At the burning bush, God revealed his plans for the Israelites.
Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings,
“And I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey
“To the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
“Now go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt” (Exodus 3.7-8 and 10).
The short form of God’s plans involved his activity on behalf of the Hebrews. Moses was not eliminated from the equation. Moses was to be God’s active agent in the work.
Henry Blackaby rightly calls this a “crisis of faith.”
Yes, God has declared his purpose. Yet, we have to act in faith in what he has revealed as his will.
As the events unfold throughout the Book of Exodus, faith should build from one event to another.
The people lived through the night of Passover. Two million freed slaves walked across the Red Sea, while God protected them from Pharaoh’s chariots.
God provided food and water as they traveled through the wilderness.
A good portion of God’s burning bush message to Moses had been fulfilled by the time we read Exodus 23. The next step in the journey was to possess the land of Canaan.
God Restates His Purpose
God restated his purpose to Moses in chapter 23.
“I am going to send an angel in front of you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.
“Be attentive to him and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.
“But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes” (Exodus 23.20-22).
The church recognizes the “angel of the Lord” as the pre-incarnate second person of the Trinity (Jesus).
The angel of the Lord would lead, guard, and bring God’s people to God’s prepared destination.
The presence and guidance of the angel of the Lord is a powerful picture of God’s unwavering support, love, and promise to his believers, making it undeniably good news for them.
Let’s meditate on that thought for a few moments.
(1) God is actively involved in our lives and desires to lead and protect us.
His leadership may be like walking through the woods with a flashlight. God doesn’t show us the end but invites us to walk with him.
As we walk with God, his direction will be clear for the next steps we need to take.
(2) Just as the presence of the angel of the Lord assured the Israelites that God was in the process of fulfilling his promises, so does the presence of the Holy Spirit do for us.
The Spirit strengthens our faith and trust in God.
(3) The very fact that God would send his angel or the Holy Spirit to be with his people shows the depth of His love and care for them.
This is a profound affirmation of our value and worth in the eyes of God.
Pay Attention and Listen
Verses 21 and 22 emphasize the need to pay attention and listen to the angel of the Lord.
One of the most sacred verses of Hebrew persons is Deuteronomy 6.4-5. It begins with a call to “hear.”
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6.4-5).
To listen or hear from God always implies “to obey.”
When God communicates to humans, the proper response is always to pay attention, listen, and obey.
Hearing and obeying God’s voice should be self-evident, but God encourages this activity with incentives.
(1) By following God’s instructions, we position ourselves to receive His favor.
“If you will only obey the Lord your God, by diligently observing all his commandments that I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth;
“All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2).
(2) God’s wisdom is beyond compare. He is willing to guide our steps. The safest place to be is following his will.
Those who listen to me will be secure
and will live at ease without dread of disaster.” (Proverbs 1:33)
(3) Listening to the Lord and following his direction is the path to greater intimacy in our relationship.
Jesus answered, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them” (John 14:23).
Praise God!
When we look at God’s willingness to involve himself in our lives to guide us and bring us to our personal Promised Land, we stand in awe of his love and grace.
We consider his desire to bless us as we listen to him and follow his directions and our hearts fill with praise.
Let’s express our gratitude to God for his love today. Let’s also determine to listen to and follow his directions for our lives.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 