seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 23:20 “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. 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. 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.
OK.... three seems to be some issue with the who this Angel is. One commentary says it's Old Testament Jesus. Another says it's God Himself. Another says no one knows who it is. The point is an Angel is being sent ahead to guard the Israelites and bring them to the place God has ready for us.
I'll start with the easy English commentary.
Angel means ‘someone who brings a message’. Angels are God’s servants who have God’s authority. An angel speaks on God’s behalf and with his character. It is possible that this particular angel is God himself. He tells the Israelites that he will protect them. And he will guide them until they come to the country called Canaan. God had prepared that place called Canaan on their behalf.
God promised Abraham that he would protect Abraham’s family. God would oppose those people who opposed Abraham’s children and his children’s children (Genesis 12:3). Also that means that we shall be enemies to God’s enemies (Psalm 139:21-22). The Canaanites had special holy stones. They used the stones when they worshipped their false gods. The stones were probably a sign of the male part in plants. The plant needs both male and female parts to produce crops. So those stones were different from other special stones. So the Israelites must break completely any stones that the Canaanites used. Sometimes people erect special stones to remember an important event. And that can be a good thing. Jacob erected a stone to remember that God was with him at Bethel (Genesis 28:18). Moses would place 12 stones as a sign that Israel’s 12 families had remembered God’s special promise (Exodus 24:4).
God promised food and health, the gift of children and a long life to those people who obeyed him. This does not seem to be true all over the world. But people who obey God’s laws will share their food fairly. The Israelite rules about food meant that they had a better standard of health. The people in other countries near to them were not so healthy. A husband and wife should be loyal to each other. And children should respect their parents. Families that are like this make a better society. But the best things that God gives are for our spirits, not just to help our bodies. Habakkuk said that he would thank God. He would be happy whatever happened. Even if the crops failed, still he would praise God (Habakkuk 3:17-18). In the New Testament Paul had learned how to be content, whatever the circumstances (Philippians 4:11-12).
God promised Abraham that he would protect Abraham’s family. God would oppose those people who opposed Abraham’s children and his children’s children (Genesis 12:3). Also that means that we shall be enemies to God’s enemies (Psalm 139:21-22). The Canaanites had special holy stones. They used the stones when they worshipped their false gods. The stones were probably a sign of the male part in plants. The plant needs both male and female parts to produce crops. So those stones were different from other special stones. So the Israelites must break completely any stones that the Canaanites used. Sometimes people erect special stones to remember an important event. And that can be a good thing. Jacob erected a stone to remember that God was with him at Bethel (Genesis 28:18). Moses would place 12 stones as a sign that Israel’s 12 families had remembered God’s special promise (Exodus 24:4).
God promised food and health, the gift of children and a long life to those people who obeyed him. This does not seem to be true all over the world. But people who obey God’s laws will share their food fairly. The Israelite rules about food meant that they had a better standard of health. The people in other countries near to them were not so healthy. A husband and wife should be loyal to each other. And children should respect their parents. Families that are like this make a better society. But the best things that God gives are for our spirits, not just to help our bodies. Habakkuk said that he would thank God. He would be happy whatever happened. Even if the crops failed, still he would praise God (Habakkuk 3:17-18). In the New Testament Paul had learned how to be content, whatever the circumstances (Philippians 4:11-12).
Here's what the Blueletterbible.org site says about the Angel.
This unique angel commanded obedience from Israel and had the right of judgment over them. Most of all, the name of God was in this angel (for My name is in Him).
We only know a few angels by name, and in a sense, Micha-el and Gabri-el each have the name of God in their name. But neither Michael nor Gabriel commanded this kind of obedience from Israel or presumed to sit in judgment over them. This is the specific Angel of the LORD, Jesus appearing in the Old Testament, before His incarnation in Bethlehem, who often speaks directly as the LORD.
My name is in Him: Of course, the name Yahweh is in Jesus. His name is literally Yah-shua. Jesus was with Israel in all their wilderness experience.
We only know a few angels by name, and in a sense, Micha-el and Gabri-el each have the name of God in their name. But neither Michael nor Gabriel commanded this kind of obedience from Israel or presumed to sit in judgment over them. This is the specific Angel of the LORD, Jesus appearing in the Old Testament, before His incarnation in Bethlehem, who often speaks directly as the LORD.
My name is in Him: Of course, the name Yahweh is in Jesus. His name is literally Yah-shua. Jesus was with Israel in all their wilderness experience.
Meanwhile, IMHO, GodVine appears to offer quite a case.
He will not pardon your transgressions - He is not like a man, with whom ye may think that ye may trifle; were he either man or angel, in the common acceptation of the term, it need not be said, He will not pardon your transgressions, for neither man nor angel could do it.
My name is in him - The Jehovah dwells in him; in him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and because of this he could either pardon or punish. All power is given unto me in heaven and earth, Matthew 28:18.
My name is in him - The Jehovah dwells in him; in him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and because of this he could either pardon or punish. All power is given unto me in heaven and earth, Matthew 28:18.
GodVine brings up a very re-assuring point.
The national existence of the Canaanites was indeed to be "utterly" destroyed, every trace of their idolatries was to be blotted out, no social contact was to be held with them while they served other gods, nor were alliances of any kind to be formed with them. (See Deuteronomy 7; Deuteronomy 12:1-4, Deuteronomy 12:29-31.) But it is alike contrary to the spirit of the divine law, and to the facts bearing on the subject scattered in the history, to suppose that any obstacle was put in the way of well disposed individuals of the denounced nations who left their sins and were willing to join the service of Yahweh. The spiritual blessings of the covenant were always open to those who sincerely and earnestly desired to possess them. See Exodus 20:10; Leviticus 19:34; Leviticus 24:22.
So if even a Canaanite were to give up the old ways and believe in God, then even a Canaanite could be one of the "others" who were following the Angel along with the 2+million who God brought out of Egypt. Remember, God is saying these things to Moses up on Mount Sinai during the time when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Aaron and the 2+million are waiting at the bottom of the mountain for Moses to tell Aaron what God says and Aaron is going to interpret for them. It says there were "others" in the crowd. "Others" were those who came along with Isreal's [Jacob's] family out of Egypt. So if there were Canaanites in the 2+million, then those Canaanites were protected as well.
God really doesn't like the Canaanites who are worshiping these idols that look like the male body part of a plant.
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