Daily Thoughts from Numbers: Family (20:14-21)

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. And when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King’s Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” And the people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.” But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.  (Numbers 20:14-21 ESV)

Moses calls Edom brother to Israel because this nation was formed by the family of Esau, Jacob’s (Israel’s) twin brother.  Israel will not dispossess Edom.  Edom is not a Canaanite nation.  But it turns out from this exchange that they are not quite allies either, even being unwilling to simply let Israel pass through their territory.

At first Moses asks for passage and, in essence, the hospitality of not having to pay if they use any water from Edom’s rivers or ponds.  But after the first denial he offers to pay for such use.  Recall that the people of Israel are a company of 1-2 million people.

Edom’s failure to be good relatives is not excusable.  It will not be the last time they are a problem to Israel.  We must take care of family, with wisdom, of course.  We owe this to each other.  If we’re afraid of what it might cost us we must trust God that He will provide for us and in fact gave us what we have in order to help our family.

At the end of a long letter, C. S. Lewis wrote: “When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now. Insofar as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God and instead of God, I shall be moving toward the state in which I shall not love my earthly dearest at all. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased.”