Follow The Cloud

Follow the Cloud

Q: When the king of Edom refused to let the Israelites pass through his land, they went through it anyway.

• True
• False

Do you remember Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah? Jacob’s descendants became the nation of Israel, and Esau’s descendants became the nation of Edom. The Israelites were approaching Edom on their way to the Promised Land. A well-traveled trade route went through the country, and Moses asked permission to use it to pass through the land. Moses promised that his people wouldn’t eat the food, drink the water, or harm the land in any way.

The king of Edom said no. He may have been afraid the Israelites would take his nation’s crops. Or maybe he thought the Israelites would attack his country. Either way, he refused to let them pass through, and Moses turned back.

Did God direct Moses to turn back to avoid conflict, or did Moses turn back without consulting God? We don’t know. Remember, the cloud was leading the Israelites on their journey. If the cloud went ahead, then Moses should have also. If the cloud led them around Edom, then that was the right thing to do.

There will be obstacles on your journey through life. Sometimes God may remove an obstacle, and other times he might lead you through it. Sometimes, he may lead you around it. It’s important to pay attention to God’s guidance so you know where he’s taking you.

For You

Sometimes it’s hard to know what God wants you to do. It might be easier if you had a cloud to guide you like Moses did. Even though you don’t have that, you do have God’s Word—the Bible—and Christian leaders to help you find the way. Stay focused so you’ll know which way to go.

Answer: False

Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around.   Numbers 20:21

(The Whole Story: Numbers 20:14-21)