Chapter 23
Exodus 23:20 - The phraseology of the first part of this verse ("Behold, I am gong to send an angel before you...", NASB) is very similar (but not exactly the same) as in Malachi 3:1, "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me ..." (NASB).
Exodus 23:21 - This is most likely the pre-incarnate Jesus because (1) They should be careful to obey Him, (2) He will not pardon transgressions, which an angel does not pardon or execute judgment, (3) He has ADONI's name in Him.
Exodus 23:25-26 - Some will say, "These promises are for gentile believers now." Others will say, "They are only for the people of Israel that actually heard Moses repeat these words." But I say, "This is what it looks like to be the people of God!" (1) God will bless your nourishment, (2) He will remove sickness, (3) No miscarriages, (4) No barrenness, (5) People will live long lives. Question: Why would the Lord give provision for what to do when an accidental miscarriage occurs (21:22), if He is now telling them that there will be no miscarriages? I don't think the Lord was saying that there would never be a miscarriage ever or at all. Clearly, He was making provision for that to occur. Same thing with the other five blessings; they are not wholesale declarations with no variation. So what is He saying? The provision is made for you to have an abundant and fruitful life. Your enjoyment of this life is dependant on your willingness to keep His commands and follow in His paths. So long as we do that, sickness will not prevail, nor barrenness, nor miscarriages. Food will be plenty, and people will live long, prosperous (in the sense of blessings not money or wealth) lives.
Exodus 23:29-30 - The Lord is not just looking at accomplishing the task, but He looks at how it is done as well. He says He will not drive the people out all at once. Why? Because He doesn't want the land to go to waste. It will take time for Israel to inhabit and cultivate the land. If the Lord drives out the current residents at once, then there will be waste. Israel is not ready to handle it. They have to grow into the land little by little. We can often complain to the Lord that things aren't happening quickly enough. But the Lord's timing is perfect. He knows that we are not ready to handle all that we desire at this time, and if He lets us have it now, there will just be waste. So He gives it to us little by little; when we are ready for it.
I have often looked at evangelists and ministers who had come into their own very early and very quickly as an exception to this rule. From an historical perspective, they did not last long as the pressures brought them down (James Robison and Billy Sunday for example). But I wonder if it was no exception at all. I wonder if ministers like them were impatient and asked the Lord for the full ministry now instead of waiting until due time (like verse 30 speaks of). So the Lord answered their prayers, but the men came to ruin because they circumvented the process of maturation and preparation (the hidden years) to go right into ministry. Billy Graham said in a plenary session for the International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists 1986 that it took him 10 years of ministry before he saw a crowd over 1000 people. We tend to think that he shot like a star to the top, but I don't believe he did. It took time to build. He worked very hard and sacrificed much.
Exodus 23:31 - The Lord, up until now, has said how He will drive out the inhabitants and cause them to inherit the land (vs. 20, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30). But here He says, "you will drive them out...." This shows our cooperation with the Lord in achieving His will. Yes, the Lord will do it, but we must act and do our part as well. We must take Him at His word and step out to claim the victory.
Exodus 23:10-11 - This image of the throne room of God coincides perfectly with that depicted in Revelations 4:3 & 22:1-2. It is interesting to note that the Lord made exception to the rule that "no man can see Me and live" (Exodus 33:20, NASB). Another exception is found in Isaiah chapter six.
