I am sending an angel ahead of you
Exodus 23:20~33 See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared (20).
♬ Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #384 All the Way My Savior Leads Me (#434 in previous version)
There are some words you can only understand when you stand earnestly before God in the midst of dire situations in life. These are words that Moses, a man of God, understood as the people of Israel, who were walking through the wilderness, were met with extreme circumstances. When were the words ‘I am sending an angel ahead of you’ fulfilled?
1. When the works of salvation arose and they enjoyed the true Gospel
God liberated Israel from the slavery of Egypt when it applied the Passover blood of the lamb. That night, God sent the angel of the Lord and struck down the firstborn sons of Egypt. Exodus signifies salvation. That is, God sends the angel of the Lord when He is accomplishing the work of salvation and when people believe in the power of the resurrection of the cross. Before the Israelites walked through the wilderness, they faced a crisis where the Red Sea blocked them from the front and the Egyptian army chased them from behind. Although Israel grumbled before God at this time, Moses enjoyed the Gospel. Even in the midst of a crisis, God sends the angel of the Lord to those who enjoy the Gospel. The angel of the Lord was with them, before them and behind them.
2. Today, when you grab hold of the Word of God
The moment you grab hold of the Word of God is important. Grabbing hold of the Word means you listen to the Word and believe in it. God sends His angels to those who believe and protects them. David sings about the angels and army of angels who carry out God’s Word (Psalms 103:20~22). In the Scripture reading, God promises that unseen to our eyes, He will send His angels before us when we embrace the Word in our hearts. When we grab hold of the Word of God given to us today, the amazing works of God arise in our families and environment through the angels of the Lord. God answers us in unknown, great and mysterious ways through the angels of the Lord.
3. When we firmly grab hold of the covenant that God will fulfill in the future
Israel entered into the land of Canaan according to the covenant of God. Just as they had passed through the Red Sea in the past, the Lord split the Jordan River. God was equipping them with faith once more. When we equip ourselves with faith, grabbing hold of the future that will be fulfilled, God sends His angels and works. He demolished the walls of Jericho and drove out the seven tribes of that land. Israel took possession of the land of Canaan that the Messiah would come to. The covenant of the future that is aligned with God’s direction and His vision is connected with the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we will receive today.
● Forum Topic - Let us experience that God has sent an angel ahead of us through faith, like Moses and David.
Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 1st Service / 2009.10.25