Give the people these orders: 'You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. – Deuteronomy 2:4

Today's Scripture Reading (February 18, 2025): Deuteronomy 2

Many years ago, I chased a mouse throughout my house. It was late; my wife had already gone to bed when I started to hear something running through the house. I emptied boxes and looked into corners, but while I could hear the animal, I couldn't find it. Late hours became early hours, but the chase was still on. Going to bed didn't seem to be an option. I realize that once you become aware of a mouse in your house, your problem is much bigger than just a single animal. But still, I was obsessed with this one mouse. Finally, in the early morning hours, I cornered it. Then, the mouse attacked. Yeah, it wasn't much of a fight, but in the end, I was shocked enough at the change in strategy that the mouse made it into a closet and a box filled with winter footwear. I tossed the contents of the box outside and watched my mouse jump from the box and away from me.

The phrase, "a cornered rat is a dangerous rat," is an English expression that seems to have risen in the 1700s. Then, the phrase started multiplying and started featuring several different animals. It appears that a rat, or in my case, a mouse, just doesn't present a terrifying enough image to the listener, although I am not sure that I would want to take on a cornered rat. As a result, the animal in the phrase morphed into something else. One of the images became a cornered tiger. However, there is a problem with the change that we sometimes seem to overlook. What makes the original phrase powerful is that a rat, when compared to a human, is a relatively small, weak animal. So, when it goes on attack, there is a change in relationship; the hunted becomes the hunter. However, a tiger is a scary animal, whether cornered or not. All of this makes the rat a better choice for the expression. 

God instructed Moses to tell Israel that they were about to go through the land of some of their relatives, beginning with Edom. He tells them the Edomites would fear them, but they should still be careful. If they were cornered, the Edomites would fight, but that was not the situation God desired. The Edomites could be dangerous, so don't provoke them. Move through their territory with respect and in an attitude of peace. 

Maybe God was looking into the future and a day when the most famous Edomite would be a thorn in the side of Israel. His name was Herod the Great. According to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (c. 37-c. 100), Herod was an Idumean, meaning that he was a descendant of Esau and the Edomites. During the time of Jesus, Herod was the King of the Jews, even though he was not a descendant of David. Herod was also paranoid and dangerous. And it was Israel that had let him because of the sin into which the nation continually seemed to fall. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 3