Read Exodus 23:20-33.

Introduction⤒🔗

Dr. Robertson McQuilkin was the president of Columbia Bible College, Columbia, South Carolina. One day he spoke in chapel, and to the surprise of all, he announced his resignation from the presidency of the school.

Why was Dr. McQuilken resigning? Was it another scandal? A misuse of college funds? A matter of marital unfaithfulness?

No. Quite to the contrary, Dr. McQuilkin was resigning his position in order to better fulfill his marital obligations—his covenantal responsibility to his wife. His wife had Alzheimer’s disease, and Dr. McQuilkin was resigning his college presidency in order to better care for her.

In his chapel message that morning he said,

In a way, this decision was made forty-two years ago when I promised to care for Muriel ‘in sickness and in health till death do us part.’

As a man of my word, integrity has something to do with it. But so does fairness. Muriel has cared for me fully and sacrificially all these years. If I cared for her for the next forty years, I would not be out of debt.

Duty, however, can be grim and stoic, there is more: I love Muriel. She is a delight to me.

Commenting on this testimony made by Dr. McQuilkin, a Christian writer remarked,

Such beautiful Christ-like love didn’t just happen. It comes from the inner resolve of a husband who determined forty-two years before to live under the authority of God’s directives.¹

Here was a husband who determined to fulfill his covenantal responsibility.

As the LORD enters into covenant with the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai, He requires their commitment to Him in return, even as He commits Himself to them.

When you make a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ you are entering into a divine covenant with the LORD your God, and He requires you, in reliance upon His grace, to fulfill your covenantal responsibility. If you want to experience the divine benefits of the covenant, you must, by God’s grace, be true to your covenantal responsibility.

Fulfill Your Covenantal Responsibility, by Showing Reverence to Christ←⤒🔗

The LORD declares, “I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared” (vs. 20). This unique "angel" would serve to guide the people of Israel through their wilderness journey until he had finally brought them into the Promised Land of Canaan. This angel was no mere angel, He was the Angel of the LORD, an Old Testament manifestation of Christ Himself—note that the LORD declares, “My Name is in him” (vs. 21).

Because this angel has been sent by God, and is in fact Christ the LORD, the people are instructed and warned to “pay attention to him.” The people of Israel were to reverently listen to the word of God as it was communicated by the Angel of the LORD. Likewise, we as Christians must heed Christ’s commandments and not be like King Jehoiakim, a man who disregarded the Word of God and treated it with contempt,

²²It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with afire burning in the fire pot in front of him. ²³Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the fire pot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. ²⁴The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes.Jer. 36:22-24

Note: “The scroll” is a reference to the Scripture the LORD had commanded Jeremiah to write and present to the king. “The tearing of the clothes” was a act of mourning, which the leaders of Israel failed to exhibit when confronted by the Word of the LORD and His call to repentance.

On the contrary, may we be like the Psalmist as he testifies, “Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word” (Psl. 119:161). Let us take careful note of the LORD’s own testimony: “This is what the LORD says... ²this is the man I will regard, namely, he who is humble and who has a contrite spirit, he who trembles at my word” (Isa. 66:1-2). The “trembling” spoken of here reveals an attitude of deepest reverence and awe for the divine word of God, a reverence that causes a man to take it seriously and act upon it in faith and obedience. This “trembling” is the opposite of the scorn and contempt and neglect that is shown towards the sacred Word by the men of this world.

Furthermore, with regard to the Angel of the LORD, Israel is exhorted to “obey him.” The people of Israel were to put into practice what they learned from the Angel of the LORD and faithfully follow Him. Likewise, we as Christians must put into practice what the Word of God teaches us. Let us be sure to heed the exhortation given by the Apostle James, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (Jas. 1:22).

Then, finally, Israel is warned, “do not provoke Him.” The people of Israel were not to be rebellious against the Angel of the LORD. Likewise, we as Christians must not defiantly resist and rebel against Christ’s lordship over our lives. Let us be careful to take to heart the word of 1 Samuel 15:23, “rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness like the evil of idolatry.”

The reason the people are warned to obey the Angel of the LORD [Christ], and not provoke Him, is due to the fact that “he will not pardon your transgression” (vs. 21). “Transgression” has the meaning of willful, stubborn, determined and defiant disobedience without repentance—it is refusal to yield to Christ’s lordship over your life. This is something Christ will not tolerate. Note Luke 19:27, a passage in which, by means of a parable, the Lord Jesus expresses His attitude (and action) towards defiance against His divine lordship: “those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them, bring them here and execute them in front of me.”

