Deuteronomy 2:8-9 (ESV)
So we went on, away from our brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road from Elath and Ezion-geber. "And we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab. [9] And the LORD said to me, ''Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession.''
Away from our brothers ... and we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab. Israel turns away from their brothers, to their distant relatives the Moabites. The Gospel likewise is first preached to those around us, our closest family and friends and nation, and afterwards, it is turned to those who are further, even unto the ends of the world:
Acts 1:8 (ESV)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
The Gospel went forth from Jersusalem, where the Lord was crucified and was risen, and then in all the state of Judea and then Samaria, and is even now continuing to be preached all over the world. Thus we must speak first to those around us, and when we have done all that we can, or if the message is rejected, we must take our message to the neighboring nation, and then to all over the world. The Word of God cannot be constrained in our own neighborhood forever. We must go to the strange nation, beyond Samaria, that the Gospel be heard to all creatures. We must not be stagnant where we are, and be slothful and disobedient to the Great Commission. We cannot forever stay with those who reject God's Word, wearing ourselves down. But we must go to those who will listen:
Acts 13:45-46 (KJV)
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. [46] Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession. Moabites were a wicked people, and these were those who joined hands with Midianites to hire Balaam to curse the people of Israel. But God had still given them the land of Ar as inheritance. Just as God had given Israel the land of Canaan, God has given this land to the Moabites.
It is not for Moab's sake that God had given this land to them, but it was for the sake of their father Lot, and, to be more specific, for the sake of Abraham, the blessed one. On account of the faith and obedience of Abraham, God has blessed Lot, and His children Moab and Ammon, in that God has given them lands to inherit. It may be that while he was living Abraham had interceded for Lot, that his generation may not be cut off from the land of the living, that his children may have inheritances. And perhaps God had heard his prayer, and the answer of the prayer was standing strong, even after hundreds of years.
Moab should not have thought that it was because of their own worthiness that they had this safety and great land as possession. They should have humbled themselves, and should have said, 'We are children born of wickedness, product of the land of Sodom. But because of Abraham and Lot's faith and righteousness we are still here today, and have this land and joy in our hearts'. They should have then sought the Lord God of Abraham and Lot, and called out His name. But they sinned against God, abusing the grace that God had given them through the merit of another. And later they would perish forever, because of their foolishness, their pride and their carelessness:
Amos 2:2 (ESV)
So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;
Sometimes we take the blessing that we have for granted, and realize not that it is because of another's faith, obedience, righteousness and toil in prayer that we are standing here today well. It may have been our parents, grandparents, relatives or ancestors in the past that have prayed and lived for us, and have sacrificed for us, that we are so blessed by God on their account. But when we fail to recognize this, and begin to think that we are well because of our own strength, our own wisdom and our own righteousness, then surely God's judgement will fall on us. What we must do is to do the same that our fathers have done, and live, pray and prepare for our future generation. We must endeavour to leave a legacy for them, knowing that what we have received has not come from our own selves also. This way God's blessing will continue down the generations.
Why were even the distant relatives of Abraham such as Moab and Ammon blessed through him? Was it ultimately because of anything that Abraham was, because he was so righteous and special? By no means, it was because through him God would come down from heaven and become a Man. Through him the Son of the Blessed, the Christ, would come. It was because of the blessedness of Christ that God had blessed all who were related to Abraham, even Lot, and Esau, though they were not in the covenant.
It is because of Christ's blessedness, obedience, faith and righteousness that all the people of the Earth of have been blessed. We were evil, and had not done anything worthy to be blessed. Like Moab and Ammon, we are all of wicked origin, of the sin of Adam. We have nothing good in our selves to deserve the good things that we have. But it is because of Christ, the only Son of God, who came and died for the sins of the world. He died so that we those who don't deserve life, can not only have the physical blessings such as food, clothing and homes, but so that we can even have what we definitely do not deserve - eternal life and sonship to God.
It is not because of our doing, or anything good in us that we have this eternal life. We are like the Moabites, who deserved none of the good land that they inherited. Moab were not better in righteousness from the Amorites or the inhabitants of Canaan. But what was the only difference? They were descendants of Lot and Abraham the righteous. We are also the descendants of Abraham, and not only that, but of Jesus Christ who is not righteous by faith alone, but also by works.
For the sake of Christ the Righteous one we have been given the Kingdom of God to inherit. Though we were unrighteous, for Christ's sake God has given us the Kingdom. But if we begin to think that it was because of our own sake that we are blessed, because of our own righteousness, our own works, and begin to live in pride, admiring our own faith, our own pathetic good works, then shall God destroy us. We must be humble, recognize that it is not by ANYTHING we have done, but because of Jesus Christ. We must not sin again God, living at ease thinking we are blessed in and of our own selves, lest we be torn apart by God. Let us live in thankfulness coupled with fear, knowing our own unworthiness and the worthiness of Christ, and let us humbly walk with God. That way we shall keep the inheritance that has been given to us. Let us always remember that it is because of Christ and His obedience on the cross. Blessed be Christ, our Saviour.
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