Exodus 23:20
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
Behold
The word "Behold" is a call to attention, urging the listener or reader to focus on the significant message that follows. In Hebrew, the word is "הִנֵּה" (hinneh), which serves as an imperative to observe or consider something important. This word sets the stage for a divine announcement, emphasizing the gravity and certainty of God's promise. It invites the Israelites to pause and recognize the divine intervention in their journey, underscoring the importance of what God is about to reveal.

I am sending
This phrase indicates God's active involvement in the lives of the Israelites. The Hebrew verb "שָׁלַח" (shalach) conveys the idea of dispatching or commissioning. It reflects God's sovereign authority and His personal commitment to the welfare of His people. By sending an angel, God demonstrates His ongoing presence and guidance, reassuring the Israelites of His unwavering support as they journey towards the Promised Land.

an angel
The term "angel" in Hebrew is "מַלְאָךְ" (mal'akh), meaning "messenger." In the biblical context, angels are divine beings sent by God to deliver messages, provide guidance, or execute His will. This particular angel is a manifestation of God's presence, serving as a protector and guide for the Israelites. The angel's role highlights the spiritual dimension of their journey, reminding them that they are under divine care and direction.

before you
The phrase "before you" signifies the angel's role as a leader and guide. The Hebrew preposition "לִפְנֵי" (lifnei) implies going ahead or in front of someone. This indicates that the angel is not only accompanying the Israelites but also leading the way, preparing the path for them. It reassures the Israelites that they are not alone in their journey; God has provided a divine escort to ensure their safe passage.

to protect you
Protection is a central theme in this verse, with the Hebrew root "שָׁמַר" (shamar) meaning to guard, watch over, or keep. This promise of protection underscores God's commitment to the safety and well-being of His people. The angel's presence serves as a divine shield against potential dangers, both physical and spiritual, that the Israelites might encounter on their journey.

along the way
The phrase "along the way" refers to the journey the Israelites are undertaking from Egypt to the Promised Land. The Hebrew word "דֶּרֶךְ" (derekh) means road, path, or journey. This journey is not just a physical trek but also a spiritual pilgrimage, symbolizing the path of faith and obedience to God's will. The assurance of divine guidance along the way emphasizes that every step of their journey is under God's watchful eye.

and to bring you
The phrase "and to bring you" highlights the angel's role in ensuring the successful completion of the Israelites' journey. The Hebrew verb "בּוֹא" (bo) means to come or bring. This conveys the idea of arrival and fulfillment of God's promise. It reassures the Israelites that their journey has a divine purpose and destination, and that God is committed to bringing them to the place He has prepared.

to the place I have prepared
This final phrase speaks of God's providence and preparation. The Hebrew word "מָקוֹם" (makom) means place, and "כּוּן" (kun) means to establish or prepare. This indicates that God has already designated and prepared a specific place for His people, the Promised Land. It is a place of rest, blessing, and fulfillment of God's covenant promises. This assurance of a prepared place reflects God's foreknowledge and His desire to provide for His people, encouraging them to trust in His plan and timing.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Angel
A divine messenger sent by God to guide and protect the Israelites. The Hebrew word for "angel" is (mal'akh), which means "messenger."

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are being led from Egypt to the Promised Land.

3. The Way
The journey or path the Israelites are taking from Egypt to Canaan, the land promised to them by God.

4. The Place
Refers to the Promised Land, Canaan, which God has prepared for the Israelites.

5. God
The sovereign Lord who orchestrates the journey and provides guidance and protection through His angel.
Teaching Points
Divine Guidance
Just as God sent an angel to guide the Israelites, He provides guidance for us today through His Word and the Holy Spirit.

Protection on Our Journey
We can trust in God's protection as we navigate the challenges of life, knowing He has prepared a path for us.

Prepared Places
God has a specific plan and purpose for each of us, and He prepares the way for us to fulfill it.

Obedience to God's Leading
The Israelites were called to follow the angel's guidance. Similarly, we must be attentive and obedient to God's direction in our lives.

Faith in God's Promises
The promise of a prepared place encourages us to have faith in God's promises, even when the journey seems uncertain.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the role of the angel in Exodus 23:20 enhance your view of God's guidance in your life?

2. In what ways can you seek and recognize God's protection as you navigate your personal journey?

3. Reflect on a time when you felt God had prepared a place or opportunity for you. How did you respond to His leading?

4. How can the promise of divine guidance and protection in Exodus 23:20 encourage you in times of uncertainty or fear?

5. Compare the role of angels in Exodus 23:20 with their role in other scriptures, such as Psalm 91:11 and Hebrews 1:14. How does this comparison deepen your understanding of their purpose?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 24:7
This verse speaks of God sending His angel to guide Abraham's servant, showing a pattern of divine guidance through angels.

