Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation

Deuteronomy 2:1-4 (ESV)
"Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea, as the LORD told me. And for many days we traveled around Mount Seir. [2] Then the LORD said to me, [3] ''You have been traveling around this mountain country long enough. Turn northward [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.

And for many days we traveled around Mount Seir. "Many days" here meaning 38 years. Thus Moses shortens all the things that had happened during those years. Korah's rebellion happened during these years, and Aaron's rod had budded as testimony against the rebels, but these are events insignificant to Moses, for Moses regrets these 38 years as wasted years. He wishes these years never had happened. True repentance thus produces regret and hatred of wasted years that are result of unbelief and sin. We despise the days of our lives that we spent in the wilderness of rebellion, those days when we were following the prince of the powers of the air, doing the will of the Gentiles and following the traditions of our fathers, bearing fruit of the deeds which we are now ashamed of.

You have been traveling around this mountain country long enough. Why did God make Israel make wander around Mount Seir? Perhaps it was to show them the misery of their state in refusing the blessing of God that God had promised to Jacob. God may have been showing Israel through the 38 years in the wilderness the 'blessedness' of Esau, whom God had HATED, as it is written:
Malachi 1:3 (ESV)
but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert."
Perhaps God was speaking to Israel during that time, 'Look at the how much I have 'blessed' Esau with this Mountain I have given them as a dwelling place, even though I hate them! But look at you: I love you, and would bless you with a land that is infinitely better, and give you a future that would glorify be through the birth of Christ. But look at you now, because you did not believe in my Word! You are homeless, walking as a cursed people, even though you are blessed!' Indeed it would have been painful for Israel to wander around the land of Esau for so long. They would have known that Esau had traded in his blessings for a pot of stew. And likewise this generation had traded in their blessings for flesh, for longing of Egypt.

They had become like Esau:
Hebrews 12:17 (ESV)
For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
Like Esau, though this generation had desired to inherit the land of Canaan, though they sought it with tears, they were rejected. Have a look at Moses:
Deuteronomy 3:23-27 (ESV)
"And I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, [24] ''O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? [25] Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.'' [26] But the LORD was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the LORD said to me, ''Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again. [27] Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan.

If Moses, the best of that generation, was thus refused entry to the inheritance, how could the rest of the generation inherit the land? Why did this happen? Because they despised the blessing, because they did not believe the worth of the inheritance, and counted cucumbers and leeks of Egypt of more worth than Christ. Do we desire the blessing and the promise of Jesus Christ more than all things? Then we will not do as Esau and this first generation did and sell our souls for a pot of stew. Judas sold Christ, but sold his own soul at the same time, for 30 pieces of silver. How much is Christ worth to our souls? Is He beyond all silver, all gold, and all the glories of the kingdoms of the earth combined? Is Christ more valuable than our own life?

Turn northward and command the people, "You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir. This does not mean through the middle of the land of the land of Esau. For Israel, while they were in Kadesh, had already asked to go through their land, by the King's highway, yet were refused:
Numbers 20:17-18 (ESV)
Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory." [18] But Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you."

So in this time God commands Israel to go around Edom, by its coasts. For it is written, that Israel had to "go around the land of Edom":
Numbers 21:4 (ESV)
From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.

As Israel saw later, this was the harder way, than through the midst of Edom, which was undoubtedly more comfortable. The way that leads to life is hard, but the way that leads to destruction is easy. By making Israel go through this narrow and hard way, God sanctified them, making their hearts to reveal what was in them. And as it was revealed in the incident of the Bronze serpent, there were still in their hearts the relics of complaining and unbelief. These needed to be revealed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The narrow way thus reveals our sins, that God may heal them through repentance and the Gospel. Thus the way of hardship is necessary for life.

They will be afraid of you. Edom had seen Israel circling around their land for this 38 years, and had become more and more terrified Israel's presence. It may be that they thought Israel would come and possess their land, which was why they had refused entry to them in Numbers 20. But now this fear had increased, that they do not resist Israel from at least going around them. Their boldness by which they resisted Israel is gone, and they are now frozen with terror. God had cast the shadow of fear upon the coasts of Edom, that Israel may pass by to their promise land. It is God who gives boldness:
Acts 4:29 (ESV)
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness
And it is also God who gives fear to whomever He pleases that His will and purposes will be fulfilled:
Deuteronomy 2:25 (ESV)
This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.''
The strength or weakness of our hearts are all in His hands. Let us ask for boldness, that our hearts may know of God's sovereignty and power over all things, that we may not be insecure or be fearful or any sudden terror, but be filled with all boldness to do His will.

So be very careful. Israel were not to take advantage of the fearful state that his brothers the Edomites were in, but to be careful that they don't cause any strife with them. Israel were not to threaten them, or to be as lords over them because of their fear, but to treat them with respect. Here we learn that Christians must also never take advantage of their religious authority over those who are weak. We are not to trample on those who are fearful, but strengthen the weak hands. We are not to use truths of the bible to destroy those who are weak and sensitive, but to speak the truth in love, that they may be healed with the balm of His love, while being convicted of sin. Just as God doesn't trample on those who tremble before Him, but looks into them, and treats to them tenderly, we are to treat tenderly those who fear us, and not make them be afraid even more. Christ, though His signs were fearful, loved to say to His disciples: "Do not fear". He calmed our fears by His tenderness. Likewise let us treat those who fear us, those who are weak, those who are humble. True godliness is not to be a tyrant. God never crushes those who are already contrite, but carries them carefully:
Isaiah 42:3 (ESV)
a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

The reason why God told Israel to "be careful" was perhaps that they had thought that God would deliver the land of Edom to them as a possession. They had possibly thought that God would destroy them like the inhabitants of Canaan. But God does not give Edom to them, for God had given the land to Esau, for, though not blessed with the Gospel, Esau is still the child of Issac. Also, Edom was still Israel's brother by the flesh, as God calls them "your brothers, the people of Esau". God still wants us to care for our families after the flesh, though they not be believers. God wants us to take care of them, and not treat them as one of our enemies. He wants us to be careful how we treat them, though they may resist our faith. We must treat them with utmost respect. For by doing this they may also come to faith, and become our spiritual family also. God does not want us to neglect them, even if our spirits have nothing in common. We have a responsibility for the people of our ethnicity, our race.