Did anyone ever tell you the Bible can be confusing?

 Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I attempt to read the Bible with fresh eyes, as if I don't know anything about it, and without consulting experts on what it "really" means.. Let's see where this takes us! 

I'm reading Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Deuteronomy 2

In Deuteronomy 2 Moses says that the nation of Esau, aka Edom, had let the Israelites pass through. In Numbers 20, however, we were told that Israel was barred from going through that territory. I noted, 

I found it interesting that the Israelites were denied passage by the King of Edom. Edomites are descendants of Esau. Although Esau and Jacob had reconciled, Esau had chosen to mix with the Canaanites, descendants of Ham. The Israelites are the descendants of Shem.

Ham represents the base, material self. Shem represents spirit. Edom refused to let the "spirit"  pass through, even temporarily.

Is there a contradiction in the narrative?

Maybe, maybe not. If there is no contradiction, what we have instead is a 38-year gap between Numbers 20:21 and Numbers 20:22:

21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through their territory, so Israel turned away from them.

[38 years later…]

22 They set out from Kadesh, and the Israelites, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.

What happened in between?

Beginning with Deuteronomy 1:46: 

“After you had stayed at Kadesh as many days as you did, 2 1 “we journeyed back into the wilderness, in the direction of the Red Sea, as the Lord had told me, and skirted Mount Seir for many days.

By this time, the generation that refused to enter Canaan out of fear had passed on, replaced by a more courageous class of warriors. 

Then, the LORD commands them to enter Edom once again, this time seemingly without asking for permission. 

Deuteronomy 2:14 says, "And the length of time we had traveled from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the Wadi Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation of warriors had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn concerning them."

The gap in years between the verses of Numbers 20:21-22 is the cause of confusion. As I speculated before, nothing much happened. Israel apparently kept to themselves and wasn't bothered by other nations.

What I gather is that the new generation of Israelites was bolder and more determined. It also could be said that the Edomites previously didn't trust the Israelites, but now were persuaded that they weren't a threat (to them, at least).

The 38 years in the wilderness of Kadesh were apparently a time for renewal and character-building for Israel, as the old generation gave way to the new.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, JL Cells, and The MVP Chase. Thanks for your subscriptions and support!

(Photo credit: TyshkunVictor)