Deuteronomy 2:1-25 NKJV
2 “Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness of the Way of the Red Sea, as the Lord spoke to me, and we skirted Mount Seir for many days.
2 “And the Lord spoke to me, saying: 3 ‘You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward. 4 And command the people, saying, “You are about to pass through the territory of your brethren, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. Therefore watch yourselves carefully. 5 Do not meddle with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as one footstep, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6 You shall buy food from them with money, that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink.
7 “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.” ’
8 “And when we passed beyond our brethren, the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir, away from the road of the plain, away from Elath and Ezion Geber, we turned and passed by way of the Wilderness of Moab. 9 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’ ”
10 (The Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. 11 They were also regarded as giants, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 The Horites formerly dwelt in Seir, but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their place, just as Israel did to the land of their possession which the Lord gave them.)
13 “ ‘Now rise and cross over the Valley of the Zered.’ So we crossed over the Valley of the Zered. 14 And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they were consumed.
16 “So it was, when all the men of war had finally perished from among the people, 17 that the Lord spoke to me, saying: 18 ‘This day you are to cross over at Ar, the boundary of Moab. 19 And when you come near the people of Ammon, do not harass them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’ ”
20 (That was also regarded as a land of giants; giants formerly dwelt there. But the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, 21 a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. But the Lord destroyed them before them, and they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place, 22 just as He had done for the descendants of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them. They dispossessed them and dwelt in their place, even to this day. 23 And the Avim, who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza—the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their place.)
24 “ ‘Rise, take your journey, and cross over the River Arnon. Look, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and engage him in battle. 25 This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’
It’s often the case that our sense of timing and purpose must concede to the greater timing, plan, and purpose of the Lord. In our reading for today from Deuteronomy 2:1–25, Moses continues recounting Israel’s wilderness journey, highlighting God’s providence and guidance. After years of wandering, the time finally comes for Israel to move forward. But God is not just directing them to conquest—He is also teaching them patience, respect, and trust.
God commands Israel not to harass Edom, Moab, or Ammon—nations with historical ties to them through Esau and Lot. Though these nations had their flaws, God had given them their land, and Israel was not to take it. In this, we see God’s sovereignty and His faithfulness to all His promises—not just to Israel, but to other peoples as well.
Then, in verses 24–25, God signals a turning point: “Begin to possess it.” The long season of waiting is ending. Now, God will cause fear to fall upon Israel’s enemies. Victory is coming—but on God’s terms, in His timing.
We see in this passage a picture of God’s providential care and purposeful delay. God shapes us in the wilderness just as He shaped Israel—teaching us to live by every word that comes from His mouth. We don’t always understand the waiting or the detours, but we trust in the One who leads us. We often find ourselves in seasons of waiting—wandering through hard places, asking when God will act. But this passage reminds us that delays are not denials. God is not absent in the wilderness. He is preparing, teaching, and leading—even when we can’t see the full picture.
We also see in this passage a foreshadowing of Christ, who fulfilled the law and led His people not into an earthly territory, but into an eternal kingdom. Through His cross and resurrection, Jesus conquered our true enemies—sin, death, and the devil—and now leads us in the triumph of Easter joy.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, You are the Lord of time and history. Forgive us when we grow impatient in the wilderness seasons of our lives. Teach us to trust in Your perfect timing and to walk humbly with You. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.