In
this portion of the Scriptures, we find Moses sending messengers to the
Edomites to seek permission to take the people of Israel through their land.
Edomites of course were the descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob, who
was later named Israel. As relatives, the Edomites should have been sympathetic
and more agreeing towards them, but this was not the case. Despite Moses'
discourse of their long bondage in Egypt and how the LORD heard their cries
for deliverance and took them out of their plight, the Edomites vehemently
refused their request.
Here
Moses even explained that they were now at the edge of Edom and would like to
pass through their land if they were granted permission. He even pledged
to go directly to where they were heading for and would neither touch their
vineyard nor water. All Moses wanted to do was to take the people into Canaan
through Edom. What Moses tried to do here was no different from what the people
of Israel tried to do earlier. Numbers 14:39-45 described their attempt to
force their way into Canaan despite the LORD’S judgment that they would not set foot on the
promised land.
In
these nine verses, there was no mention that Moses sought the LORD. He only
mentioned the LORD superficially
and in passing. Not a hint was given here that God had instructed Moses to
take this route. It was a case where he once again took matters into his own
hand. Rather than praying, he resorted to negotiating with the Edomites politically.
He even promised them saying, “We will go up by the road, and if I
and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its
price. Let me only pass through on my feet nothing more.” If he had
God’s approval and was assured that God would be with them, the Edomites would
be easy meat for them. The fact that the Israelites turned away and took another
route suggests that Moses knew that God was not with them in this endeavor.
Like the people who earlier attempted to force their way into the promised
land, Moses’ attempt also ended in a dead-end, a sort of
cul-de-sac.
The key message of these verses is
simply this: don’t attempt to live life outside of God’s will for us. How
do we stay in God's will? To stay in God's will we need to know His Word. From
what we know we must obey and act on them. In everything, we must act in consultation
with Him and His word. We must not act on impulse. Always be sure to stay
on course with God and not meander outside of what He has installed for us! Hear
God’s word to us in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds a
house, they who build it labor in vain….” Heed God’s warning!
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