Pam Padgett ... teacher
As God led the children of Israel to the land He had promised them, they
came to lands inhabited by other peoples. Some of these lands had long
before been given by God to Esau and the children of Lot. Because HE
had already given these lands, God did not allow the children of
Israel to possess them, faithfully upholding that He had given these lands to Esau and the children of Lot.
God had given mount Seir to Esau to possess. The children of Israel
were instructed to pass though the land and purchase meat and water, but
they were not to meddle with the people ...
Deuteronomy 2:1 Then we turned, and took our journey into the
wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the Lord spake unto me: and we
compassed mount Seir many days. 2 And the Lord spake unto me, saying, 3
Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. 4 And
command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of
your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall
be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: 5 Meddle
not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as
a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a
possession. 6 Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and
ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink. 7 For the
Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth
thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord
thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
God had also given Ar to the children of Lot to possess. (Lot's son
Moab is father of the Moabites, and his son Benammi is the father of the
children of Ammon (Genesis 19)). Because of this, the children of
Israel were not to distress the Moabites or Ammonites or battle with
them ...
Deuteronomy 2:8 And when we passed by from our brethren the
children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from
Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the
wilderness of Moab. 9 And the Lord said unto me, Distress not the
Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee
of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the
children of Lot for a possession. .... 18 Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:
19 And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon,
distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the
land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it
unto the children of Lot for a possession.
We're also told that God destroyed the inhabitants of the lands
before the children of Esau and the children of Lot, so the people God
gave the land to were able to dwell in them ...
Deuteronomy 2:17 That the Lord spake unto me, saying, 18 Thou
art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day: 19 And when
thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not,
nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the
children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the
children of Lot for a possession. 20 (That also was accounted a land of
giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them
Zamzummims; 21 A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but
the Lord destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt
in their stead: 22 As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in
Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded
them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day: 23 And the Avims
which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came
forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)
God gave lands to Esau and to the children of Lot to possess. And God was
faithful to His word, destroying the inhabitants
of those lands before the children of Esau and the children of Lot so
they could dwell in the lands.
And when God led the
children of Israel to the land promised to them, He continued to be faithful to His word to Esau and the children of Lot ... not allowing the children of Israel to even
meddle or distress the children of Esau and the children of Lot nor to possess even a foot of their lands, for God
had given them their lands to possess.
God is faithful to do as He has said.