Exodus 23 20-33

But here, having read what we have this morning, the purpose of God in giving this message to Israel was so that they would know where they were going.

And it's a very wonderful and clear message concerning the plans that God had for them.

They are going home to their homeland.

They're going to the place of God's choosing for them.

They're going to the land promised on oath to Abraham by Yahweh, Genesis 12 verse 7.

So once again in Scripture, we see God coming good on His promises.

And far from being smombies, they are being carefully led, or they will be carefully led by the angel, the messenger of the Lord.

That's a really interesting concept that we're looking at this morning as well.

Yahweh's purpose was to rescue his people from slavery and bring them into the promised land.

Exodus 3 verse 8, remember the burning bush and the message of God and the angel of the Lord at that time to Moses, this is what's going to happen.

Now he reveals how this will be done.

So first of all, we've got the leader.

Verses 20 to 22.

The angel of the Lord will guide and bring them into the land.

They were to listen and obey him, for he bore the name of God.

And secondly, he spoke the word of God.

It's curious, isn't it? It's curious.

The land, the Lord would drive out their enemies, but Israel must not serve their gods.

The promises are remarkable here.

Did you hear when I read that part of the promise was that there would be no disease in the land? That's quite a promise, isn't it? The promises are remarkable, but they are conditional upon them keeping the covenant.

They would fail in this.

Because the fullest experience of finding home and healing will happen in a new creation.

Isaiah talks about it in Isaiah 65.

When we talk about a new creation to come, it's not just a New Testament idea, it's an Old Testament vision.

A new creation through Christ, spoken about in Revelation 21, one to four, the divine messenger who is key to it all is made manifest here today.