We’re wrapping up our look at the Book of the Covenant and moving on to the building of the Tabernacle. The first thing we encounter in the passage is the “angel of the covenant.”
“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).
It seems clear that the angel of the covenant was Jesus in His pre-human form. Just as God’s name was present in his temple, this angel, carrying the very authority of God’s name, shows us that God himself is present in his Son.
The prophet Malachi provides further evidence that the angel of the covenant is more than just a typical angel, no matter how important that might seem.
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.
The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? (Malachi 3:1-2)
If Israel obeys this angel, they’ll receive all the blessings mentioned in the text. But even though they’re commanded not to rebel against him, that’s exactly what they do.
God’s Personal Involvement
The presence of the angel of the covenant powerfully reminds us that God wants to be personally involved in human lives. This pre-incarnate form of Jesus was God’s way of connecting with the creation he loves, and he was formed to participate in the redemption of the world.
It’s good to remember that the very same Jesus who guided God’s people before they entered the Promised Land is the one we pray to today. We can interact with God because He truly cares for us and wants to include us in His life.
It would be a huge mistake to take such a gift lightly. Instead, let’s pursue it with all our hearts!
Serve the Lord Alone
When the Israelites entered the land, they were forbidden from mixing with its inhabitants. Specifically, they were not to adopt the idolatrous practices of the land; instead, they were to completely remove them.
In return, God promised to take care of them in significant and important ways.
“When my angel goes in front of you and brings you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I blot them out,
You shall not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices, but you shall utterly demolish them and break their pillars in pieces.
You shall serve the Lord your God, and I will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.
No one shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days” (Exodus 23:23-26).
If you’re familiar with the Old Testament prophets, you’ll know that a major failing of God’s people was their refusal to separate themselves from the Canaanite gods.
The Canaanite people believed certain gods provided them with food, good seasons, and fertility.
Instead of trusting God wholeheartedly, the Israelites adopted these Canaanite practices and ultimately faced God’s judgment for their behavior.
At its core, idolatry is about human beings believing they know what they need and want, and then trying to manipulate a god or gods to get it. It’s entirely human-centered. The opposite of this is simply trusting God.
God wants us to be God-focused, as we surrender to Him, we trust Him to take care of our needs.
My friends in AA often talk about taking a personal inventory. We’d be wise to do the same in our own lives, examining ourselves for areas of idolatry. Are there things we believe we need, causing us to pursue substitutes for God to get what we want?
In his book Money, Sex, and Power, Richard Foster points out the three biggest idols in American culture. How do these impact our lives, or are there other similar aspects we need to examine and remove so that God is truly central to our worship?
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 