Aq – Moshe Remembered the Events in Seir 2: 1-8

Moshe Remembered the Events in Seir
2: 1-8

Moshe remembered the events in Seir DIG: Why is there no details of Isra’el’s 40 years of wilderness wanderings? What had happened in the wilderness that allowed the 40-year judgment to end? How were the Israelites and the Edomites related? What grudge did the Edomites continue to carry against the children of Jacob? How did the Edomites treat their brothers centuries later? Why were the Edomites afraid of the Israelites? Why wasn’t it necessary for the Israelites to attack their brothers? What was the end result?

REFLECT: Turned is the key word in this file. When did you turn toward the LORD? When have you turned away from ADONAI? Where are you on your journey today? Are you in the Promised Land, or in the wilderness? How do you feel when YHVH tells you to turn toward the Promised Land? Read 2:7 again and apply it to yourself. Do you believe God has provided you with all you need? We often mistake what we “want” with something we “need.” All we really need is found in Yeshua. What are you seeking?

Moshe remembered that after almost forty years of wilderness wanderings, the LORD commanded His children to pass around the hill country of Mount Seir and then pass north toward the Land of Promise without disturbing the Edomites or their possessions in any way.

Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness. This is one of the saddest statements in the Bible. Dreams are dashed as the people turn their tasks on the Land of Promise.

After spending a long, but undermined, amount of time in the oasis of Kadesh-barnea, the Israelites turned and journeyed into the wilderness by the way to the Sea of Reeds (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Ce – Salvation at the Sea of Reeds). In spite of this 40-year judgment of the ungrateful and rebellious generation, YHVH had not given up on His people, for Moses could still say ADONAI had directed me. We went around the hill country of Seir, the mountain range of Edom located south of the Dead Sea and extended down the eastern flank of the Arabah, for many days (2:1).

The transition from verse 1 and 2 spans almost 40 years! Moshe gave no details of what Isra’el experienced while wandering. During that time, Isra’el was out of God’s covenant favor. It was a death march; an anti-Exodus for the generation of the Exodus. There is no record that the people observed the Passover, or even circumcised their sons. After Joshua led the nation across the Jordan River, he took care of those responsibilities when Isra’el was back in YHVH’s covenantal blessing (Joshua 5:1-12). The people in Moses’ congregation who were nineteen years old when the wandering began were now fifty-seven (19 + 38 when they left Kadesh-barnea) and certainly would remember those difficult years and tell their children and grandchildren about them.⁵⁹

ADONAI now commands the people, go north, toward your Promised Land. The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying: You have gone around this hill country long enough. And now we have another decisive turn, to the north, towards the Land of Promise (1:2-3). By that time the rebellious generation of the Exodus had died, their corpses being consumed in the wilderness (Numbers 14:33b). No longer will the children bear the sins of their parents, walking in circles and waiting for the old to die. The wandering had finally ended. Now, the LORD pointed the survivors toward Canaan, the Land flowing with milk and honey (6:3).

Throughout this section of Scripture, God is continually guiding His people. Even the wandering has a sense of purpose. The life of a believer is in the hands of ADONAI as a bow and arrow are in the hands of an archer. YHVH is aiming at something that we cannot see; He stretches and we stain, and at times we say, “I cannot stand it anymore!” But the LORD goes on stretching until His purpose is accomplished – then He lets the arrow fly. God has a purpose in every zig-zag in our lives.⁶⁰

Ha’Shem told Moses, “Command the people saying: You are about to cross into the territory of your relatives, the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir.” Moshe refers to the inhabitants of the region of Seir as the sons of Esau, rather than the Edomites, in order to highlight the kinship between Isra’el and Edom. And as predicted in Exodus 15:14-16, the Edomites (among others) had heard of YHVH’s great deeds on Isra’el’s behalf and, as a result: They will be afraid of you, so be very careful (2:4).⁶¹

