Drive Out גָּרַשׁ

We are moving into chapter thirty-three of Exodus with our word for today. גָּרַשׁ drive out, cast out, to force to go away or out. It is used 44 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used in the sense to drive out, to force to go away or out. Judges 11:1-2, 7 When his wife's sons grew up, וַיְגָרְשׁ֣וּ they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman.” … But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me וַתְּגָרְשׁ֖וּנִי and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” Proverbs 22:10 גָּ֣רֵֽשׁ Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. Our word is used in this sense several times in referring to the removal of enemies. We see this with the King of Moab who considered the Israelites his enemy. Numbers 22:6, 11 Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them וַאֲגָרְשֶׁ֖נּוּ and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed … Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them וְגֵרַשְׁתִּֽיו and drive them out. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 33:1-2 The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, וְגֵֽרַשְׁתִּ֗י and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. We see God doing exactly what he said he would do later in the Old Testament. Joshua 24:11-13, 18 And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which וַתְּגָ֤רֶשׁ drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant … And the Lord וַיְגָ֨רֶשׁ drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God. Psalm 80:8-9 You brought a vine out of Egypt; תְּגָרֵ֥שׁ you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. This is encouraging that God can be counted on when he promises to take care of our enemies. I’ll close with this great promise from God who will drive out this last enemy that we all face. 1 Corinthians 15:20-25, 54-57 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death … When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.