Sermon Tone Analysis

Do you remember the 1994 Disney classic Angels in the Outfield?

If you don’t, consider yourself blessed.

I remember loving it, but that’s when I was a kid and kids are notorious for having bad taste in movies.

The whole premise was ridiculous.

A boy prays for the Los Angeles Angels to win the pennant, and so some angels are assigned to make that possible.

Christopher Lloyd’s career took a real nose-dive when he signed-on to the role of “Al, the Boss Angel.”

If only the Lord actually did dispatch angels to help baseball teams...

What about the TV series Touched by an Angel?

1994 must have been the peak of our country’s obsession with angels because that’s when Roma Downey and Della Reese graced our screens every Wednesday night.

We watched, ignoring the terrible theology in exchange for mild entertainment.

It was likely somewhere around 1994 when my sister sang, “Oh-oh, oh-oh, I believe there are angels among us, sent down to us from somewhere up above; they come to you and me in our darkest hours, to show us to live, to teach us how to give, to guide us with the light of love.”

I can think of another dozen or so instances throughout my childhood in which there was some portrayal of an angel: Precious Moments and Dreamsicles and Willow Tree figurines; Christmas tree toppers; bumper stickers cautioning us to not drive faster than our guardian angels can fly; John Travolta in the movie Michael; a cartoon angel on one shoulder and cartoon devil on the other.

People are fascinated with angels: television and movies and books.

As each of the myriad examples make clear, there is great misconception and incredible misunderstandings about angels.

They don’t look anything like Roma Downey or Christopher Lloyd or chubby, little, winged-babies hanging out on the clouds playing their harps.

When the Lord says in Exodus 23:20 that He is sending an angel ahead of Moses and the Israelites, we need to have the right picture in mind.

We need the Biblical picture in mind.

The angel here is a mighty and majestic warrior; this is the commander of the Lord’s army.

From the description given here, some think this “angel/messenger” is Moses (but Moses doesn’t enter the Promised Land and, as such, can’t lead the people in the Promised Land).

Some think it’s Joshua or the archangel Michael (but neither Joshua nor Michael can forgive sin).

So, who is this angel?

The angel could be the Eternal, Pre-Incarnate, Second Person of the Trinity = Jesus.

God’s name is in Him.

He can forgive sins.

Like this angel (we know from what the NT tell us) Jesus is our guardian and guide.

He speaks to us with the authority and message of God.

Like the angel, Jesus bears the name of God, because He is the image of the invisible God.

It’s intriguing to think about.

It’s curious, even.

Might this be Jesus with the Lord’s people, leading them, guiding them along their way?

What we know for certain is that this angel is from God.

The Lord Yahweh sent him to His people and the Lord Himself is going to do a mighty work on behalf of His people.

God is the focus of these verses.

Just notice the pronouns.

First person singular all over the place.

The Lord Yahweh says:

I am sending an angel...

to the place I have prepared...

do all that I say...

I will be an enemy to your enemies...

I will wipe them out...

And on and on it goes throughout the rest of Exodus 23.

What’s going to happen is purely of the Lord.

God is going to win the victory.

God is going to work on behalf of His people to bring about His purposes for their lives.

Trust in God’s Victory

Do you see everything the Lord is going to do for His people?!

They are going to make it to the place He has prepared for them, not on their ability or military prowess, not on their good looks, not on a wing and a prayer.

They are going to make it because the Lord will be victorious for them.

It’s done.

The Lord hath spoken.

Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, Jebusites don’t stand a chance.

The Lord says, “I will wipe them out.”

The Lord even sends hornets to protect and fight for His people.

I will send the hornet ahead of you...

I kind of wish that was my nickname...

This could be figurative (some think by this the Lord means He’s going to send Egypt ahead of the Israelites and that Egypt is going to take care of the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites; one of the symbols of Egypt was the hornet).

This could be figurative, or it could be quite literal.

Imagine a swarm of hornets, thousands of hornets going after the people of the land.

(Tommy Boy Clip)

I’ve seen some of you in a Tommy Boy-style freak out when there’s a bee or a wasp around—some of you might be allergic (and I’ll grant you your fear), but many of you are just scared.

I don’t know if the Lord sent actual hornets to drive-out the inhabitants of the land; it’d be pretty awesome if He did.

And I know that He could; the Creator of all things has at His disposal whomever/whatever He pleases.

Even hornets do His bidding.

What I know for certain is this: the God of Israel, the Lord Yahweh, is once again fighting for His people.

You could say God was their “Holy Bouncer.”

He went before them, and through His agents and power He would strike fear into the enemies.

God—the All-Powerful Creator and Sustainer—goes before you in battle.

How can you be concerned about losing?

Why would you not trust Him and have faith in His being victorious.

Robert Murray M’Cheyne: "If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.

Yet distance makes no difference.

He is praying for me."

Do you trust the Lord’s victory?

Where our eternal salvation is concerned, the victory is already won.

On Calvary’s cross Jesus defeated sin; death was crushed to death.

When Jesus rose from the grave, He rose victorious over our enemy.

The victory is won.

When we face smaller battles, we do not face them alone.

God is with us.

In fact, I know One who was named “God with us”—our Savior, Immanuel, Jesus Christ.

I will trust the Victor to be victorious in my stead.

Trust God’s Victory and:

Obey God’s Commands

We are pretty good spectators, aren’t we?

We love to watch football and baseball and volleyball and golf and hockey.

We go to concerts and plays.

We spend hours in front of the television and at the movie theater.

We can spectate all day long.

But we’re called to more than that.

We are called to be more than passive spectators.

Trusting God, putting our faith in Him, is crucial, foundational.

It’s faith in Christ that saves (and nothing else).

When we truly believe, when we belong to Him by faith, when we trust Him—really and truly trust Him—we will, as an overflow of our trust/faith/belief, obey Him.

So God promises to provide the victory.

And He will.

What are the Israelites to do? Sit back, relax, watch?

Are they to be spectators only?

What did God expect of His people?

Obedience.