Exodus 23:20-33 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Exodus 23:20-33. Let’s go!
Exodus 23:20 (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.
On verse 20: Just as the LORD would send an angel to go before the Israelites to guard them and lead them to the place He prepared for them, repeatedly the Bible says that God goes before you (Psalm 139:5; Isaiah 45:2; Isaiah 52:12) to guard you and to lead the way for you.
Exodus 23:21-23 (NIV)
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.
On verses 21-23: There is a good argument to make that this angel of the LORD is no ordinary angel, since this angel seems to command the people’s obedience (“Do not rebel against him” – v21)), has the power to grant forgiveness (v21) and bears the Name of the Lord (“since my Name is in him” – v21). This angel of the LORD seems to work in tandem together with the LORD Himself (v22-23). This is like the same angel as the angel of the LORD who appears in Exodus 3. Scholars may have a point when they suggest that this angel of the LORD is no less than a theophany of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. If that is the case, then that would mean that the Lord Jesus Christ was actively and personally leading the Israelites to their Promised Land. He’s leading you into your promised land too.
Exodus 23:24-30 (NIV)
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.
On verses 24-30: The LORD promises to make the Israelites’ journey to conquer the promised land successful. However, He notes that their success would not come all at once, but “little by little” (v30). Otherwise, “the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you.” (v29)
What can we learn from this? We all want things to be successful in a short time. But Exodus 23:29-30 teaches us something hugely important about success: don’t chase instant success; instead chase “little by little” success.
In Exodus 23, God could have driven out the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites from the Promised Land in an instant. So why didn’t He? It’s because the Israelites would not be able to handle such instant success, with all the responsibilities, challenges and temptations that come with it (v29). So instead God gave the Israelites success “little by little” (v30).
In the same way, God will not give you huge success all in an instant because you would not be able to handle or appreciate all the responsibilities, pressure, challenges and temptations that would go with that instant success. So more often than not, God lets you work for it little by little.
Have you been seeking instant success, whether it’s in your career, family, ministry, health, relationships or learning something new? Don’t. Instead, seek success little by little. Chase one small victory, and then another, and then another. When you do, not only will you be successful in the end, but you will have developed the muscles and the experience necessary to handle all that success effectively.
Proverbs 13:11 (ESV)
11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
So don’t give up, but go for “little by little” success. The territory will be yours eventually, and you’ll appreciate the process and the destination that much more.
Exodus 23:31-33 (NIV)
31 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River. I will hand over to you 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.”
On verses 31-33: Why does the LORD forbid the Israelites to make a covenant with the peoples that they will be driving or with the gods that those peoples worship? It’s because the LORD knew how easily His people could be led astray by false gods. It is the same reason why in the New Testament Christians are commanded not to yoke themselves (i.e. involve themselves in co-dependent relationships) with unbelievers, lest they severely compromise their risk and risk losing it entirely (see 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
Heavenly Father, thank You for showing me today that instead of big instant overnight success, I should focus on gaining victories little by little, knowing that small victories taken in the same direction will eventually lead to big results. Thank You for being the One who goes before me and leads the way for me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
