Hello my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
What if… as you stepped out into each new day, no matter where you live in the world, you had the assurance that you would be safe, that God had prepared the way for you, and that God would actually be with you no matter where you went that day?
Yesterday I left you sitting with Moses up on Mount Sinai reflecting on all Moses had heard from God in this remarkable, prolonged conversation Moses and God had been having about the guidelines God had for how these 1 million Hebrew former slaves could start living in community, as God’s people, with respect for each other, and without fear. It seems God must have paused, maybe for a long time in this conversation, for His closing comments turned from the guidelines for living. to God’s promises for the future. Moses must have been a bit overwhelmed as he heard God say: “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….” (Exodus 23:20)
So let me ask you my friends, what do you hear in these promises from God? I hear that FIRST, God promised to send His angel to go ahead of Moses and the people! They could have the assurance that everyday God’s angel was with them and guiding them.
Secondly, God promised this angel would lead them to the place God had prepared for them! That means either the angel knew all about this special place and how to lead them there, or God would instruct this angel on a daily basis, so the angel could lead them according to God’s plan for them. Now, what if you and I had that daily assurance? What would it be like to live like that… absolutely confident an angel from God was leading you and me to live each day, following a God prescribed path, that was leading us exactly how God wants us to live each day?
Wow, that would be amazing wouldn’t it! Did you know that is possible for you and me? In fact, that is God’s desire for us and He has made provision for us so we CAN live like that! This is exactly the role of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised God the Father would send to live within all those who fully trust Jesus to be their Savior and Lord! Jesus said to His disciples: “I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth…. He lives with you and will be in you… the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name will teach you all things… Peace I leave with you… do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:16-27) So I ask you my friends, all around the world… are you living today, with the Holy Spirit of God guiding you, counseling you, giving you His peace and calming your heart from fear, as Jesus promised, and as God promised Moses?
Do you see what else God promised Moses? This time it’s a warning: “Pay attention to him and listen to what the angel says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since My Name is in him.” (Exodus 23:21) Oh my! Do you hear God’s clear expectation of Moses and the people? Obedience! If God is going to all the trouble to send a guardian, guiding angel to lead these 1 million people exactly on the path God has for them, bringing them to God’s prepared and promised land, then this plan will only work if the people follow the angel, right? Do you know the difference between a shepherd of sheep and a herder of cattle? The shepherd leads from the front, calling his sheep and they follow his voice because they know and trust him. The herder of cattle leads from horseback, do you know why? Because he’s always riding around the herd of cattle, cracking his whip over them, keeping them together and heading in the right direction! So are you more like a sheep following Jesus closely, or a longhorn steer wandering around following your own agenda, charting your own path?
Now what do you think God meant when He said to Moses “Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since My Name is in him.” (Ex. 23:21) Is this a very high ranking angel, perhaps Michael or Gabriel, or is it possible, as some Bible scholars believe, that this angel is actually ‘the angel of the LORD’, an Old Testament appearance of Jesus?
Next God made this promise to Moses: “If you listen carefully to what he (the angel from God) says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and I will oppose those who oppose you. 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.” (Ex. 23:22,23) Do you hear God predicting to Moses that when these Hebrews follow His angel, and arrive at the land of promise, they will find it occupied by many peoples, yet God will enable the Hebrews to conquer the land and these people will be driven out by God’s power! Moses would not live long enough to see that, but Joshua would. Remember Joshua?
We met Joshua first in Exodus 17 as he led some Hebrew warriors in battle against the attacking Amalakites who tried to drive the Hebrews away from the miraculous water spewing rock in the desert at Rephidim! The Bible book of Joshua is the record of Joshua leading the Hebrews across the Jordan river and into this promised land and then chapter by chapter the story of this God promise, of Exodus 23:23, became reality! The rest of Exodus 23 is several specific promises God made to Moses explaining how God would bring victory for His people in that promised land. And then in closing this powerful statement from God: “Worship the LORD your God, and His blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.” (Exodus 23:25,26)
Oh my friends, what a wonderful chapter of promises from God for His people… all contingent on one thing: Obedience to God! May I ask, have you discovered the great joy, the remarkable fulfillment, of living life in this relationship with God. The Holy Spirit of God… alive in you, guiding you everyday, counseling you in every decision, protecting you from all enemies, providing for you what He knows you need, and blessing every aspect of your life! Is that your experience? As we close today, let’s again sit with Moses and simply ponder the remarkable promises he has heard from God and the one condition… obedience. Let’s look at our lives and consider how these promises of God have been at work in our lives? And here’s a song to help us consider these things as we reflect and we worship…
Today’s Scripture is Exodus 23:20-33.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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