning Mo’ab
15:1 to 16:14
For centuries Mo’ab, east of the Dead Sea, had been the enemy of Isra’el. In Israel’s wilderness wanderings, Moabite women seduced Isra’el’s men (Numbers 31:15-17). In the time of the Judges, Isra’el was oppressed by Mo’ab for eighteen years (Judges3: 12-14). Saul fought Mo’ab (First Samuel 14:47) and David defeated Mo’ab (Second Samuel 8:2, 12). Solomon was influenced by his wives to build an altar to Mo’ab’s god Chemosh (First Kings 11:7-8). Mesha, Mo’ab’s king, had to pay tribute to Ahab, king of Isra’el (Second Kings 3:4). After Ahab died in 853 BC Mesha rebelled against Joram but was defeated (Second Kings 3:5-27). The destruction of Mo’ab described in Isaiah, Chapters 15 and 16, caused the Moabites, under Assyrian attack, to flee south to Edom. The thrust of the oracle is to discourage Judah from attempting to join forces with Mo’ab for security. Mo’ab will be reduced to hopeless poverty and be forced to rely on Judah’s only hope: the Messiah (16:5).
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