Deuteronomy 2:1–7

As I was reading these verses, a few really stood out to me, and I’d love to share this little morsel of Scripture as we explore the book of Deuteronomy. Moses is rehearsing the journey of the children of Israel through the wilderness. And here in chapter 2 he brings them back to those days when they were walking around Mount Seir.

“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. And the Lord spoke to me, saying: ‘You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward. 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. 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.”’ … 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.” (Deuteronomy 2:1–5, 7 NKJV)

We read in verse 1 that they journeyed into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea — most likely the area of the Gulf of Aqaba. That same region later became important in the days of Solomon. 1 Kings 9:26 tells us, “King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.” From there his ships carried on a thriving trade that brought great wealth to his court. So the Red Sea way the people of Israel were walking ran right along the edge of the land of Seir — the very territory the Lord had already given to Esau and his descendants.

Seir was not their mountain. God had given that land to Esau. Therefore the children of Israel were not to fight for it, claim it, or take even a single footstep of it as their own. They simply went around it. Day after day they skirted that mountain until the Lord Himself said the time had come to turn.

There is such quiet wisdom and deep kindness in that scene. I love how the Lord works with His people.

First of all, the Lord sets the boundaries. He knows what belongs to you and what does not. Seir belonged to Esau by the Lord’s own decision. Israel’s job was not to seize what God had assigned to someone else, but to keep walking the path He had marked for them. That keeps His people free from unnecessary battles and from that restless desire to possess what is not theirs. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is leave a mountain alone. Don’t meddle. Trust that the Lord has already decided whose inheritance is whose.

Then there is the timing. The Lord knows when it has been long enough. They circled for many days. It must have felt endless. Then the word came: “You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward.” God is never late and He is never early. He sees the whole journey. He knows when the circling has done its work and when it is time to face a new direction. We do not have to force the turn. We wait for His voice. How many times have we tried to force something that the Lord was still saying “not yet” to? Just keep skirting until He says it is time.

And then there is the kindness of the Lord in the waiting. Verse 7 is pure grace: “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.” While they were going around the mountain, God was not distant. He was present. He was providing. He was aware of every weary step. The wilderness was not empty of His care. He knows your trudging. That is such a beautiful thought. He is not unaware of the long days.

If the Lord has you skirting a mountain right now, don’t panic and don’t force it. He knows when it is long enough. And while you wait, He has not left you. You have lacked nothing.

That is the comfort of Seir. The same God who assigned the land, who timed the turn, and who supplied the people in the wilderness is still the God who walks with His own today. He is wise in His boundaries, perfect in His timing, and kind in His presence. You can trust Him with the mountain you are walking around, and you can rest in the knowledge that He has not left you alone while you wait. What a wonderful Lord we serve.