Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive, and Chemosh will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. – Jeremiah 48:7

Today's Scripture Reading (June 7, 2023): Jeremiah 48

If you know anybody in real estate, you probably know the three most important factors determining the price and importance of a piece of property are location, location, and location. That is true for businesses that often want a highly visible area for their operations and even for purchasing private property. Owning land that a metropolitan area will annex usually means that the demand and price of that land are likely to grow. If you own a home, the price of that home is only partially derived from the condition and design of the house itself; it is also dependent on the shape and design of the neighborhood around your house. A nice, well-kept, but average house is worth more if lovely homes surround it than if it were located next to some run-down buildings. Everything depends on location.

And that was true for Moab as well. While Israel existed on an important trade route that connected Africa with Europe and Asia, Moab existed just off of that route. That meant they could often make some money through trade because the primary passageway between the empires was not far from their borders, yet, the international bullies often left them alone, placing their attention on the nations who occupied that trade route instead of those that existed just off the beaten path. As a result, Moab built up its defenses while the Empires fought over the land controlled by Israel, Philistia, and Syria, among other nations on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Moab was close enough to the path to make some money, although not as much as those located on the trade route, but far enough away from the main trade routes that they were left alone. They became spectators of everything happening to the other nations in the Levant.

But Jeremiah indicates that Moab shouldn't get over-confident. The nation had made the most of its location, capitalizing a little but staying out of the region's wars. But war was eventually going to come home. Jeremiah warns the nation that Moab will soon fall, the people will be taken captive, and even Chemosh, the chief God of the Moabites, will be defeated and exiled.

Jeremiah's mention of Chemosh is significant. Chemosh might have been the Moab's chief God, but he was also a god worshipped in Israel. King Solomon had built an altar outside of Jerusalem dedicated to Chemosh to honor his Moabite wife. That altar was not destroyed until the reign of Josiah, almost 400 years later. Now, Chemosh, who had been removed from Israel, would also be removed from the land of the Moabites.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 49