Numbers 20: Edom refuses passage

Synopsis:

The congregation move on to the Desert of Zin into Kadesh. Miriam dies. There is no water here so the people complain and Moses asks God for help and he has him break open a rock to reveal a spring. Moses sends out an envoy to the King of Edom. Tells him we are related and we would like to pass through your territory peacefully. The Kingdom of Edom refuses them passage so they turn away and journey to Mount Hor. God decides it’s time for Aaron to die and asks Moses to take him up to the top of Mount Hor, strip Aaron of his clothes and give them to his son Eleazor, which he does. And Aaron dies.  Everyone mourns for 30 days.

In other words:

They go to the desert, everyone complains of lack of water and Miriam dies. Moses finds a spring and tries to get permission to pass through the Kingdom of Edom and is refused. Everyone ends up at the base of Mount Hor where Aaron dies.

Favorite bit: 

(Numbers 20: 2-5) Why did you bring us here? We should have died with everyone else. Why did we let you talk us into going into the desert? We’re all going to die. We should have stayed in Egypt!

Least favorite bit:

(Numbers 20:14-22) That the King of Edom didn’t give them passage through his lands. I can understand why. A group of anywhere from 60,000 to 600,0000 people is a HUGE number of people. They can’t just pass through. It’s would be like allowing a huge group of religious zealot refugees passage through your land. Not a group most rulers would be willing to trust.

Moral Lesson Learned:

(Numbers 20: 11) Always make sure you have a source of clean water.
(Numbers 20:20-21) Never trust large groups of zealots