(Parenthetical Places)

“We turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab. 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.’ (The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. Like the Anakim they are also counted as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 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.) ‘Now rise up and go over the brook Zered.’ So we went over the brook Zered…

“The Lord said, ‘Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar. 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.’ (It is also counted as a land of Rephaim. Rephaim formerly lived there—but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim— 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)… ‘Rise up,.. go over the Valley of the Arnon.'” Deuteronomy 2:8b-13,18-21,24

The Lord gave explicit instructions to Moses as he led Israel toward the promised land- where to traverse, where to avoid. They’d encountered enough temptation and refused to trust God against formidable foes, so there were some to avoid altogether. In his command not to contend with Moab, he took a long parenthesis to describe their dispossession of Emim. Do not flirt with places that have been dispossessed. Keep them in parentheses. (Numbers 13:7-14:4,36-45)

What God has forgiven He casts into the sea to be removed and remembered no more. Idols are to be destroyed. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Shame, strange gods, and resentments are all enclosed by the parentheses of Christ’s mercy and blood. What prohibitions do we keep dragging out to possess them again? (Micah 7:19; 1 Corinthians 13:5)

In our lives there are practices and situations we’d do better to stay away from than have them bring our ruin. God knows how tall and strong they are. There are habits and temptations He’s enabled us to put away, or in His grace removed, and those are not to be revisited. There are hurts and transgressions we’ve forgiven we’re not to recall. No good comes from flirting with what He’s destroyed and wants us to reckon as such.

Are we daily seeking His plan for where to journey? How willing are we to accept His no? How easily do we succumb to distraction? When we keep prohibited places where they belong, we have the strength to take on the enemies He would have us fight and conquer. (Deuteronomy 2:31-37)

Lord, keep me on Your straight and narrow. Help me keep in parentheses every distraction from wholeheartedness and full trust in You and what You have done.