But if you listen to Him and obey Him, then, declares the LORD, “I will be an enemy to your enemies” (vs. 22). If you defy Christ, you make the LORD God your Adversary, as the Apostle James informs us, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (Jas. 4:4). But, if you submit to Christ, you will have the LORD God as your Defender. You will receive the blessing pronounced by the Psalmist: “May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. ²May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion” (Psl. 20:1-2).

Fulfill your covenantal responsibility, by showing reverence to Christ.

¹³The LORD of hosts, him you must sanctify; he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, ^14aand he will be a sanctuary [for you]. Isa. 8:13-14a

Fulfill Your Covenantal Responsibility, by Separating Yourself from the World←⤒🔗

The LORD instructs Israel that upon entering the land of Canaan, “You shall not bow down to their gods or serve them, nor shall you follow the practices [of those people]” (vs. 24). We gain some understanding of what the pagan Canaanite culture was like when we consider 2 Kings 21:1-9, 16-17, a passage that describes how the ungodly Israelite king, Manasseh, followed the detestable practices of the nations that inhabited the land of Canaan:

²Manasseh did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. ³He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole...He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them... ⁵In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 2 Kgs. 21:2-6

Baal and Asherah were the chief god and goddess of a pagan fertility cult. Baal worship apparently had its origin in the belief that every tract of ground owed its productivity to a supernatural being, or “baal,” that dwelt there.² The pagan view held that nature was inhabited by spirits, which had to be appeased, (sometimes by infant sacrifices,) and pleased (by sexual orgies) in order for it to yield its fruit.

Manasseh “bowed down to all the starry host and worshiped them.” Here is a reference to astrology, the belief that the life and circumstances of men are governed by the heavens, and the secrets of the future can be ascertained by the use of astrologers. Mention is also made of the practice of consulting mediums and wizards and the use of enchantments, (incantations, charms, spells, etc.), all for the purpose of tapping into the supernatural and seeking to harness its power, and doing so for one’s own purposes.

The passage goes on to say that the reign of Manasseh was also a time of great violence and bloodshed throughout the land: “Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end” (2 Kgs. 21:16). Departure from devotion to the God of heaven inevitably results in a society given over to violence and oppression.

Rather than follow the ways of the pagan nations, the people of God were to totally repudiate those ways of the Canaanites by demolishing every vestige of their religion: “you shall demolish [their idols] and break their [sacred] pillars to pieces” (vs. 24b). Take note of what the Ephesians did when they became believers in the Lord Jesus Christ:

¹⁸Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. ¹⁹A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20^In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. Acts 19:18-20

Note also, the Apostle Paul’s counsel in 1 Corinthians 10:14,19-21,

¹⁴Therefore, my beloved brothers, flee from idolatry... ²⁰the sacrifices of the Gentiles are being offered to demons, not to God; and I do not want you to have communion with demons. ²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and also of the table of demons.

The people of Israel are warned to make no covenant with the Canaanites, nor with their gods, by so doing they would be caused to sin against the LORD. If they served the Canaanite gods, that “will certainly be a snare to you” (vs. 33). The Apostle Paul warns the Corinthian Christians, “Do not be misled, ‘Bad companions corrupt good morals’” (1 Cor. 15:33). In his second epistle to the church in Corinth, Paul further exhorts them,

¹⁴Do not be yoked together with unbelievers, for what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 2 Cor. 6:14-15

Note: “Belial” is a reference to the devil.

Fulfill your covenantal responsibility, by separating yourself from the world. We are not to engage in their pagan religious practices nor are we to accept their pagan worldview, which features such beliefs as

• the denial of moral absolutes; and,
• the conviction that life is to be lived for self-fulfillment and self-gratification, as opposed to being lived for the glory of God and the enjoyment of His fellowship, doing so by living in submission to His commandments

We are not to develop deep and bonding relationships with people who by their statements and or lifestyle refuse to acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Let us take heed to 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

We must take to heart the warning of Revelation 18:4-5, and, by the Lord’s grace, seek to live by it,

⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of [Babylon], my people, so that you have no fellowship with her sins and that you do not receive the plagues that will come upon her. ⁵Her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Note: “Babylon” is symbolically representing the lifestyle and philosophy of the world, especially its decadent hedonism.

Fulfill Your Covenantal Responsibility, and You Shall Have God’s Blessing←⤒🔗

In this passage of Exodus (23:20-33) the LORD makes a dozen promises to His people; twelve times the LORD declares, “I will [do such and such for you].” The dozen promises can be broken down into three great promises:

• I will defeat your enemies;
• I will give you the Promised Land; and,
• I will grant you abundant blessing.

All the promises can be summarized as parts of the LORD’s one great promise: I will be your God and you shall be My people.