Psalm 91:11
This psalm promises that God will command His angels to guard His people, reinforcing the theme of divine protection.

Hebrews 1:14
Describes angels as ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation, connecting the role of angels in both the Old and New Testaments.
Christ At the Head of the ColumnM. Simpson, D. D.Exodus 23:20
Divine GuidanceW. Burrows, B. A.Exodus 23:20
Life's PilgrimageJ. B. Brown, B. A.Exodus 23:20
Mine Angel Shall Go Before TheeG.A. Goodhart Exodus 23:20
The Angel in LifeJ. Parker, D. D.Exodus 23:20
The Angel of the CovenantJ. W. Burn.Exodus 23:20
Sabbaths and FeastsJ. Orr Exodus 23:10-20
The Angel of the CovenantD. Young Exodus 23:20-23
Promises and WarningsJ. Orr Exodus 23:20-33
The Mediatorial GuideH.T. Robjohns Exodus 23:20-33
People
Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Hivite, Hivites, Jebusites, Moses, Perizzites
Places
Euphrates River, Mount Sinai, Red Sea, Sea of the Philistines
Topics
Ahead, Along, Angel, Behold, Bring, Guard, Guide, Messenger, Prepared, Ready, Sending
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 23:20

     4020   life, of faith
     4111   angels, servants
     5292   defence, divine
     5480   protection
     5511   safety

Exodus 23:20-21

     8470   respect, for God

Exodus 23:20-23

     5597   victory, act of God

Library
The Feast of Ingathering in the End of the Year
'And the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labours, which them hast sown In thy field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.' --EXODUS xxiii. 16. The Israelites seem to have had a double beginning of the year--one in spring, one at the close of harvest; or it may only be that here the year is regarded from the natural point of view--a farmer's year. This feast was at the gathering in of the fruits, which was
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Wesley Clothes French Prisoners
Monday, October 1 (Bristol).--All my leisure time, during my stay at Bristol, I employed in finishing the fourth volume of "Discourses"; probably the last which I shall publish. Monday, 15--l walked up to Knowle, a mile from Bristol, to see the French prisoners. About eleven hundred of them, we are informed, were confined in that little place, without anything to lie on but a little dirty straw, or anything to cover them but a few foul thin rags, either by day or night, so that they died like rotten
John Wesley—The Journal of John Wesley

The Consecration of Joy
'And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 34. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. 35. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 36. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord; on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Wonderful.
Isaiah ix:6. HIS name shall be called "Wonderful" (Isaiah ix:6). And long before Isaiah had uttered this divine prediction the angel of the Lord had announced his name to be Wonderful. As such He appeared to Manoah. And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honor. And the angel of Jehovah said unto Him "why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is Wonderful" (margin, Judges xiii:17-18). This angel of Jehovah, the Person who
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The Lord's Prayer.
(Jerusalem. Thursday Night.) ^D John XVII. ^d 1 These things spake Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven [the action marked the turning of his thoughts from the disciples to the Father], he said, Father, the hour is come [see pp. 116, 440]; glorify thy Son, that the son may glorify thee: 2 even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that to all whom thou hast given him, he should give eternal life. [The Son here prays for his glorification, viz.: resurrection, ascension, coronation, etc.,
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Parable of the Good Samaritan.
(Probably Judæa.) ^C Luke X. 25-37. ^c 25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [For the term lawyer see pp. 313, 314, The lawyer wished to make trial of the skill of Jesus in solving the intricate and difficult question as to how to obtain salvation. Jesus was probably teaching in some house or courtyard, and his habit of giving local color to his parables suggests that he was probably in or near Bethany, through
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Appendix viii. Rabbinic Traditions About Elijah, the Forerunner of the Messiah
To complete the evidence, presented in the text, as to the essential difference between the teaching of the ancient Synagogue about the Forerunner of the Messiah' and the history and mission of John the Baptist, as described in the New Testaments, we subjoin a full, though condensed, account of the earlier Rabbinic traditions about Elijah. Opinions differ as to the descent and birthplace of Elijah. According to some, he was from the land of Gilead (Bemid. R. 14), and of the tribe of Gad (Tanch. on
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Second Series of Parables - the Two Parables of Him who is Neighbour to Us: the First, Concerning the Love That, Unasked, Gives in Our
THE period between Christ's return from the Feast of the Dedication' and His last entry into Jerusalem, may be arranged into two parts, divided by the brief visit to Bethany for the purpose of raising Lazarus from the dead. Even if it were possible, with any certainty, chronologically to arrange the events of each of these periods, the variety and briefness of what is recorded would prevent our closely following them in this narrative. Accordingly, we prefer grouping them together as the Parables
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Love in the Old Covenant.
"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another."-- John xiii. 34. In connection with the Holy Spirit's work of shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts, the question arises: What is the meaning of Christ's word, "A new commandment I give unto you"? How can He designate this natural injunction, "To love one another," a new commandment? This offers no difficulty to those who entertain the erroneous view that during His ministry on earth Christ established a new and higher religion,
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Palestine Eighteen Centuries Ago
Eighteen and a half centuries ago, and the land which now lies desolate--its bare, grey hills looking into ill-tilled or neglected valleys, its timber cut down, its olive- and vine-clad terraces crumbled into dust, its villages stricken with poverty and squalor, its thoroughfares insecure and deserted, its native population well-nigh gone, and with them its industry, wealth, and strength--presented a scene of beauty, richness, and busy life almost unsurpassed in the then known world. The Rabbis never
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Exhortations to those who are Called
IF, after searching you find that you are effectually called, I have three exhortations to you. 1. Admire and adore God's free grace in calling you -- that God should pass over so many, that He should pass by the wise and noble, and that the lot of free grace should fall upon you! That He should take you out of a state of vassalage, from grinding the devil's mill, and should set you above the princes of the earth, and call you to inherit the throne of glory! Fall upon your knees, break forth into
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

