The Mountain Feast Swallows Death and Humiliates Pride

A feast of fat things is spread on this mountain for all peoples

And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

The mountain meal, the removed veil, swallowed death, wiped tears, and lifted reproach are hope for all peoples. The feast is not a private remnant banquet. It does not authorize triumphal violence, and it does not let current headlines exhaust the promise.

Waiting joy and Moab's lowered pride share the same mountain scene

And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands. And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.

Those who waited recognize their God. Moab's swimming struggle in a dunghill treading is the poem's humiliation of pride beside the feast. Ancient Moab is not a living people to tread. Speculative geography and militia readings of the dunghill miss the wiped tears.