According to Psalm 23, when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Shepherd, you will experience the following blessings:

• He will meet your needs (vs. 1)
• He will restore your soul (vs. 3)
• He will guide you in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake (vs. 3)
• He will afford you His protective presence in the face of your enemies (vs. 5)
• He will bring you safely through the valley of the shadow of death (vs. 4)
• He will cause you to dwell in the house of the LORD forever (vs. 6)

Fulfill your covenant responsibility, and you will enjoy God’s blessing.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Our covenantal relationship with the LORD includes both divine benefits as well as personal responsibility: “I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared” (vs. 20). “Pay attention to him and obey him” (vs. 21).

If you want to experience the divine benefits of the covenant both now and in eternity, you must, by God’s grace, be faithful to your covenantal responsibility.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What promise does the LORD give to His people in Exodus 23:20? From the information given in verse 21b, who is the Angel, (or, Messenger), whom the LORD will provide? What promise does the Lord Jesus make to you as a Christian? See Jn. 14:2-3, 16-18.

²⁰Listen; I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. ²¹Pay attention to him and obey him; do not provoke him, for he will not pardon your transgression, because my Name is in him. Ex. 23:20-21

²In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me; so that where I am, you may be also... ¹⁶I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever, ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive him; because it does not see him, nor does it know him. [But] you know him; because he abides with you and will be in you. ¹⁸I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Jn. 14:2-3, 16-18

2. What instruction does the LORD give His people with regard to this divine Guardian promised in verse 20? See Ex. 23:21 What does God the Father tell us with regard to Christ His Son? See Mk. 9:7b How are we, as Christians, enabled to comply with the divine demand? See Jn. 15:4-5.

²¹Pay attention to him and obey him; do not provoke him, for he will not pardon your transgression, because my Name is in him. Ex. 23:21

⁷This is my beloved Son, listen [pay attention] to him.Mk. 9:7

⁴Abide in me, and I [will abide] in you. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself, it must abide in the vine; so neither can you [bear fruit], unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me and I in him, he is the one who bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing. Jn. 15:4-5

3. What warning does the LORD give His people in Exodus 23:21b? To what does the Scripture compare such a spirit of defiant rebellion? See 1 Sam. 15:23 As Christians, musts we not take seriously the LORD’s warning, and should we not make the Psalmist’s prayer (Psl. 139:23-24) to be our prayer?

²¹Pay attention to him and obey him; do not provoke him, for he will not pardon your transgression, because my Name is in him. Ex. 23:21

The verb, “to provoke,” and the noun, “transgression,” are very strong words, they are referring to defiant disobedience without repentance.

²³...rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he also has rejected you... 1 Sam. 15:23

We, too, must take to heart the words the LORD speaks to the rebellious King Saul

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me, and know my thoughts. ²⁴And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.Psl. 139:23-24

4. What assurance does the LORD give to His people if they comply with His demand that they submit to His lordship over their lives? See Ex. 23:22 As a Christian, who is the great enemy of your soul? See 1 Pet. 5:8 What are we instructed to do in order to combat this enemy? See Jas. 4:7.

²²...if you will obey him and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.Ex. 23:22

⁸Be [spiritually] sober. Be alert. Your adversary, the devil, like a roaring lion, is prowling around, looking for someone to devour. 1 Pet. 5:8

⁷Be subject, therefore, unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Jas. 4:7

5. When they are brought into the Promised Land of Canaan, (which was an earthly manifestation of the eternal kingdom of God), what were the LORD’s people commanded to do? See Ex. 23:24­ 25a, 32-33 How is the kingdom of God described in Romans 14:17? How does the commandment for spiritual and moral separation from the world apply to us as Christians? See 1 Pet. 1:14-19.

²⁴You shall not bow down to theirgods or serve them, nor shall you follow the practices of those people; rather, you shall demolish their idols and break their sacred pillars to pieces. ²⁵You shall serve the LORD your God... ³²You shall not make any covenant with them or with their gods.

³³You shall not permit them to live in your land, or else they will cause you to sin against me; for if you serve their gods, that will certainly be a snare to you. Ex. 23:24-25, 32-33

¹⁷...the kingdom of God...[consists in] righteousness and peace and joy in [ or, by] the Holy Spirit. Rom. 14:17

¹⁴As obedient children, no longer conform to the passions you formerly had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶because it is written, 'Be holy, because I am holy.' ¹⁷And if you call upon the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, live your remaining time [on earth] in fear, ¹⁸knowing that you were redeemed from your futile way of life handed down from your forefathers...¹⁹[redeemed] with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or defect, [the blood] of Christ. 1 Pet. 1:14-19