Exodus 23:20–21

The goodness of God is seen again in His promise in verse 20. He would send an angel before them, both to guard them and to guide them to the place He had appointed for them, the land of promise. For the Lord does not leave us to make our own way to heaven as best we can!

Who then was this angel? It is clear, both from this scripture and chapter 14, as well as from others, that divine attributes are given to Him. It says here, for example, "My name is in Him."... That He is divine is therefore clear. So it is fair to conclude — as godly students of the Word in every age have concluded — that in this angel we have none other than the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, Jehovah. And in His many appearances we may see foreshadowings of His incarnation. It is He who has always been the leader of His people.

God goes before them by angelic power, by what He calls (v. 23) "my Angel." That is, it was God Himself stepping in, only in the form of angelic power... So where God, as I AM, showed Himself in a flame of fire in the bush, He is called "the Angel" in the bush. At Peniel (that is, the face of God) Jacob declares that he had seen God face to face and lived. Of the same event Hosea says "he had power over the angel and prevailed."

Also we read of the Angel of the Lord who went before them, whom Isaiah calls "the Angel of His presence." In Malachi 3:1, the expression "Messenger of the covenant" is really "Angel of the covenant." That is a clear prediction of the coming of the Lord Jesus. So in this title too we may see a reference to Him.

He was holy. His people had put themselves under law, so He could not pardon their transgressions. "My name" — the expression of all that God was in His relationship with Israel — "is in Him." So He would act in righteousness, on the basis of the law God had given as the standard of their conduct.

But the unchanging favour of God does not lessen our responsibility... "But if you carefully obey his voice [that of the angel whom He sent] and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries." Israel's prosperity was therefore conditional — it depended on their obedience. The promised possession was theirs by divine sovereignty. Their prosperity depended on their behaviour. And so it is with the Christian.

The Lord's answer still assured Moses that He would act in forbearance toward the erring people. He would lead them on by His Angel, as He had promised earlier in chapter 23:20-23. Yet His governmental judgment would still come upon them.

Who is this angel? He is called in chapter 33:15 "the face of Jehovah" (literal translation). The name of God is in Him; God revealed Himself in Him. His voice must be obeyed. He has power to pardon transgressions or not to pardon them. This angel is not a created being. He is the same one who appeared in the burning bush. He is the same one Jacob spoke of when he said, "The angel, the Redeemer." It is Jehovah Himself, the Son of God. The ancient synagogue paraphrased this person by using the expression "Memra," which means "the Word." They believed and taught that "the Word" brought Israel out of Egypt; "the Word" led them in the pillar of cloud; "the Word" confounded the Egyptian army. And they paraphrased "the angel" by "the Word."

This title may be understood by a scripture in Exodus: "Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way … my name is in Him." That proves He was a divine Person. In the Word, a name is always the expression of the truth of what the Person is.

They were to beware of Him, obey His voice, and not provoke Him. He was holy. His people had placed themselves under law, so He could not pardon their transgressions. "My name" is the expression of all that God was in His relationship with Israel. That name "is in Him," and so He would act in righteousness, on the basis of the law God had given as the standard of their conduct. On the other hand, He made obedience the condition of fully identifying Himself with their cause.

But the unchangeable favour of God does not lessen our responsibility. When the seed of Abraham grew into a nation, Jehovah spoke to that nation about His promise to Abraham. He then pressed their responsibility on them like this — "If you will indeed obey his voice [that of the angel whom He sent], and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries." Israel's prosperity was therefore conditional — it depended on their obedience. The promised possession was theirs by divine sovereignty. Their prosperity depended on their behaviour. And so it is with the Christian.

People were to receive a prophet because he spoke in the name of Jehovah who sent him (Deut. 18:18-19). But now men had to believe in the name of the Speaker Himself — the Only-begotten Son. Israel had to believe the message of the prophet, but not on his name. But now the people were called to believe on the Son, for Jehovah's "name is in Him" (Ex. 23:21).

In her path the church has to do with no mere angel or representative of God. It is a blessing to have such a pledge of God's faithfulness and power. Yet the church has to do with Him who has the fullness of divine power and divine supremacy over all rule or lesser authority — "Him who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars."