Exodus 23:20-33 A Promise of the Lord’s Presence
20 “See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. 21 Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion. 22 But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you. 23 For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them completely. 24 You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.
Moses is enlightening the Israelites on everything God has been telling him. When Moses announces that God is sending an angel before the Israelites to protect them and lead them safely, the Israelite elders are probably buffing their fingernails on their robes and congratulating themselves on being God’s special people. But are these men really listening to the precautions that accompany these promises? “21 Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion.” By now, the Israelites have already threatened to stone Moses and Aaron at least two or three times, and we have no idea how much grumbling has been going on in the camp. When it comes to obedience, these folks are pretty clueless, no matter what they think of themselves.
25 “You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. 26 There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives.
Again, God is giving great promises attached to major warnings. God already knows many Israelites have Egyptian idols hidden in their tents and that some of these people are still slyly making sacrifices and repeating certain rituals invoking Egyptian deities.
27 “I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run. 28 I will send terror ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you. 30 I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land. 31 And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you.
By now, the Israelites are REALLY strutting around and feeling good. Listening to these promises, the Israelites might think that they won’t even have to fight for the land but simply show up. Tood bad they aren’t paying close attention when God gives the next warning.
32 “Make no treaties with them or their gods. 33 They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.”
How would you like to be Moses? You have just come down from Mount Sinai bringing God’s commands to the people in great detail. As you begin explaining everything, you can already see that half your audience is distracted and paying very little attention. Even though God has illuminated Mount Sinai with fire, smoke, lightning, thunder, and the sound of divine trumpets, it doesn’t take the Israelites very long to fall into complacency.
It’s a human trait for us to hear selectively, choosing those facts we find appealing while ignoring anything unpleasant. How likely are people to ignore warnings? A quick internet search reveals the following:
People are quite likely to ignore warnings due to various psychological and social factors.
Psychological Factors
- Risk Underestimation: Many individuals underestimate risks, believing that they are unlikely to encounter negative outcomes. This mindset can lead to ignoring safety warnings.
- Perceived Relevance: Warnings may be viewed as exaggerated or irrelevant, causing individuals to downplay their importance.
Social Influences
- Social Proof: People are more likely to ignore warnings if they see others doing the same. Conversely, visible adherence to warnings by peers can create social pressure to comply.
- Near Misses: Frequent near misses can lead to complacency, as individuals may feel that they have escaped harm in the past and thus ignore future warnings.
Now consider the fact that Moses has nearly 2 million people whom he is trying to train as well as lead, many of whom were likely full-bore idolaters while in Egypt. Not the people in this group are Israelites, for there are those who accompanied the Israelites out of fear or curiosity. Moses knows that God means exactly what He says; however, some of these people still have a very small idea of God, assuming He is simply one more deity that can be propitiated with the right rituals.
We might read these verses and smugly comfort ourselves with the idea that we CERTAINLY would have paid close attention and would have obeyed God instantly. But is that really true? We just studied the Ten Commandments; how many times do we fail to obey the commandments about not taking God’s Name in vain? How many times have we said, “Oh, I could just KILL that person!” Romans 3:23 tells us that “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.”
One political party in Ghana has as a slogan, “No Curve, No Bend!” indicating that they are straightforward in their dealings. We find peace when we study God’s Word and follow His commands, refusing to argue or compromise. May we all handle God’s Word carefully!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to be obedient in both small things and big. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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