Moab's Colourful History (Is 15-16)

At first Isaiah 15-16 seems like a mishmash of strange names and places but just like Facebook it has actually a colourful set of connections. Moab is the nation mentioned which developed from the first son of Lot after his city and his wife were destroyed by two angels; the wife escaped but turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back. (Gen 19) However the circumstances surrounding Moab's births are a bit shocking by our set of boundaries and yet the Book of Ruth is that of a Moabitess.

Righteous Lot's two virgin daughters also escaped the angels destruction against corrupt Sodom and Gomorrah were concerned that they wouldn't find suitable husbands to father their children in such a rampant homosexual world as they has witnessed in their destroyed home town. The young women, we imagine, are thinking there is no unmarried non-homosexual males available saying, "there is no man on the earth to come to us as is the custom of all the earth." Wow, does that have a ring in this day and age of increased tolorance.
 
The young ladies reason together that dad could to do the job and by plying him with alcohol they would 'lay' with him, he being none the wiser. Therefore by incest they produce offspring of their father's lineage, i.e. the oldest son Moab becomes the father of all Moabites and the second daughter's son Ben-Ammi becomes father of all Ammorites. It is interesting to see how this plays out down the generations as Israel ends up being weakened by no other way but in the 'laying' with the daughters of the Moabites who will later be destroyed. Yet we see a daughter of the Moabites, Ruth, redeemed and married to Boaz producing generations of Obed the father of Jesse, the father of king David.

There's a point in all of these connections in the story, and that is about God having a plan which is woven into the colourful tapestry of Israel's history. Abraham prays for Sodom and God answer's by saving rellie Lot and two daughters and they produce a mighty valiant king who is after God's own heart. This king David, who is after God's own heart, establishes the earthly kingdom temporarily connected to heaven and the line through to King Jesus who establishes the heavenly kingdom forever attached to earth. The upshot of this connection is precipitated by angelic intervention many generations earlier following a righteous man's intercession; who would have thought!

Application: The outcome of our prayers are not easily fathomed in God's scheme of things; our understanding being so darkened. Yet a righteous payer is none-the-less moved upon by the hand of God weaving the tapestry of history of not just individuals but nations. When our heart extends to a depraved situation and we who hold even a little sway with the Almighty intercede for it, even with sighs and goanings, the outcome can become truly international in the raising up of kings and pulling down of strongholds; even if His way may not be as acceptable to our set of religious boundaries.

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