The Angel Will Go Before Israel

23:20 “I am going to send an angel before you to protect you as you journey and to bring you into the place that I have prepared. 23:21 Take heed because of him, and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for my name is in him. 23:22 But if you diligently obey him and do all that I command, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will be an adversary to your adversaries. 23:23 For my angel will go before you and bring you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I will destroy them completely. 23:24 “You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. Instead you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones to pieces. 23:25 you must serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove sickness from your midst. 23:26 No woman will miscarry her young or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days. 23:27 “I will send my terror before you, and I will destroy all the people whom you encounter; I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 23:28 I will send hornets before you that will drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite before you. 23:29 I will not drive them out before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild animals multiply against you. 23:30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you become fruitful and inherit the land. 23:31 I will set your boundaries from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River, for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. 23:32 “You must make no covenant with them or with their gods. 23:33 They must not live in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

God promised to send his angel ahead of Israel to guard them and lead them into the land he had prepared. If they obeyed his voice, he would fight for them and drive out their enemies. But Israel had to reject the gods and worship of Canaan, or the land would become a snare.

This passage closes the covenant laws with a promise and a warning. The Lord says he will send an angel before Israel. This angel is not to be treated lightly, because he speaks with the Lord’s authority. Israel must listen and not rebel.

If they obey, the Lord will oppose their enemies and bring them into the land. He names the nations that will be driven out. The victory belongs to him, not to Israel’s own strength.

The Lord also warns Israel not to bow down to the gods of the land. They must not copy Canaanite worship. They are to tear down the false places of worship and serve the Lord alone. Then he will bless their bread and water, remove sickness, and give life and fruitfulness in the land.

The conquest will not happen all at once. The Lord says he will drive the people out little by little. He will do this wisely, so the land will not become empty and wild animals will multiply. He also sets out the borders of the land he will give.

The final warning is clear. Israel must not make covenants with the people of the land or with their gods. If they do, those gods will become a trap. The gift of the land must be received with obedience and exclusive worship.

• God goes before his people and leads them.
• The angel carries the Lord’s authority and must be obeyed.
• Victory over the nations comes from the Lord.
• Israel must not worship the gods of Canaan.
• Blessing in the land depends on covenant faithfulness.
• God may give his purposes gradually, not all at once.
• Idolatry becomes a snare to God’s people.

• Warning: do not rebel against the angel.
• Promise: God will be an enemy to Israel’s enemies if they obey.
• Warning: do not bow down to Canaanite gods.
• Command: tear down their sacred stones and serve the Lord alone.
• Promise: the Lord will bless bread and water and remove sickness.
• Promise: the conquest will happen little by little.
• Warning: do not make covenants with the people or their gods.
• Warning: their gods will be a snare if Israel serves them.

This passage fits the covenant life of Israel at Sinai. God is bringing his redeemed people into the land promised to their fathers. It shows that the land is a gift, but it must be enjoyed under God’s rule. In the larger Bible story, it points to the need for a faithful mediator and for God to lead his people into their inheritance.

God’s people should listen carefully to his word and not mix true worship with false worship. They should trust God’s timing and his way of giving help. The passage also warns against compromise with idols, since false worship can become a trap.

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