Exodus 23:20
“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This isn't just a promise of a guide; it's God Himself going with them, in the form of His Angel, who carries His very name and authority. This "Angel" isn't just a created being but a divine representative, so crucial that disobedience to him is considered disobedience to God Himself, carrying severe consequences.
This promise comes at the end of the "Book of the Covenant," a collection of laws given to Israel after they heard God's voice directly at Mount Sinai. After outlining rules for worship, justice, and daily life, God now lays out the rewards for obedience, starting with the assurance of a divine guide to protect them on their journey to the Promised Land. This specific verse sets up the subsequent promises of victory over enemies and prosperity, all contingent on Israel's willingness to listen to this Angel.
Who is this 'angel' God sends ahead of Israel? It's more than just a bodyguard; it's a divine representative.
The Bible strongly suggests this isn't just any angel, but a unique divine being.
More Than a Messenger
Commentators point out that the phrase 'My name is in him' (Exodus 23:21) signifies an intimate, essential connection with God himself. This points beyond a created angel to someone who embodies God's authority and presence. Many scholars identify this 'Angel' with the pre-incarnate Christ, the 'Angel of the Covenant,' the very Son of God.
God's Own Representative
This Angel isn't just a guide; he is God's presence with Israel. When God later says, 'My Presence shall go with you' (Exodus 33:14), it's linked to this very Angel. He is God's way of being with His people, even in their journey through the wilderness.
This divine escort promises not only safety but also arrival at a specific, divinely intended destination.
God's promise to Israel includes both the journey and the destination.
Guarding the Way
The angel's role is to 'guard you on the way.' This means protection from physical dangers, enemies, and even moral or spiritual pitfalls. It's about keeping Israel in the right path, not just geographically, but in their covenant relationship with God.
The Place Prepared
'The place that I have prepared' is significant. It's not just a piece of land; it represents God's intended blessing and provision for His people. For Israel, it was the land of Canaan. For believers today, this foreshadows the eternal dwelling God has prepared in His presence. This promised place is a testament to God's faithfulness and His forward-thinking plan.
Understand the original words
mal'ak · Hebrew Noun
A messenger or representative sent by God, often serving as a divine agent to protect, guide, or deliver His people, sometimes manifesting the divine presence itself.
Jesus speaks of preparing a place for His followers, echoing the promise in Exodus of a prepared place that God is leading His people toward.
Isaiah 63:9This passage refers to the 'Angel of His Presence' who saved Israel, aligning with the idea of a divine messenger intimately involved in God's dealings with His people as seen in Exodus.
Acts 7:30-33The New Testament connects the Angel who appeared to Moses in the burning bush with the divine messenger sent before Israel in the wilderness, highlighting His divine authority.
Genesis 48:15-16Jacob blesses Joseph's sons by invoking 'the God before whom my fathers... did walk' and 'the Angel which hath redeemed me from all evil,' suggesting a continuity of a divine, redemptive angelic figure from the patriarchs onward.
1 Corinthians 10:9Paul explicitly states that the Israelites tempted Christ in the wilderness, directly identifying the 'Angel' in Exodus 23:20 with Jesus Himself.
pulpitExodus 23:20: "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared."
Verses 20-31. - THE REWARDS OF OBEDIENCE. God always places before men" the recompense of the reward." He does not require of them that they should serve him for nought. The "Book of the Covenant" appropriately ends with a number of promises, which God undertakes to perform, if Israel keeps the terms of the covenant. The promises are: - 1. That he will send an an…
ellicottExodus 23:20: "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared."
THE PROMISES OF GOD TO ISRAEL, IF THE COVENANT IS KEPT. (20-33) The Book of the Covenant terminates, very appropriately, with a series of promises. God is “the rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” He chooses to “reward men after their works,” and to set before them “the recompense of the reward.” He “knows whereof we are made,” and by what motives we are i…
This isn't just a promise of a guide; it's God Himself going with them, in the form of His Angel, who carries His very name and authority. This "Angel" isn't just a created being but a divine representative, so crucial that disobedience to him is considered disobedience to God Himself, carrying severe consequences.
This promise comes at the end of the "Book of the Covenant," a collection of laws given to Israel after they heard God's voice directly at Mount Sinai. After outlining rules for worship, justice, and daily life, God now lays out the rewards for obedience, starting with the assurance of a divine guide to protect them on their journey to the Promised Land. This specific verse sets up the subsequent promises of victory over enemies and prosperity, all contingent on Israel's willingness to listen to this Angel.
This promise comes at the end of the "Book of the Covenant," a collection of laws given to Israel after they heard God's voice directly at Mount Sinai. After outlining rules for worship, justice, and daily life, God now lays out the rewards for obedience, starting with the assurance of a divine guide to protect them on their journey to the Promised Land. This specific verse sets up the subsequent promises of victory over enemies and prosperity, all contingent on Israel's willingness to listen to this Angel.
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"“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared." — This isn't just a promise of a guide; it's God Himself going with them, in the form of His Angel, who carries His very name and authority. This "Angel" isn't just a created being but a divine represe…
