But Edom answered, "You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword." But Edom answeredEdom, the descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother, had a longstanding enmity with Israel. This response reflects the historical tension between the two nations. The refusal to allow passage is rooted in this ancient rivalry, highlighting the ongoing fulfillment of the prophecy given to Rebekah in Genesis 25:23, where two nations would be divided. “You may not travel through our land
Edom's land was strategically located, and allowing Israel passage would have been a significant gesture of goodwill. The King's Highway, a major trade route, ran through Edom, and denying access forced Israel to take a longer, more arduous route. This refusal underscores Edom's hostility and lack of hospitality, contrasting with the expected kinship between the two nations. or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”
This threat of military action indicates Edom's readiness to defend its territory aggressively. The sword symbolizes conflict and war, emphasizing the seriousness of Edom's refusal. This confrontation foreshadows future conflicts between Israel and Edom, as seen in 2 Samuel 8:13-14, where David subdues Edom. The imagery of the sword also serves as a reminder of the spiritual battles faced by God's people, pointing to the ultimate victory through Christ, who is often symbolized as the Word, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). Persons / Places / Events 1. EdomA nation descended from Esau, Jacob's brother. The Edomites were often in conflict with Israel, despite their shared ancestry. 2. IsraelitesThe descendants of Jacob, who were journeying from Egypt to the Promised Land. At this point, they were seeking passage through Edom. 3. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, who was responsible for negotiating with Edom for safe passage. 4. KadeshThe location where the Israelites were encamped when they requested passage through Edom. 5. The SwordRepresents the threat of military confrontation from Edom if Israel attempted to pass through their territory. Teaching Points Respect for BoundariesThe Israelites' request and Edom's refusal highlight the importance of respecting national and personal boundaries. In our lives, we should seek peaceful resolutions and respect others' limits. Consequences of Ancestral ConflictThe animosity between Edom and Israel serves as a reminder of how unresolved family conflicts can have long-lasting effects. We should strive for reconciliation and peace within our families. Trusting God's PlanDespite the refusal from Edom, God had a plan for Israel's journey. When faced with obstacles, we should trust in God's provision and guidance. Responding to RejectionThe Israelites faced rejection from Edom, yet they continued their journey. In our lives, we should learn to handle rejection with grace and perseverance, trusting that God will open another path. The Power of WordsEdom's threat of the sword shows the power of words to incite fear and conflict. We should be mindful of our words and use them to build up rather than tear down. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the refusal of Edom to allow passage reflect the historical relationship between Esau and Jacob? How can understanding this history help us in resolving our own family conflicts? 2. In what ways can we apply the principle of respecting boundaries in our personal and professional relationships? 3. How does the Israelites' response to Edom's refusal demonstrate trust in God's plan? Can you think of a time when you had to trust God despite facing obstacles? 4. What lessons can we learn from Edom's threat of violence about the impact of our words and actions on others? 5. How can we find peace and reconciliation in situations where there is a history of conflict, as seen between Israel and Edom? What other scriptures can guide us in this pursuit? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 25:23This verse speaks of the prophecy given to Rebekah about her twins, Jacob and Esau, indicating that two nations would come from them and that the older would serve the younger. This sets the stage for the ongoing tension between Israel and Edom. Obadiah 1:10-14This passage condemns Edom for its violence against Israel, highlighting the historical animosity and lack of brotherly compassion. Deuteronomy 2:4-5God instructs the Israelites not to provoke Edom because He has given Mount Seir to Esau's descendants. This shows God's sovereignty and the boundaries He sets for nations. People Aaron, Egyptians, Eleazar, Israelites, Miriam, MosesPlaces Edom, Egypt, Kadesh-barnea, King's Highway, Meribah, Mount Hor, ZinTopics Attack, Edom, However, Lest, March, Meet, Pass, Sword, TryDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 20:18 8447 hospitality, examples
8728 enemies, of Israel and Judah Library August 17. "Speak Ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8).
"Speak ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8). The Holy Ghost is very sensitive, as love always is. You can conquer a wild beast by blows and chains, but you cannot conquer a woman's heart that way, or win the love of a sensitive nature; that must be wooed by the delicate touches of trust and affection. So the Holy Ghost has to be taken by a faith as delicate and sensitive as the gentle heart with whom it is coming in touch. One thought of unbelief, one expression of impatient distrust or fear, will instantly …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth The Waters of Meribah
'Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3. And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4. And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Kadesh. Rekam, and that Double. Inquiry is Made, Whether the Doubling it in the Maps is Well Done.
The readers of the eastern interpreters will observe, that Kadesh is rendered by all Rekam, or in a sound very near it. In the Chaldee, it is 'Rekam': in the Syriac, 'Rekem': in the Arabic, 'Rakim'... There are two places noted by the name Rekam in the very bounds of the land,--to wit, the southern and eastern: that is, a double Kadesh. I. Of Kadesh, or Rekam, in the south part, there is no doubt. II. Of it, in the eastern part, there is this mention: "From Rekam to the east, and Rekam is as the …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XI. 2-30; ^C Luke VII. 18-35. ^c 18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things. ^a 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent by his disciples ^c 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them unto the Lord [John had been cast into prison about December, a.d. 27, and it was now after the Passover, possibly in May or June, a.d. 28. Herod Antipas had cast John into prison because John had reproved him for taking his brother's wife. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought. …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Peræa to Bethany. Raising of Lazarus.
^D John XI. 1-46. ^d 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [For Bethany and the sisters, see p. 478.] 2 And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair [John xii. 3 ], whose brother Lazarus was sick. [The anointing had not yet taken place, as John himself shows. For a similar anticipation see Matt. x. 4. There are five prominent Marys in the New Testament: those of Nazareth, Magdala and Bethany; the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6 Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 20:18 NIVNumbers 20:18 NLTNumbers 20:18 ESVNumbers 20:18 NASBNumbers 20:18 KJV
Numbers 20:18 Commentaries
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