Numbers 20:14–21

If Israel could go through Edom, it would be only 20 miles. They could then travel east of the Dead Sea and cross the Jordan near Jericho... They appealed to the sympathies of Edom because of their long history of very real trial and God's preserving and delivering care over them (vs.14-16).

They are ready to bind themselves by agreement to do nothing but pass through. They will turn neither to the right nor to the left. If they drink of the water of their wells, they will pay for it. All they get in answer is a flat and rude refusal.

We see Satan's opposition at this stage of the journey (Num. 20:14). It comes not from the hatred of foreigners, nor from Israel's own rebellion, but from the open hostility of brothers by natural descent. Moses sent to the king of Edom saying, "your brother Israel," and Edom's answer is a threat. Once before, these two met in the persons of their fathers. Then, as now, Jacob was the one asking, but God turned aside the hatred of Esau, and Jacob went on his way. The hatred remained, and it breaks out in Edom's refusal to let Israel pass.

Yet we may see the yearning of God's heart over these descendants of Esau, for in Deut. 23:7, He says: "You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother." Despite all the waywardness and sin of Esau and his descendants, the Lord still wanted Israel to remember the brotherly claim that Edom had on them.

Nothing could have been more respectful and honest than the approach made by Moses and the children of Israel. Even so, the hatred of the Edomites became unmistakable... They take the unprovoked insult of their brother Edom quietly. They do this at the express command of God, who wanted to teach His people patience. It is always good for those who may soon hold power to learn patience.

On the route they now take, Edom is clearly the great barrier... But Edom is there in force, and he will not permit it. You cannot change this enmity into friendship. It is exactly the same with the flesh: "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God"... So the barrier stands. It stands even though many refuse to believe that such an old nature, one that cannot be redeemed, is still inside the Christian. They claim kinship, and would gladly make a brother out of Edom. It cannot be.

Edom is a picture of the flesh. Its name is the same as Adam, only with the vowels changed. But however the flesh may disguise itself, it does not change, and "those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:8). But how are we to deal with this deceitful enemy within us? It is no use fighting it, for we can never win a battle like this, as Romans 7 shows us. Instead we are to consider self as dead (Gal. 5:24). So we turn away from it as we would from a dead body, and we "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Rom. 13:14).

We learn that the ties of nature are only like dry straw touched with fire when they collide with the call of God. We are warned not to look for sympathy in matters of faith from the men of the world, even if they are our nearest relatives.

It had been a story of loving kindness and of mercies according to His own heart. He had adopted them as His people, counted them truthful and saved them from their oppressors. What is more, He entered into their afflictions and gave them His presence. He redeemed them from Egypt. He carried them and cared for them until they reached the land of promise.

An angel was to go before them for guidance and safe conduct. Scripture often speaks of Him in this way (Ex. 14:19; Ex. 33:2; Num. 20:16). The prophet Isaiah calls Him the angel of His (Jehovah's) presence... So it is clear that He is divine. The conclusion is a fair one, and godly students of the Word have drawn it in every age: in this angel we have none other than the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, Jehovah... He has always been the leader of His people. Here He takes His place at the head of the children of Israel, to keep them in the way and to bring them to the place God had prepared.

God's people are redeemed. But He must still show His holiness in how He deals with them. Kadesh-barnea, the "sanctuary of the wanderer," may well remind us of this. God had a place of refuge for His people in the wilderness. But it was a "sanctuary," a holy refuge, and they, because of their sins, were "wanderers." In making it a city of Israel He told them to take both the grace and the holiness of this to heart.

Moses makes a moving appeal for Israel to pass through. But neither their sufferings nor God's help for them moves Edom to agree. It is a fresh phase of the power of Satan against those who are led of God through the world.

Here, as in the gospel, we find that natural relationships are no guarantee against enmity when it is a question between God and the world. "And a person's enemies will be those of his own household" (Matt. 10:36). Moses sent to the king of Edom saying, "your brother Israel," and Edom's answer is a threat.

"Edom" is only "Adam" slightly changed. The meaning is the same; the vowels shift easily in Hebrew. The flesh takes many a disguise — but Christ is the infallible test that soon detects it... Less than twenty miles across, it is more than six times that distance to go around. And not only that — this way had a king's highway and wells of water; what a pleasant alternative to the pathless desert route! But Edom is there in force, and he will not allow it. Nor can you turn this enmity into friendship; and so it is exactly with the flesh... Many refuse to believe there is an old nature in the Christian that cannot be redeemed. They claim kinship, and would gladly make a brother out of Edom. It cannot be.

