O God ... for, lo, Thine Enemies Make A Tumult: - They are confederate against Thee" (Psalm 83)
(3) Moab: Moab and Ammon are the shameful results of Lot's incest with his daughters. Therefore, the children of Moab and the children of Ammon represent that which perverts the right ways of the Lord. Although Ammon is the sixth name on our list (in Psalm 83) oe these ten enemies of God, we are going to consider Ammon along with Moab because these both spring from the same source. Since they are the descendants of Lot, the Moabites and the Ammonites represent the gradual let-down and abandoning of God's spiritual standards. Lot did not start in in Sodom, but in 2 Peter 2:7 and 8 the Scripture declares Lot to be just, a "righteous man," a man redeemed by the Blood. When God destroyed Sodom, He "delivered just Lot ..." So if we follow Lot's history in the Scripture, we will see that Lot gradually, little by little, compromise by compromise, found himself in the midst of Sodom, a citizen of Sodom. Even worse, Genesis 19:1 tells us that Lot sat in the gate of Sodom - which means Lot had become so involved and so compromising as to the right ways of God, that he was recognized by Sodom as a leader. Hence, Lot sat in the place where the Sodomites made their perverted decisions and judgments.
Second Peter 2:7 says that God delivered "just Lot," and Genesis 19:29 says that "God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow," the overthrow, God's overthrow of satan and the evil depths that satan had produced in Sodom and Gomorrah. God remembered Abraham's uncompromising stand against Sodom. "And Abraham said to the king of Sodom ... I will not take anything that is thine ...", and God remembered Abraham's intercession, in the Spirit, and God delivered just Lot (Genesis 14:22-23).
We know that Abraham was not perfect, but God produced through him that which was "born of the Spirit," that which had eternal results. But even though God rescued Lot out of Sodom, Lot did not produce that which had eternal results; Lot produced that which perverted the right ways of the Lord. Lot committed incest with his daughters - and Moab and Ammon, and their descendants were the results.
The Moabites and the Ammonites worshiped many gods, such as Baal, etc. But they are noted for the fact that they worshiped the false-god Molech, also called Chemosh. nd in order to receive strength for war, and in order to come under the evil protection of these false gods, behind whom is satan, the Moabites and the Ammonites committed the ultimate evil! They sacrificed their children as burnt offerings unto these infernal and hellish gods.
Beloved, by compromising and abandoning his stand in the Lord, Lot sacrificed his children, and his children's children to this infernal idolatry. In the time of Israel's greatest spiritual decline, in the time of Manasseh, Israel also succumbed to this evil idolatry. They sacrificed their children to this evil which proceeds out of the depths of satan.
Does this evil exist today? Yes it does! It exists right now in our time because most of what is called Christianity is in a state of compromise wit the world; and along with the world, it is sacrificing its children to abortion, drugs, sodom, and every other kind of idolatry. And because most of the Church has not, and is not, taking an uncompromising stand in the right ways of God - which is the way of the Cross - it continues to rear generation after generation which has no conception of the Cross and Its principles of self-denial. Thus, the Moabites and the Ammonites represent that which is out to pervert the next generation from taking THE RIGHT WAY OF GOD - THE WAY OF THE CROSS. God help us to take an uncompromising stand!
Now, for our encouragement, let us look at a time when great multitudes of the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, (and the children of Mount Seir, and Edom and others) came against king Jehosphaphat and the people of Judah, God's "hidden ones." Jehosphaphat was king of Judah at the same time that Ahab was king of Israel. The kingdom of Israel had been divided at Solomon's death, and the Word says that Ahab did more evil in the sight of the Lord "above all" that were before him. Jehoshaphat made several bad mistakes; the worst being, be made an alliance with Ahab (one time) which proved to be disastrous; and his son married Ahab and Jezebel's daughter - thus, Jehoshaphat sowed to the flesh. However, even though Jehoshaphat made mistakes, the Bible says: "The Lord was with Jehosaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David" (his spiritual father being David), which means he was a man after God's own heart, a man who desired to do God's will(2 Chron. 173; Acts 13:22).
And because of this, the Moabites and the Ammonites moved against Jehosphaphat and the people of Judah, for out of Judah proceeded the generations of Jesus Christ. King Jehoshaphat called the people in Judah together, and they sought God's way of defeating the enemy. Now through his affiance with Ahab, Jehoshaphat had learned to never make war against the enemy unless you are in the right way of the Lord (2 Chron. 17, 18, 19). So, the king and the people prayed and stood before the Lord:
"Oh our God, wilt Thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee. And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones (infants), their wives,and their children" (2 Chron. 20:12-13).
Not One Would be Sacrificed to the Gods of Moab and Ammon!
So the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel who was the result of five generations of the sons of Asaph, the great leaders and singers of Psalms - five generations of those who had stood and praised the Lord in the beauty of holiness, in the way of the Cross:
And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, 'Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jersualem; fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you" (2 Chron. 20:15-17).
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 5)
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