Chapter 2

After much wandering they went through Seir, the land given to Esau, but they respected that land, purchased what food and water they needed, because the land was not theirs, and not to be theirs.  This verse:

4 and command the people, "You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful. 5 Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. [Deu 2:4-5 ESV]

As I read about the travels in Numbers, I don't recall seeing that they paid for everything in Seir.  I surely don't remember that the reason was because God had given this land to Esau's descendants.  But remember, Esau was also blessed by Abraham, and God said He would multiply him.  Here is God's statement that though much may go wrong in Seir, God gave it to Abraham's descendants, and I'm betting it will be preserved for them.  Another addition to studying the prophecies about these nations in various places.

Next they went to Moab.  They were not to disturb Moab either, because God had given it to Lot for a possession. 

These verses:

9 And the LORD said to me, 'Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession.' ... 12 The Horites also lived in Seir formerly, but the people of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, as Israel did to the land of their possession, which the LORD gave to them.) [Deu 2:9, 12 ESV]

This verse dates the "passing through" of Seir and Moab:

14 And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. [Deu 2:14 ESV]  So they went through these two countries after the people had embraced the 10 bad reports, attempted to take Canaan on their own, and been defeated.  They went through these places after God had said that whole generation was to perish.  And after Seir and Moab - where they purchased supplies, they were sent out into the wilderness to wander for 38 years.

And at the end of that time, upon coming out of the wilderness, we get this:

18 'Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar. 19 And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.' [Deu 2:18-19 ESV]

Imagine...Israel had been "sentenced to wander" and a whole generation to die because of their lack of faith at the border of Canaan. From there, they pass through Seir and Moab - and see first hand that God keeps his promises to give land to Abraham's descendants, and to keep them safe in what He gives them.  They wander and die for 38 years, and when that is over, the lesson is repeated.  They come out of the wilderness through Ammon, another country that is possessed by the descendants of Abraham because God gave them that land and now preserves them in that land.  The bookends of the wilderness wandering were visible evidences of God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises.  They had totally missed out at the border of Canaan.  Wow. 

But there is still more...At the end of the description of Moab and Arnon, there are parenthetical references about the inhabitants.  As to Moab it says this:

10 (The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. 11 Like the Anakim they are also counted as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 The Horites also lived in Seir formerly, but the people of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, as Israel did to the land of their possession, which the LORD gave to them.)  [Deu 2:10-12 ESV]

...and about Ammon it says this:

19 And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.' 20 (It is also counted as a land of Rephaim. Rephaim formerly lived there--but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim-- 21 a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; but the LORD destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they dispossessed them and settled in their place, [Deu 2:19-21 ESV]

Why so much information about their being giants in Moab and Ammon?  Because of this:

28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. [Num 13:28 ESV]

...and also this:

32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." [Num 13:32-33 ESV]

The 10 spies based their recommendation to avoid Canaan on the size of the people who lived there.  They were giants, descended from giants.  This was the point that carried the day for those recommending cowardice.  So on their way into the wilderness, and again when they exit, God shows Israel land that He has given to Abraham's descendants that was also previously occupied by giants - yet God gave it to the "little people" just as He had promised.  On the way to the wandering, those who were cowards were shamed for their cowardice, and on the way out, the new generation was reminded that giants are nothing when God leads the charge.  I never ever heard this before, I never noticed this before today.

Next, God, through Moses, told the people to go over the Valley of the Arnon, and take possession of the land of Sihon, the Amorite, King of Heshbon.  And that fear will be struck into the peoples under the whole heaven.  This was done, and they killed men, women, and children.  They took all his cities and villages, and lived in them.  (Seems to me the chronology says they lived there for a couple of years, more or less., since this was after 38 years of wandering and they don't actually enter Canaan until year 40.).