Edom, full of jealousy, will not let Israel shorten the way; Israel turns away from him. Some people oppose us, and it is right to turn away from them because of an outward relationship between them and us, even though they are driven by unrelenting hatred. We must know how to recognise them. God will judge them in His own time; our hand must not be upon them.

If Israel could go through Edom, it would be only twenty miles... They appealed to Edom's sympathy, because of their long history of very real trial and God's preserving and delivering care over them. They asked only for permission to pass through the country. They would not touch their fields or vineyards, or even use their water. They would go straight along the highway.

At this stage of the journey, Satan's opposition does not show itself in the hatred of foreigners, nor in Israel's own rebellion. It shows itself in the open hostility of brothers after the flesh. Here, as in the gospel, natural relationships are no guarantee against enmity when it is a question between God and the world. "A person's enemies will be those of his own household." Moses sent to the king of Edom saying, "your brother Israel," and Edom's answer is a threat. Once before, their fathers met. Then, as now, Jacob was the one asking a favour, but God turned aside Esau's hatred, and Jacob went on his way. That hatred remained, and it breaks out in Edom's refusal to let Israel pass through his land.

Edom, full of jealousy, will not let Israel shorten the way, so Israel turns away from him. Some people oppose us, and it is right to turn away from them because of an outward relationship between them and us — even though they hate us with a hatred that will not be softened. We must learn to recognise them. God will judge them in His own time; our hand must not be upon them.

On the way they now go, Edom is the great barrier. Less than twenty miles across, it is more than six times the distance to go round. And there was more: along that way lay a king's highway and wells of water. What a pleasant alternative to the pathless desert route! But Edom is there in force, and he will not permit it. Nor can you change this enmity into friendship. It is the same with the flesh: "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." So the barrier is there. And it stands even though many refuse to believe in any old nature inside the Christian that cannot be redeemed. They claim kinship, and would gladly make a brother out of Edom. It cannot be.

Edom is a picture of the flesh. Its name is the same as Adam, only with the vowels changed. The flesh may disguise itself, but it does not change, and "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." So how are we to deal with this deceitful enemy inside us? It is no use fighting it, for we can never win a battle like this, as Romans 7 shows us. We are to count self as dead, and so turn away from it as we would from a corpse.

Between Israel and the land lay a small strip belonging to Edom, and through it ran "the king's highway." Edom refused to let them pass that way. And God ordered that it should be so, for it was not the way for the redeemed to enter Canaan... They had to go south around Mount Seir — Edom's land — then turn north up the eastern side of Jordan, and pass into the land through its dried-up waters, behind the ark of God. Death and resurrection is the only pathway there.

Not every righteous way is a way of "faith."... It supposes, not a "king's highway," such as Israel might have had in passing through the land of Edom, but that trackless desert path which was God's choice rather for them; there where the pillar led, fire by night and cloud by day, that they might go, independent of nature, by day or by night.

We are heavenly people. We have a heavenly calling. We are strangers and foreigners here. We only desire a plain way through this world. We will keep the king's highway. That is, we will obey every human authority, for the Lord's sake... We will pay for everything we get along the way, and will trespass on nothing. But we must keep our pilgrim character, and keep ourselves unstained by the world.

Edom's answer was blunt and final. They would not allow them to pass, but would defend their own land against them with the sword (v.18). Israel tried a second time to persuade Edom, but Edom would not move. They backed up their words with a show of force from their army (vs.19-20). But Israel would go no further than to make the request, and "turned away from him" (v.21).

Moses asked for right of way through the land of Edom in very careful and friendly language. Edom refused him at the point of the sword. A full four centuries had passed, yet we see the character of Esau reproduced in his descendants. Look for a moment at the short prophecy of Obadiah, written nearly a thousand years later. There we find the same people marked by the same proud hostility to their "brother Jacob," and God's unsparing judgment against them. Moses however accepted the rebuff, for the moment of Edom's judgment had not yet come.

Satan shows his opposition at this stage of the journey (Num. 20:14) — not in the hatred of foreigners, nor in Israel's own rebellion, but in the open hostility of relatives. Here, as in the gospel, natural relationships are no guarantee against hatred when the question is between God and the world. "And a person's enemies will be those of his own household" (Matt. 10:36). Moses sent to the king of Edom saying, "your brother Israel," and Edom's answer is a threat.

Do not look for sympathy in matters of faith from the men of the world, even if they are our nearest relatives.

