Daily Devotions
Exodus
"On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates." Genesis 15:18
Text: Exodus 23 : 22
A MONUMENTAL COVENANT PROMISE
God had given a monumental promise to Abraham! One day, God pledged, his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. Hundreds of years had gone by! The family of Abraham had grown sizably over the years! It was now a small nation, and was marching resolutely towards the Promised Land! But of course, none other than the Angel of the LORD would be the One who would lead the children of Israel in Canaan!
IN ANTICIPATION OF FULFILMENT OF A COVENANT PROMISE
How should the children look forward to the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant-Promise? Were there conditions that they must fulfill before the Covenant could be fulfilled?
God had already given appropriate Laws to prepare Israel for the time when they would settle down in Canaan! The laws would help them establish a godly society!
But above everything else, God wanted the children of Israel to learn how to relate to the Angel of the LORD! Israel would soon be at war! What is the only appropriate response to the Commander of the Lord’s army? The emphasis is easily comprehended! There must be “implicit obedience”.
“But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak,
then I will be an enemy to your enemies
and an adversary to your adversaries.”
EXODUS 23:22
1. “If you indeed obey His voice…”
It would be disastrous if an army were to question the orders of the Commander-in-Chief! His authority must be recognized and compliance given instantly!
2. “And do all that I speak”
To obey the voice of the Angel of the LORD was the same as listening to God Himself. The link between the Angel of the LORD and God Himself was obvious!
THE CONDITION OF COMPLETE OBEDIENCE
God wanted Israel to learn how to obey His commands! This was something that the nation seemed to fail badly in! The children of Israel must realize just how important it was to learn the lesson of full and complete obedience – especially in times of war!
HAPPY RAMIFICATIONS
If Israel were to obey the Angel of the LORD, God would be all that Israel needed to overcome their enemies. All Israel’s adversaries would find that they would have to contend with the God of Israel! The Lord Himself would champion their cause! He would be the most formidable Ally that anyone could wish for! What a tremendous encouragement to learn how to obey God implicitly!