God’s Ultimate Victory

2 Kings 3:26-27

“26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom; but they could not. 27 Then he took his firstborn son who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And great wrath came upon Israel, so they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.”

The Israelites defeated the Moabites in every battle and laid waste to their fields, forests, cities and homes.  In desperation, the Moabite king sacrificed his firstborn son by burning him on the wall of Kirhareseth.  The Moabites viewed this as a religious act while the Israelites viewed it as an act of ultimate evil and depravity.  They were so overwhelmed by it that the Isrealite army withdrew and returned to their own land.

This horrible act (by our and the Israelite standards) turned defeat into victory for the Moabites.

God had promised the Israelites victory over the Moabites, but they let the evil of the world turn them away.  They did not believe that their faith was stronger than the evil that they witnessed.

The book of Revelation describes God’s ultimate victory over evil, yet we fear that evil will be victorious each day that we watch the news or read the paper.  

Does our faith give us the courage to live in a fallen world as an example of Christ’s love?  

Are we living in the peace, joy, and comfort of God’s ultimate victory?

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)