Numbers 20:14
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
From Kadesh, where Israel was encamped only a short distance from Edom's border, Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom because both he and the people greatly desired to take the route through Edom to the promised land. The sending was done as God had directed and took the form of a courteous request. The message appealed to Edom as brother to Israel, as a brother people and kin.
It reminded the king that he knew all the hardship that had befallen them, including affliction in Egypt and deliverance from it, and stated that they were then at Kadesh on the edge of his border. It asked permission to pass through only by the king's highway, without going through fields or vineyards or drinking well water and without turning aside until past his borders. That passage would have allowed the Edomites to see Israel's worship and how God prospers those who love and fear him.
Because Israel delayed through complaint and unbelief, the opportunity for God to lead them through Edom and incline its people to show favor passed, so the request came too late. Edom and its king refused to let Israel pass through. The refusal forced Israel to turn back to cross the desert again by the long, difficult route by the Red Sea, still dependent on the miraculous spring for water even though God had already provided water in answer to their complaints. Despite the refusal, Israel acted peaceably toward Edom, doing no harm to its people or possessions and showing no hostility.