In the directions first given to Moses concerning their passage through Edom, after declaring that the Edomites should be afraid of Israel, the Lord had forbidden His people to make use of this advantage against them. Because the power of God was engaged for Israel, and the fears of the Edomites would make them an easy prey, the Hebrews were not therefore to prey upon them. The command given them was, "Take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: 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." Deuteronomy 2:4, 5. The Edomites were descendants of Abraham and Isaac, and for the sake of these His servants, God had shown favor to the children of Esau. He had given them Mount Seir for a possession, and they were not to be disturbed unless by their sins they should place themselves beyond the reach of His mercy. The Hebrews were to dispossess and utterly destroy the inhabitants of Canaan, who had filled up the measure of their iniquity but the Edomites were still probationers, and as such were to be mercifully dealt with. God delights in mercy, and He manifests His compassion before He inflicts His judgments. He 424 teaches Israel to spare the people of Edom, before requiring them to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan.


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Rejsen uden om Edom

I sine første anvisninger til Moses om israelitternes rejse gennem Edom havde Herren erklæret, at edomitterne ville være bange for Israel, men samtidig havde han forbudt sit folk at drage fordel heraf. Selv om Gud stod på Israels side, og edomitternes frygt ville gøre dem til et let bytte, måtte hebræerne ikke udplyndre dem. Befalingen til dem lød: "I skal tage Eder vel i vare for at indlade Eder i krig med dem; thi jeg vil ikke give Eder så meget som en fodsbred af deres land, thi Esau har jeg givet Seirs bjerge i arv og eje." 5. Mos. 2, 4-5.

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