In the Temple at the Feast of Tabernacles.
(October, a.d. 29.) ^D John VII. 11-52. ^d 11 The Jews therefore sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? [It was now eighteen months since Jesus had visited Jerusalem, at which time he had healed the impotent man at Bethesda. His fame and prolonged obscurity made his enemies anxious for him to again expose himself in their midst. John here used the word "Jews" as a designation for the Jerusalemites, who, as enemies of Christ, were to be distinguished from the multitudes who were in doubt
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Concerning Justification.
Concerning Justification. As many as resist not this light, but receive the same, it becomes in them an holy, pure, and spiritual birth, bringing forth holiness, righteousness, purity, and all those other blessed fruits which are acceptable to God: by which holy birth, to wit, Jesus Christ formed within us, and working his works in us, as we are sanctified, so are we justified in the sight of God, according to the apostle's words; But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

Scriptures Showing the Sin and Danger of Joining with Wicked and Ungodly Men.
Scriptures Showing The Sin And Danger Of Joining With Wicked And Ungodly Men. When the Lord is punishing such a people against whom he hath a controversy, and a notable controversy, every one that is found shall be thrust through: and every one joined with them shall fall, Isa. xiii. 15. They partake in their judgment, not only because in a common calamity all shares, (as in Ezek. xxi. 3.) but chiefly because joined with and partakers with these whom God is pursuing; even as the strangers that join
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

How to Make Use of Christ as the Truth, when Error Prevaileth, and the Spirit of Error Carrieth Many Away.
There is a time when the spirit of error is going abroad, and truth is questioned, and many are led away with delusions. For Satan can change himself into an angel of light, and make many great and fairlike pretensions to holiness, and under that pretext usher in untruths, and gain the consent of many unto them; so that in such a time of temptation many are stolen off their feet, and made to depart from the right ways of God, and to embrace error and delusions instead of truth. Now the question is,
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

A Discourse of Mercifulness
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7 These verses, like the stairs of Solomon's temple, cause our ascent to the holy of holies. We are now mounting up a step higher. Blessed are the merciful . . '. There was never more need to preach of mercifulness than in these unmerciful times wherein we live. It is reported in the life of Chrysostom that he preached much on this subject of mercifulness, and for his much pressing Christians to mercy, he was called of many, the alms-preacher,
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Development of the Earlier Old Testament Laws
[Sidenote: First the principle, and then the detailed laws] If the canon of the New Testament had remained open as long as did that of the Old, there is little doubt that it also would have contained many laws, legal precedents, and ecclesiastical histories. From the writings of the Church Fathers and the records of the Catholic Church it is possible to conjecture what these in general would have been. The early history of Christianity illustrates the universal fact that the broad principles are
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Best Things Work for Good to the Godly
WE shall consider, first, what things work for good to the godly; and here we shall show that both the best things and the worst things work for their good. We begin with the best things. 1. God's attributes work for good to the godly. (1). God's power works for good. It is a glorious power (Col. i. 11), and it is engaged for the good of the elect. God's power works for good, in supporting us in trouble. "Underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. xxxiii. 27). What upheld Daniel in the lion's den?
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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