“Israel’s Guardian Angel” (Exodus 23:20–33)

“Israel’s Guardian Angel” (Exodus 23:20–33)
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Eastside Baptist Church
Sunday PM, October 7, 2018

Exodus 23:20–33 (NIV)

²⁰ “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. ²¹ Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. ²² If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. ²³ My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. ²⁴ Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. ²⁵ Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, ²⁶ and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

²⁷ “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. ²⁸ I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. ²⁹ But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. ³⁰ Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.

³¹ “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you. ³² Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. ³³ Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.”

1. The Lord promises to guard and guide his people to their ultimate destination (20–23).

a. The Lord sent an angel to guard and guide his people (20).
b. The Lord expected his people to listen to and obey his angel, because the angel carried God’s name and was God’s representative among the people (21).
c. As they obeyed the Lord’s angel, the Lord promised to protect them, defeat their enemies, and bring them to their appointed home (22–23).

2. The Lord expects exclusive worship and obedience from his people (24–33).

a. Exclusive Worship (24): God rightly expects exclusive loyalty from his people.
b. There are Covenant Blessings for Loyalty (25–31).

i. Basic Necessities: Food and Water (25)
ii. Physical Health: No plagues/diseases (25)
iii. Fertility (26)
iv. Long Life (26)
v. Victory in the face of Enemies (27–28)
vi. Progressive Possession of the Land (29–30)
vii. Expansive Territory (31)

c. A Renewed Call for Vigilance against False Worship (32–33).

i. No covenants with pagan peoples in the land (32).
ii. No agreements or allegiance given to pagan gods (32).
iii. No association or cohabitation with pagan peoples (33).