Deuteronomy 2:3-6 "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."
The Lord had commanded the people to stop circling the mountain and begin the
final phase of their journey into the Promised Land. We see the Lord warning
the people to stay away from certain areas and certain people. One such group
of people were the descendants of Esau. Though he did not receive the blessing
that had been in store for him, Esau did receive a blessing wherein he and his
descendants occupied a place to inhabit. The people of Israel were
forbidden to go through their land; rather, they were to go around. God
permitted them to only have interaction in purchasing food and water from the
children of Esau.
The wording of verse 5 is interesting. "Meddle not with them."
What did the Lord mean when He told them not to meddle with the children of
Esau? Let's look at the definition so we can be certain of His lesson to
them and also the lesson for us today. The Strong's Concordance says the
word, meddle, means to stir up or excite anger. Webster's 1828
Dictionary shows the meaning to be "mixing or mingling with the concerns
of others in which such concern is not necessary." Why would God
tell His children not to mix, mingle, or to place or insert themselves into the
concerns of the children of Esau? I do not pretend to know the mind of
God, but it seems to me that He knew Israel would get completely immersed into
the routines and habits of the people if they began to insert themselves into
the daily activities of Esau. His intention was to take them to the
Promised Land, not for them to stop before they arrived.
What lesson can you and I receive from today's verses. Is there an application
for us today? When you look at the total picture of Jacob and Esau, you
will see a view of the battle between the flesh and the Spirit. Jacob,
whose name was changed by God to Israel, represents the spiritual nature of the
child of God. Esau represents the carnal nature with which you and I still must
contend. We have a daily warfare that is raging within every Spirit born child
of God. Jesus approached this subject by stating it in this manner:
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24)
There is no way to place a number on the number of people who felt they could
"meddle" with the things of the world and still serve God.
There have been so many people who meddled with drugs, alcohol, and so many
other things of the world, only to find themselves enmeshed in its trap and
unable to get out. God tells us today that we are to take care of the
flesh of our body, that is to try to stay healthy; but we are not to feed the
carnal nature of our minds. We cannot meddle, insert ourselves in the
things of the carnal world, without becoming entangled in the web of deceit
that the world is so adept in using. Let us feed the Spiritual things
through prayer, reading and studying the Bible, and surrounding ourselves with
Godly people.