Jeremiah 48:21-47

“You people of Moab, flee from your towns and live in the caves. Hide like doves that nest in the clefts of the rocks. We have all heard of the pride of Moab, for his pride is very great. We know of his lofty pride, his arrogance, and his haughty heart. I know about his insolence,” says the LORD, “but his boasts are empty— as empty as his deeds.” (Jeremiah 48:28–30, NLT)

The Moabites were relatives of the Israelites. Their father was Lot, the nephew of Abraham. But when the children of Israel came out of Egypt, Moab would not welcome them with bread and water. Instead they hired Balaam the son of Beor to pronounce curses on them. But God would not permit Balaam to curse them, and every curse God turned into a blessing. Balaam, however, was greedy for gain. Therefore he advised the king of Moab to send the Midianite women into the camp of Israel to seduce the young men and lead them into idolatry. The plan worked so that God sent a plague among the people and 24,000 Israelites died. But God would not forget what Moab did. He would not allow a Moabite to enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation. Moreover, God commanded Israel not to seek their peace or prosperity forever (Deuteronomy 23:3-6).

Many generations had passed by from the time Israel entered the Promised Land to the time of Jeremiah. What had begun in Moab as fear, selfishness and hardness of heart toward their brother had evolved into full-blown pride and rebellion against the LORD. Now their day of reckoning had come. God would deliver Moab into the hands of their enemies, and they would suffer greatly.

Pride carries a high price tag. Many have fallen under its spell and later fallen from their high position. Of course, Satan is the forerunner, who fell from heaven for this original sin. We can point the finger at others, but the truth is that we all have this enemy living within. We know because we nurse our hurts when our pride is injured and people don’t respect us like we think they should.

Peter was also prone to pride. When Jesus said that all His disciples would stumble because of Him, Peter said that even if everyone else fell, he would never fall. But Jesus said that Peter would deny Him three times that very night. And you know the rest of the story…

But Peter later wrote:

“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:5–7, NKJV)

The cure for the disease of conceit is to simply humble ourselves beneath the mighty hand of God—to submit to His perfect will in our lives. We then cast all of our cares upon Him, trusting in Him completely and submitting to the circumstances He permits. If we do this, then He will work all things for good and lift us up in due time. “God gives grace to the humble.” Aren’t you glad that He does?