Avoiding the Edomites (Deu. 2:1-8)

3/9/2009 7:19 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  Avoiding the Edomites

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Deuteronomy 2:1-8

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  "Then we turned and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke to me, and circled Mount Seir for many days. 2  "And the LORD spoke to me, saying, 3  ‘You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north, 4  and command the people, saying, "You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful; 5  do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6  "You shall buy food from them with money so that you may eat, and you shall also purchase water from them with money so that you may drink. 7  "For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing."’

    8 ¶  "So we passed beyond our brothers the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road, away from Elath and from Ezion-geber. And we turned and passed through by the way of the wilderness of Moab.”

            It has been over four hundred years since Jacob and Esau had their fights while growing up but it seems that the feud is still going on between the two nations.  Jacob had twelve sons and thus the nation of Israel was born and God had given Mt. Seir to Esau and his descendents as their possession and so God had instructed Moses to go around them and not to fight with them even though they would be afraid of Israel. 

            There was a time for fighting and a time for making peace and this was the time to avoid conflict and not began a war for that was God’s command to Moses and he followed it.  God had given Mt. Seir to Edom and will give the Promised Land to Israel.  “If more individuals, families, and nations were content with the blessings God has given them there would be less fighting among them.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Sometimes it is difficult for me to understand whether or not to be involved in a conflict or not.  I must trust the Lord to guide me as to whether or not to begin a conflict for I do know that there are times when I am not to be stepped on by others and then there are times when I am to turn the other cheek. 

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
2. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
3. Continue to learn contentment and to be content in all situations.

3/9/2009 7:35 AM