Dead Men Walking

Deuteronomy 2:1-23

Moses continues his history lesson.  So, if you recall, we started back through the wilderness.  We were headed to the Red Sea doing our best to avoid Seir.  Finally God said, you've put it off long enough, turn this camp north- we're going through Esau country.  They'll be afraid of you, but don't take advantage of the situation. Don't start any fights- you are not getting their land.  This is their's. Don't even help yourself to food and drink- whatever you get, pay for.  I've blessed you for 40 years, you don't need their stuff to survive.

So we passed on through- and then God gave me a very similar message- you'll be coming up on land belonging to Lot's people, don't harass them or take any of their land either.  I've given this land to them. Then God sent us across the Zered Valley.

Once we crossed the valley, 38 years had passed and all the fighting men had died.  At this point we finally reached the Moabites God spoke to me about and we passed on through.

At first glance this seems to be God pouring salt on the wound.  Look here are some people living in a land I've given them.  Notice how they aren't wandering.  OK, you've looked long enough- get back to walking.  In four more decades I'll give you another taste of some people I blessed.  They won't be you, but you can watch and remember how you messed up...before you start walking again.

But taking a step back, and taking into account the timing of Moses' retelling, perhaps Moses is saying- look people, now is not the time to give up.  We've been walking for ages- and look, God rewarded these people, He's about to reward us too!  

What's harder to come to peace with, though, is the perspective of these warriors who literally walked until they died.  What motivation would have kept them going?  Why not just leave the group to make the remaining Israelites able to enter the holy land sooner?  What kind of resentment would have existed from the generation that followed.

The truth is, if we had to pay for the sins of the generation that came before us, we'd never enter the promised land.  And the same would be true for the generation that follows us.  Without grace, none of us would ever make it home.