God's Offer (Exodus 23:20-33; Jude 5) Series

The past several weeks, while working through the Book of the Covenant in Exodus, we've seen God set out his expectations for how his people will live toward him, and toward each other. Some of these expectations have been straightforward rules. God has specific do's and don'ts for how his people should live-- things like the ten commandments, in particular, are pretty straightforward.

Now, the straightforward nature of some of God's rules has led some people to think of everything we've read as "legalistic." You could get the impression that obeying God is like following a check list, or set of rules. But that's not what God is doing.

It's not just like there's simply a to-do list, and a not-to-do list. God's rules are designed to shape your spiritual and moral imaginations. They give you a perspective for how you should view possessions (Exodus 22:1-14), and people, and work, and land, and God, and other elohim (Exodus 22:20). They force you to rethink how you will treat the poor, and the rich, and your enemy. Really, you could say that the Book of the Covenant is designed to transform people's minds, so that they will be able to recognize right from wrong ("test and approve"), and live in a way that meets God's desire ("his will") for them (Romans 12:1-2).

And if God's people obey these laws, they will become a kingdom of priests, who truly love God and people from the heart. That's God's goal (Exodus 19:6). And when God's people fail in this-- and that's a "when," and not an "if," God's people make it right. If they steal, they repay. If they harm, they repay. God's people don't always get it right the first time, but when they fail, they fix it. In the end, they create "shalom" by restoring relationships, and making people whole.

In all of this, we've seen that what God is looking for is entirely logical, and reasonable. And his expectations are clear. God wants obedience, and undivided loyalty.

At this point, in Exodus 23:20, God transitions, mostly, to talking about his own role. Here, God describes his offer to his people. What does God promise his people, if they fully commit to him? We know what God wants FROM us. What will God do, FOR us?

Verse 20-22:

(20) LOOK! I am sending a messenger/angel before you

to guard/keep you on the road,

and to bring you to the place

that I have prepared.

(21) Guard yourself before him,

and heed his voice.

Don't rebel against him,

because he will not forgive your transgressions,

because my name [is] in him/his inner parts.

(22) but if you actually/surely heed his voice,

and you do all

that I have spoken,

(then) I will be an enemy to your enemies,

and I will oppress/cause trouble to your oppressors/troublers,

One of the things that God's people struggle with, at least today, in the West, is God's will for their life. They know that there are a million potential paths in their life. The world is open to them. Who should you marry? Where should you live? What job should you take? Who should you help, as you go through life? Who shouldn't you help?

Life is a series of choices. And you wonder, at least if you're a Western Christian, how much opinion God has on those choices. Does God care which path you take in life, or is He basically just concerned about how you love him and people, as you make your decisions?

I'm not sure that these verses answer those questions, but here, we see that God has a clear, straightforward path for his people Israel as a whole. There is a road that God wants them to take. There is a place-- the promised land-- where God wants them to end up. And God will make sure they stay on that path, and end up in the right place, by sending "a messenger," or "an angel," to guide them.

Now, this isn't the first time we've seen this shadowy angel of Yahweh in the book of Exodus. The angel plays a key role in Exodus 3, with the burning bush story. Let's flip back there, and refresh our memory:

(1) Now, Moses was a shepherd of the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law-- the priest of Midean--,

and he led the flock to the west of the wilderness,

and he came to the mountain of the Elohim/God, to Horeb,

(2) and the angel/messenger of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush,

So who is in the fire? "The angel of Yahweh."

and he (Moses) saw,

and LOOK! The bush [was] burning with fire,

and the bush wasn't being consumed,

(3) and Moses said,

"I must turn aside,