We are in chapter eleven of Exodus with our word for today. גָּרַשׁ drive out, cast out, to expel, to put away, banish, divorce. It is used 44 in the Old Testament. We find our word used to describe God’s action as a result of sin. Genesis 3:23-24 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Hosea 9:15 Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will אֲגָרְשֵׁ֑ם drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious. Our word is also used to identify Pharaoh’s action in letting God’s people go. Exodus 12:39 With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been גֹרְשׁ֣וּ driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 11:1 The Lord said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will גָּרֵ֛שׁ drive you away completely.
We also see our word used of God driving out the enemies of his people. Joshua 24:16-18 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the Lord וַיְגָ֨רֶשׁ drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.” I’ll close with this great passage about God’s protective love for his people. Deuteronomy 33:26-28 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will וַיְגָ֧רֶשׁ drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ So Israel will live in safety; Jacob will dwell secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drop dew.