Moshe was commanded by the LORD not to declare war on the people of Edom. The LORD had promised to give His own people land; but other peoples, too, had been granted possessions by ADONAI. The Edomites were descended from Jacob’s brother Esau (Genesis 36). Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land – not even a footprint – because I have given the hill country of Seir to Esau as a possession, as an inheritance from Abraham (2:5). Although Esau’s descendents remained hostile, the children of Jacob did not go to war with them. Such good will for Esau’s seed contrasts sharply with the wars against Sichon (see Au – The Defeat of Sihon) and Og (Av – The Defeat of Og), whose sons embraced idolatry and other abominable practices. YHVH had graciously cared for Isra’el and blessed His people even during their years of wandering, so there was no need for them to attack their brothers and exploit them. For ADONAI your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand – He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These 40 years ADONAI your God has been with you – you have lacked nothing (2:7). So it is with us. There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. There is nothing you can do to make God love you less. His love is unconditional, impartial, everlasting, infinite, and perfect!

Moses at first tried the friendly approach, but the Edomites wouldn’t accept their brothers even though the Israelites were prepared to pay for food and water. Even though Isra’el’s powerful army could have raided and taken what was needed, Ha’Shem commanded: You are to buy food from them for money so that you may eat, and you are also to buy water from them for money so that you may drink (Deuteronomy 2:6; (Numbers 20:14-21). So, he led them by another route that bypassed Mount Seir. The Edomites should have shown Isra’el brotherly love, but instead they preferred to continue the ancient feud between Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27). Centuries later, Edom was still angry with Isra’el and rejoiced when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem (Psalm 137:7; Ezeki’el 2:12-14; Amos 1:11; Obediah 10-13).

So, we went on past our relatives, the sons of Esau who dwell in Seir, away from the way of the Arabah from Elath and Ezion-geber. Although nothing of the negotiations are conveyed here, the Edomites prohibited Isra’el from taking the customary route through their region (the King’s Highway) and required them to take the longer route around the borders of Edom. But, in reality, they really didn’t need the short-cut because YHVH was leading them. We turned once again, and passed by the way of the wilderness of Mo’ab, probably traveling on the Transjordanian plateau, near the transition between habitable land and the Arabian desert (2:8).

Of all the problems we face in life, family disagreements are probably the most painful and the hardest to solve, and yet the Bible records so many of them. Cain killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4); Jacob and Esau were rivals; Jacob’s wives competed with one another (Genesis 29-30); Jacob favored Joseph and therefore Joseph’s brothers hated their younger brother (Genesis 37); and David’s father-in-law, King Sha’ul, hounded after him and even tried to kill him (First Samuel 19-20). Even within the local community of believers, brothers and sisters don’t always love each other. The church at Corinth was divided four ways (First Corinthians 1:12); the Galatian believers were biting and devouring one another (Galatians 5:15); and in the Philippian church, two women were at odds with each other (Philippians 4:2-3).⁶² We must do all we can to love one another, just as Yeshua loves us. By doing this, all will know that we are His disciples (John 13:34-35).

Dear Father God, Praise You for your wonderful example of love! Praise You that you are never selfish, never grumpy, and never unkind. You are always kind and loving with a great, great love. Please help us to bring You joy and return Your love by our loving others. Remind us of the rewards You want to give us when we enter heaven and you discern our heart’s attitude with fire. For no one can lay any other foundation than what is already laid – which is Yeshua the Messiah.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear. For the Day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test each one’s work – what sort it is. If anyone’s work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward (First Corinthians 3:11-15a).

May we remember that it is not how the act looks outwardly to our friends or family, but the reward is based on our heart attitude of love for You. For He [ADONAI] does not see a man as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but ADONAI looks into the heart. (First Samuel 16:7). You are so worthy of all our love. We will not look with fear to any problem-but we will keep our eyes fixed on You, our big and caring and powerful Daddy – which will make our problem seem small. Praise You that when disagreements happen, we do not need to fear, we only need to look up at You for You are in control, even with world–wide pandemics. We bow in worship of You. We do not need to know the why, for we know how great is the love of our Almighty and All-powerful God who cares so deeply for each of His children. In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen