Exodus 23
v.2
“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,
v.20
“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.
v.21
Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.
The “messenger” or angel sent by God is an extension of God himself, representing a continuous presence with the people of Israel. Since names and naming (see Gen 2:19; 17:5) were considered powerful in the ancient world (see 9:16; Lev 19:12), to say that Yahweh has invested his Name in this angel is to say that it is to be obeyed just as God is to be obeyed. All of God’s presence and power is to be found in this messenger. He is to be trusted to do what God has promised.
v.23
My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.
v.24
Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.
It was the worship and practices of the gods of these nations that were strictly forbidden. Instead, Israel was to demolish these gods and smash their “sacred stones,” which apparently were free-standing stones that were associated with the veneration of deities, particularly the male deity.
v.25-26
Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, 26and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.
The worship of God would affect the Israelites’ water and food. No wonder the prophets connected a series of agricultural reverses with the judgement of God on a particular culture (e.g., Hag 1:5-11). Moreover, unlike the wicked who fail to live out half their days (Ps 55:23), the worshipping obedient will have full life spans.
v.27
“I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.
The speed of the conquest is stated differently in several texts. Like this one, Jdg 2:20-3:4 also argues for gradual progress in conquering the land; yet Dt 9:3 promises that is will be done “quickly.” The answer lies in noting that the general sweep of the land and its conquest in principle were accomplished speedily. Because of mopping-up operations, however, the need to have people settle in the areas rid of Canaanite influence, and the threat of wild animals infesting them (cf. 2Ki 17:25), the completion of that task would designedly be slow.
v.29-30
But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.
v.33
Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.”