"And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel…Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. 18 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. 19 And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet. 20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him"(Num. 20:18-21).
As the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness, they sought permission from the King of Edom to pass through the land of the Edomites. Edom refused to grant passage to the people of God. This refusal could have provoked the Israelites to go to battle against the Edomites, but Moses did not lead them to do so. Why? The Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s (Israel) brother. Instead of going to battle, they turned away and trusted God to lead them another way. In Christ we are called not just to turn away but to "overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:21). "Is there someone at work, at home, or in your church, who needs your kindness even if such kindness is undeserved? You may not be able to pull that off by yourself, but God can give you the grace to do it. Talk to Him about it, and then obey!" (F.B. Meyer).
The Apostle Paul wrote, “If possible, so far as it depends on you,(C) live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). For Jesus sake go that extra mile to be at peace with others and especially your brothers and sisters in Christ. “Jesus said “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9). Are you a peace maker or a trouble maker?
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