The Messenger of the Covenant
"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you one will go forth for Me to be ruler
in Israel. His goings forth are from
long ago, from the days of eternity."
Micah 5:2 NASB
Continuing with the topic of the angel of the LORD, I would like to take a look at The exodus of Israel out of Egypt. In the previous post I briefly mentioned the account of the burning bush found in Exodus 3. In the other appearances of the angel of the LORD that I referred to, the angel appeared as a man. In this instant He appears in the flame (Exodus 3:2). As Moses goes to investigate the burning bush he is commanded not to come near, but to remove his sandals because he is standing on holy ground (Exodus 3:4-5).
The purpose of the angel's appearance to Moses was to inform Him that He the LORD, had seen the affliction of the Israelites and was about to deliver them from their bondage (Exodus 3:6-8). notice especially verse 8 that speaks of the land God would bring them to. The land of the Hittites, Amorite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite. This comes up again a few chapters later.
As the Israelites leave Egypt the angel of the LORD leads them out in a pillar of cloud by day, and by a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21-22, 14:19). Now we get to Mount Sinai, and the giving of the law,
And the LORD told Moses, "Behold, I shall come to you in a thick cloud..." (Exodus 19:9).
Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently ( Exodus 19:18).
It is here that the LORD makes a covenant with the people, giving them His law to obey, and promising them that if they obeyed Him and kept His covenant they would be His own possession among all the people of the earth. God called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, and it is here that He declares He will send His angel to go before them,
Behold I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Be on your guard before Him and obey His voice; do not be rebellious toward Him, for He will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in Him. But if you will truly obey His voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries. For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them. Exodus 23:20-23 NASB
Again we see reference to what the angel of the LORD told Moses previously. Another interesting thing is that we see that The LORD has put His name in the angel. This angel is divine, bearing the name Jehovah, The I Am Who I Am. This is the LORD Jehovah promising to send His angel to go before them and bring them into the promised land. This is similar to what we read when Lot was fleeing Sodom, The LORD poured out brimstone and fire from the LORD in heaven. Notice in this passage the instances where I and his are interchanged. In fact Acts 7:38 records that it was the angel of the LORD on the mountain speaking to Moses. What is God trying to reveal to us about Himself?
We read in Isaiah 63 that The LORD became Israel's Savior, and the angel of His presence saved them (Isaiah 63:9-14). Another interesting discovery is that of the presence of the Holy Spirit here as well,
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:10), and speaking of the parting of the Red Sea, Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them (Isaiah 63:11)? Now we see another aspect of God as well. Something we will pursue more in another post.
In wrapping this post up lets take a look at Malachi 3:1 where we read,
"Behold, I am going to send My messenger and he will clear the way before Me. And the LORD, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold He is coming," says the LORD of hosts (NASB).
The new testament applies this prophecy of a forerunner to John the Baptist, who was the one to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1-11, John 1:6-13, 15-18). The messenger, or angel of the covenant is none other than Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God who was there at the exodus, at the Red sea, who gave the law on Sinai, and led the children of Israel through the wilderness 40 years. He is the one who called to Moses out of the bush, and then called him up the mountain. Moses spoke with Him face to face, and now we read in the New Testament that in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells (Col 1:19).
The purpose of the angel's appearance to Moses was to inform Him that He the LORD, had seen the affliction of the Israelites and was about to deliver them from their bondage (Exodus 3:6-8). notice especially verse 8 that speaks of the land God would bring them to. The land of the Hittites, Amorite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite. This comes up again a few chapters later.
As the Israelites leave Egypt the angel of the LORD leads them out in a pillar of cloud by day, and by a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21-22, 14:19). Now we get to Mount Sinai, and the giving of the law,
And the LORD told Moses, "Behold, I shall come to you in a thick cloud..." (Exodus 19:9).
Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently ( Exodus 19:18).
It is here that the LORD makes a covenant with the people, giving them His law to obey, and promising them that if they obeyed Him and kept His covenant they would be His own possession among all the people of the earth. God called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, and it is here that He declares He will send His angel to go before them,
Behold I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Be on your guard before Him and obey His voice; do not be rebellious toward Him, for He will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in Him. But if you will truly obey His voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries. For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them. Exodus 23:20-23 NASB
Again we see reference to what the angel of the LORD told Moses previously. Another interesting thing is that we see that The LORD has put His name in the angel. This angel is divine, bearing the name Jehovah, The I Am Who I Am. This is the LORD Jehovah promising to send His angel to go before them and bring them into the promised land. This is similar to what we read when Lot was fleeing Sodom, The LORD poured out brimstone and fire from the LORD in heaven. Notice in this passage the instances where I and his are interchanged. In fact Acts 7:38 records that it was the angel of the LORD on the mountain speaking to Moses. What is God trying to reveal to us about Himself?
We read in Isaiah 63 that The LORD became Israel's Savior, and the angel of His presence saved them (Isaiah 63:9-14). Another interesting discovery is that of the presence of the Holy Spirit here as well,
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:10), and speaking of the parting of the Red Sea, Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them (Isaiah 63:11)? Now we see another aspect of God as well. Something we will pursue more in another post.
In wrapping this post up lets take a look at Malachi 3:1 where we read,
"Behold, I am going to send My messenger and he will clear the way before Me. And the LORD, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold He is coming," says the LORD of hosts (NASB).
The new testament applies this prophecy of a forerunner to John the Baptist, who was the one to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1-11, John 1:6-13, 15-18). The messenger, or angel of the covenant is none other than Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God who was there at the exodus, at the Red sea, who gave the law on Sinai, and led the children of Israel through the wilderness 40 years. He is the one who called to Moses out of the bush, and then called him up the mountain. Moses spoke with Him face to face, and now we read in the New Testament that in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells (Col 1:19).
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