Esau had a serious grudge against Jacob. God stepped in directly, and Esau was never allowed to touch a hair of his brother's head. Still, on the other hand, Israel must not interfere with Esau's possessions. Jacob had taken Esau's place; and Israel must not trouble Edom. Of the people of Esau God said, "Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession" (Deut. 2:5). So we see that the same God who would not let Esau touch Jacob in Genesis 33 now will not let Israel touch Edom in Numbers 20.

"Edom" is only "Adam" slightly changed. The meaning is the same; the vowels shift easily in Hebrew. The flesh puts on many a disguise, but Christ, the unfailing test, soon exposes it… In the way that they go now, Edom is clearly the great barrier. Less than twenty miles across, it is more than six times that distance to go round. And not only that — this way had a king's highway and wells of water; what a pleasant alternative to the trackless desert route! But Edom is there in force, and he will not allow it. Nor can you turn this hostility into friendship. It is just the same with the flesh: "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot" (Rom. 8:7). So the barrier is there. And it stands even though many refuse to believe that such an old nature, past all mending, is still in the Christian. They claim kinship, and want to make a brother out of Edom. It cannot be.

Edom refused to let them pass that way. God arranged that it should be so, for it was not the way for the redeemed to enter the land… They had to go down south around Mount Seir — Edom's territory. Then they had to turn northward along the eastern side of the Jordan, and enter the land through its dried-up waters, following the ark of God. Death and resurrection is the only pathway there.

Moses sends messengers from Kadesh, claiming brotherly relation, and asking for a path along the king's highway through their land. They are ready to bind themselves by agreement to do nothing but pass through. They will turn neither to the right nor to the left. If they drink of the water of their wells, they will pay for it. All they get in answer is a flat, rude refusal. And when it looks as if they will press their request in person, Edom comes out against them in force.

On the road they now take, Edom is clearly the great barrier. The land is less than twenty miles across, but going round it is more than six times as far. On top of that, this way had a king's highway and wells of water. What a welcome change from the trackless desert route! But Edom is there in force, and he will not allow it. And you cannot turn this hostility into friendship. It is the same with the flesh... So the barrier stands. Many refuse to believe there is any such old nature inside the Christian, one that can never be redeemed. They claim kinship and would gladly make a brother out of Edom. It cannot be.

At this stage of the journey, Satan opposes them in a new way. It is not through the hatred of foreigners, nor through their own rebellion, but through the open hostility of relatives by natural descent. Here, as in the gospel, we find that family ties are no protection against hatred once the issue is between God and the world. "And a person's enemies will be those of his own household" (Matthew 10:36). Moses sent to the king of Edom saying, "your brother Israel," and Edom's answer is a threat.

Edom, full of jealousy, will not let Israel shorten the way, so Israel turns away from him. Some people oppose us, and it is right to turn away from them because of some outward connection between them and us, even though they hate us with a hatred that never softens. We must know how to tell such people apart. God will judge them in His own time. Our hand must not be on them.

Edom refused to let them pass that way, and God ordered that it should be so. It was not the way for the redeemed to enter Canaan. They were then turned back for two years to be tested, and to bring out what had been hidden inside them until then... They had to go south around Mount Seir, which Edom owned. Then they turned north up the eastern side of the Jordan, and entered the Land through its dried-up waters, following the ark of God. Death and resurrection is the only path there.

We are heavenly people. We have a heavenly calling. We are strangers and foreigners here. We only desire a plain way through this world. We will keep to the king's highway. That is, we will obey every human authority, for the Lord's sake... We will pay for everything we take along the way, and we will not trespass anywhere. But we must live as pilgrims passing through, and keep ourselves unstained by the world.

Moses asked for the right of way through the land of Edom in very careful and peaceable words. Edom still refused him at the point of the sword. Four full centuries had passed, yet we see the character of Esau repeated in his descendants.

Edom's answer was blunt and final. They would not let Israel pass, and they would guard their own land with the sword (v.18). Israel tried a second time to persuade Edom, but Edom would not bend. They backed up their words with a show of force from their army (vs.19-20). Israel went no further than asking, and "turned away from him" (v.21).

At this stage of the journey we see Satan's opposition (Num. 20:14). It does not come from the hatred of foreigners, nor from Israel's own rebellion, but from the open hostility of their own relatives. Here, as in the gospel, natural family ties are no protection against hatred when the question is between God and the world. "And a person's enemies will be those of his own household" (Matt. 10:36). Moses sent to the king of Edom saying, "your brother Israel," and Edom's answer is a threat.

