Bible Readings
Reading 54: Yahweh promises to lead the people to victory
Read Exodus 23:20–24:18.
Yahweh had now given Israel a summary of the law—the Ten Commandments. These laws explained how to live righteous lives.
Soon, God would lead them into the land that He had given them. But the land wasn’t empty. There were people groups there: Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites. They were collectively known as the Canaanites.
Four hundred years earlier, Yahweh had spoken to Israel’s ancestor, Abraham, about these people. God had said that these were evil, rebellious people, but He was extending a grace period to them, allowing them time to repent. Yahweh had said to Abraham: “After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.” (Genesis 15:6.)
Now, it was four hundreds later, and Abraham’s descendants were arriving at the Promised Land. The people in the land had not repented, so Yahweh was going to judge them by using the Israelites as His instrument of punishment. He would order Israel to remove these wicked people from the land.
But this battle would not be Israel’s effort alone. Yahweh would send a special angel ahead of them. He would guide and guard them, giving them instructions on what to do, and this angel had the power to forgive their sins.
An angel that could forgive sins? Forgiving sins is something only Yahweh can do for He is the Creator-God and the final authority of the universe. All sin and rebellion is ultimately against Yahweh so only He can forgive.
Since this angel can forgive sin, it must be that this angel is actually God Himself. This is confirmed by Jude, the second last book of the Bible. Jude mentioned that it was Jesus who rescued Israel out of Egypt and led them to the Promised Land.
Jude 5 states: “So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful.”
So, the second Person of the three-in-one God, Jesus, was actually this “angel” who would lead the people. This was Jesus before He came to earth as a human.
Jesus would go ahead of Israel and put terror into the hearts of the evil Canaanites. Jesus would make it easy for Israel to eliminate the wicked people from the land.
And if Israel obeyed Yahweh fully during the battle years ahead, He would bless them with all the blessings mentioned in the Mosaic Covenant: sufficient food and water, population growth, healthy lives, the opportunity to enjoy the land and to live long, full lives.
Moses wrote down everything Yahweh said and reported it to the people. They wholeheartedly agreed to the covenant. Then Moses directed sacrifices to be made. Again we see that animals had to shed their blood as a substitute for the people. It reminded the people that God would have to make them righteous before they could be in a relationship with Him. Moses ceremonially splashed the animal blood onto the people, helping them understand in a very vivid way how the blood of the substitute would provide them with righteousness.
To show that there was now fellowship between Yahweh and the people, He invited Moses, Aaron, Aaron’s two older sons, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 tribal elders to go partway up the mountain to have a meal with Him. This was known as the covenant meal. These leaders saw Yahweh face to face and ate a meal in His presence!
Think back to Genesis 18 where Abraham served a meal to Yahweh and two angels. This was similar but this time, it seemed God provided the food. The shared meal affirmed peace and good will between Yahweh and Israel.
After that, Moses went higher up the mountain and spent 40 days and nights with Yahweh as God got him to write down all the details of the covenant.
What an amazing event this was. Though God explained the task to Israel, He didn’t leave them without resources. He would personally lead the way and the people simply had to obey. The people could enjoy close fellowship with Him as they obeyed Him.
In our own lives, God also wants to direct us. When we seek His will for us in prayer and in the reading of His Word, the Holy Spirit will begin to impress upon us what to do in certain situations. Often, He uses Scripture that we had read or memorised to bring to mind what His standards are. God often also focuses our mind on certain paths to take and provides peace and fellowship when we set out in the direction He is leading.
Our God does not only lead us, He will provide the resources needed when we move in faith. He doesn’t want us to rely on our own wisdom, strength or resources alone. He will demonstrate who He is by acting in our lives as we move in obedience to Him.
Are there any situations you are facing or decisions you have to make? Take the situation to God in prayer and ask for His guidance.