Exodus 23:31
And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
I will fix your borders
This phrase signifies God's sovereign authority and promise to establish the territorial boundaries of Israel. The Hebrew word for "fix" is "שׁוּם" (sum), which means to set, appoint, or establish. This reflects God's active role in determining the extent of the land that His people will inhabit. Historically, this promise underscores the divine right and providence over the land, emphasizing that it is not by human might but by God's decree that these borders are set.

from the Red Sea
The Red Sea, or "ים סוף" (Yam Suph) in Hebrew, is a significant geographical landmark in the biblical narrative, marking the miraculous deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. This reference serves as a reminder of God's past faithfulness and power, reinforcing the trustworthiness of His promises regarding the land.

to the Sea of the Philistines
This phrase refers to the Mediterranean Sea, which bordered the land of the Philistines. The Philistines were a significant adversarial group in the Old Testament, and this boundary indicates the extent of the land that Israel would possess, encompassing territories that were once hostile. It symbolizes God's promise of victory and peace over their enemies.

and from the desert
The desert, or "מִדְבָּר" (midbar) in Hebrew, often represents a place of testing and reliance on God. It is a reminder of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, where they learned to depend on God's provision. This boundary signifies the transition from a place of wandering to a place of settlement and blessing.

to the Euphrates
The Euphrates River is one of the great rivers of the ancient Near East, representing the northeastern boundary of the Promised Land. This expansive promise highlights the vastness of God's provision and the potential for Israel's influence and prosperity. It also connects to the Abrahamic covenant, where God promised Abraham's descendants a land stretching to the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18).

For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand
This assurance of divine intervention emphasizes God's role as the deliverer and protector of Israel. The phrase "into your hand" suggests complete control and victory over the current inhabitants, underscoring the idea that it is God who fights for His people and grants them success.

and you will drive them out before you
The command to drive out the inhabitants reflects the necessity of removing influences that could lead Israel away from their covenant relationship with God. It is a call to purity and faithfulness, ensuring that the land remains a place dedicated to the worship and service of the Lord. This action is not merely a physical conquest but a spiritual mandate to uphold God's holiness in the land.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are being promised a specific land by God.

2. The Red Sea
A significant body of water marking the starting point of the Israelites' journey from Egypt.

3. The Sea of the Philistines
Likely referring to the Mediterranean Sea, marking the western boundary of the promised land.

4. The Desert
Refers to the wilderness areas, possibly the Negev, marking the southern boundary.

5. The Euphrates River
A major river in the Middle East, marking the northeastern boundary of the promised land.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty and Faithfulness
God is sovereign over all nations and faithfully fulfills His promises. Trust in His timing and plan.

Boundaries and Identity
The establishment of boundaries is significant for identity and security. Reflect on the spiritual boundaries God sets for our lives.

Divine Assistance in Overcoming Obstacles
God promises to deliver the inhabitants into the Israelites' hands. Trust in God's help to overcome personal and spiritual challenges.

The Importance of Obedience
The Israelites are called to drive out the inhabitants. Obedience to God's commands is crucial for receiving His promises.

Spiritual Inheritance
Just as the Israelites received a physical inheritance, believers have a spiritual inheritance in Christ. Reflect on what this means for your life.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the promise of land in Exodus 23:31 relate to God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15:18?

2. What are the spiritual "boundaries" God has set in your life, and how do they help define your identity in Christ?

3. In what ways can you rely on God's sovereignty and faithfulness when facing challenges or obstacles?

4. How does the concept of obedience in driving out the inhabitants apply to overcoming sin and temptation in your life?

5. Reflect on your spiritual inheritance in Christ. How does this promise impact your daily walk with God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 15:18
This verse connects to God's covenant with Abraham, where He promises the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates.

Deuteronomy 11:24
Reinforces the promise of land to the Israelites, emphasizing the extent of the territory.

Joshua 1:4
Describes the fulfillment of this promise as Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land.

Psalm 105:44
Celebrates God's faithfulness in giving the Israelites the lands of the nations.

Acts 7:5
Reflects on the promise of land to Abraham, highlighting the faith required to trust in God's promises.
Promises and WarningsJ. Orr Exodus 23:20-33
The Mediatorial GuideH.T. Robjohns Exodus 23:20-33
The Prospect in the Promised LandD. Young Exodus 23:24-33
Associating with the UngodlyUnion MagazineExodus 23:31-33
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Exodus 23:31-33
The Snare of WorldlinessNewton's Letters to a Nobleman.Exodus 23:31-33
People
Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Hivite, Hivites, Jebusites, Moses, Perizzites
Places
Euphrates River, Mount Sinai, Red Sea, Sea of the Philistines
Topics
Border, Borders, Boundary, Bounds, Cast, Deliver, Desert, Dispossess, Drive, Euphrates, Euphra'tes, Fix, Hast, Inhabitants, Lands, Limits, Mayest, Philistines, Power, Red, River, Waste, Wilderness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 23:31

     4207   land, divine gift
     5235   boundary

Exodus 23:27-31

     5607   warfare, examples

Exodus 23:31-32

     5592   treaty

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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