A YEAR for a day! Yes, for the forty days that the twelve men searched the land, forty years were to be spent in the wilderness —this for the evil report they had given of the land, and because the people had not faith in God’s power to remove difficulties for them. But now the allotted time had almost expired, and Moses makes ready’ to lead the people on. They removed from Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, where the congregation had waited for the return of the spies, to Mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom. Israel would need to journey through the land of Edom in order to reach Canaan without making a long, roundabout journey. The Edomites were descendants of Esau; Jacob’s brother, and so were related to the children of Israel.
Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom with a most gracious appeal. These messengers reminded the king that he knew of the sorrows and trials that had befallen ‘his’ brother Israel, and how the Lord had heard their cry when they were in sore bondage in Egypt, and had sent an angel and had brought them out of Egypt, and now they were in the border of his land. Then they made request that they might pass through his land. They said they would go by the king’s highway, and, would not molest fields or vineyards, or even drink of the water of the wells; or if their cattle should need to drink, they would pay for the water. But the king of Edom positively refused to give Israel passage through his border. And not only so, —he gathered up an army and went out against him, so that Israel turned away from him.
Nothing is told us here, in this twentieth chapter of Numbers, as to what the Lord thought of Edom’s course, but if you will turn to the prophesy of Obadiah, you will see how this violence clone to Jacob was visited upon the head of Edom. Shame was to be upon him, and he was to be cut off forever. As he had done to Israel in the day of their distress and calamity, so should it be done unto him. His reward should return upon his own head. The house of Jacob should be a fire and Esau, (or Edom), should serve as stubble to feed this fire.
How sad! and what a proof to us that God does not forget. His own, as Israel, may suffer for a time, but they will be made conquerors in the end.
Let us learn from this sorrowful history not to hurt God’s dear people by word, or act, or even in thought. And may the word that God has given in Obadiah, be a restraint to us. “As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee.”
ML 07/24/1904