Did God give Moab any time to repent? How long would Moab have before these judgments from God fell upon them? God would give them three years. “But now the LORD hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude… ” (Isaiah 16:14a) When God is going to bring judgment upon a nation, He gives warning and leaves them space to repent. Consider the following verses from Ezekiel:
“1) Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2) Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3) If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4) Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5) He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.” (Ezekiel 33:1-5)
Although these verses are directed to Israel, notice that God says, “When I bring the sword upon 'a land.'” Also, “if the people of the land…” God warns nations when judgment is coming. Sometimes they listen to the warning. Sometimes they do not. The story of Nineveh illustrates what happens when a people do listen to God’s warning. “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.” (Jonah 3:10) When the people of Nineveh repented, they did not just say they were sorry and believed God. No, their lives brought forth works meet for repentance. When God saw that they really meant what they said, He withdrew His hand of judgment and extended His hand of mercy instead.
Even though it seemed that all was lost for Moab, there evidently were a few in the land that would believe God’s warning. “...And the remnant shall be very small and feeble.” (Isaiah 16:14b) Those few who were left in the land of Moab would be very feeble. The nation would no longer be prosperous and respected by other nations around them. However, there would be a number of the people preserved alive, a few to taste of God’s mercy.
In these few verses, we see the sadness that results from ignoring God and seeking after gods that cannot hear. On the other hand, we see the mercy that comes to those who do hear and take heed to God’s warning. Seeking after other gods will have no effect. Listening to God and heeding Him results in experiencing His mercy.