We are warned not to look for sympathy in matters of faith from the men of the world, even if they are our closest relatives. We are traveling to our promised land, the heavenly Canaan. We find that unconverted relatives oppose us as much as the world does, and often more.

"Edom" is only "Adam" slightly changed. The meaning is the same, and in Hebrew the vowels change very easily. The flesh wears many a disguise... Edom is now a nation, with a government, civilized and all the rest; but it has no good will toward the people of God. This long, narrow, mountainous strip of land looks like a barricade. It is as if giant hands threw it up to keep the pilgrim people out of Canaan.

But Edom is there in force, and he will not allow it. And you cannot turn this hostility into friendship. It is exactly the same with the flesh: "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." ... So the barrier stands. Many refuse to believe that any such old nature, beyond saving, is still inside the Christian. They claim kinship and would gladly make a brother out of Edom. It cannot be.

It is not to make war on the flesh, but to "walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Israel were to walk where the cloud led, and the cloud never led them through Edom. If that had been His way, would He have let the enemy block it? Of course not... Counting yourself dead to sin is not ignoring it and not fighting it. It is turning away.

The long, tiring journey around Mount Edom shows that we cannot defeat the flesh. We must run from its desires, which war against the soul. How often the opposition of the flesh forces a long detour in what should be a straight road from earth to heaven.

"Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession." (Deut. 2:5.) So the same God who would not let Esau touch Jacob in Genesis 33 now will not let Israel touch Edom in Numbers 20.

God's power could have struck him down, as He had decided long before, but the time had not yet come. So Israel did not strike a blow at their guilty brother. They turned back like a scolded child. That patience was the sign that a far greater judgment was still in store for Edom. Nothing is more ominous than when God bears the sin of men patiently.

Satan's opposition is seen at this stage of the journey (Num. 20:14), not in the hatred of foreigners, nor in Israel's own rebellion, but in the open hostility of relatives. Here, as in the gospel, family ties are no guarantee against hatred when the question lies between God and the world. "And a person's enemies will be those of his own household" (Matt. 10:36). Moses sent to the king of Edom saying, "your brother Israel," and Edom's answer is a threat. Once before, their fathers had met. Then, as now, Jacob was the one asking; but God turned aside Esau's hatred, and Jacob went on his way. The hatred remained and breaks out in Edom's refusal to let Israel pass through his land.

Israel turned away here, for Edom's land was no part of Israel's possession. It was not God's purpose to lead them through it; their time in the wilderness was not yet finished.

Edom, full of jealousy, will not let the way be shortened; Israel turns away from him. Some people oppose us with a hatred that never gives way. Yet because of an outward relationship between them and us, it is right to turn away from them. We must know how to tell such people apart. God will judge them in His own time; our hand must not be on them. As for the enemies of God, they must be our enemies; where the power of the enemy is plain, it is God's war.

In the way they now travel, Edom is clearly the great barrier. Less than twenty miles across, it is more than six times that distance to go round. This way even had a king's highway and wells of water — a pleasant alternative to the trackless desert route! But Edom is there in force, and he will not permit it. Nor can you turn this enmity into friendship. It is the same with the flesh: "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot" (Rom. 8:7). So the barrier stands. Many refuse to believe there is any old nature inside the Christian that cannot be redeemed. They claim kinship, and would gladly make a brother out of Edom. It cannot be.

Edom is a type of the flesh. Its name is the same as Adam, only with the vowels changed. However the flesh may disguise itself, it does not change: "those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:8). But how are we to deal with this deceitful enemy inside us? It is no use fighting it, for we can never win a battle like this, as Romans 7 shows us. We are to count self as dead (Gal. 5:24), and turn away from it as we would from a corpse. Instead we "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Rom. 13:14).

How often the opposition of the flesh causes a long detour in what should be a straight course from earth to heaven.

People set Deuteronomy 2:29 against this passage, either out of ill-will or out of carelessness. Edom did refuse to let Israel pass through, yet in the end they did pass through. The two occasions were quite distinct. The refusal recorded here happened at a different time and place from Israel's later passage through their land. Moses sent the messengers from Kadesh — the city on the farthest border, not the district in general — and this was before Aaron died. Israel made the passage some time after his death, south of Edom, by way of the Red Sea, as we may learn from Numbers 21.

Edom is the only one of all the nations reappearing at the time of the end for judgment that will have no "remnant" preserved. God will judge the Edomites without mercy because of the way they treated His people. They were the most wicked, and the most eager to destroy Israel. Had they not once "refused to give Israel passage through his territory" to enter the land of Canaan (Num. 20:21)?