An Angel Of The Lord

“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS—THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look.
Act 7:30-32

We know the Son of God to be eternal.  Heb 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  When Jesus spoke of Abraham as if He knew him, the Jews questioned, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus responded, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (Joh 8:57-58) Not, “I was”, but “I AM”, the very name God gave to Moses in Exo 3:14 when asked His name (“I AM WHO I AM”)!  Since Christ has always been, it should be no surprise to us that at times He manifested Himself in a visible way to men and women in the Old Testament.  One of these times seems to be in the account that Stephen references in our text today.  When Moses saw this “Angel” (or “Messenger” as it’s also translated) manifesting Himself in the bush, Exo 3:6 says that “Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God“!

This Angel is referred to again in Exo 23 as the One who would lead and keep the children of Israel in their journey to the Promised Land.  God made some glorious promises to Israel in that passage, but all of these promises were dependent on their proper relationship to this Angel!  “Behold, I send an Angel before you…Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will…” (Exo 23:20-22) We know Israel rebelled against God, breaking this covenant (Jer 31:32), and thus did not enjoy these benefits that could have been theirs.  However, the promises of Exo 23 still apply for those who properly relate to the Messenger of the Lord, our glorious Savior Jesus Christ, for “all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” (2Co 1:20)  Just listen to what belongs to you church!

1) “I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries” (Exo 23:22)
“But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.” (Psa 5:11-12) “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31)

2) “He will bless your bread and your water” (Exo 23:25)
The church has no lack of sustenance for Christ Himself is our Bread and Water, satisfying every longing!  “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (Joh 6:35)

3) “I will take sickness away from the midst of you” (Exo 23:25)
Not a single spot of sin will remain in the bride of Christ.  She will be whole and without sickness!  “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph 5:25-27)

4) “No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land” (Exo 23:26)
Everything the church does in Christ will succeed and prosper!  We are encouraged to press on “in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1Co 15:58) “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28)

5) “I will fulfill the number of your days” (Exo 23:26)
They were promised long life if they followed the Angel before them.  I’d say “eternal life” qualifies as long, wouldn’t you?!! “So He said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.'” (Luk 18:29-30)

Beloved, we are the most blessed people on the face of the earth!  Don’t let this world get you down when such an inheritance is yours.  Quit looking around and keep looking up!  “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co 4:17-18) Thank God for every blessing that is ours because of our blessed Redeemer.  He is worthy of our honor, glory, and blessing! (Rev 5:12)

Jamie

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