Part 43 (1/2)
Bearers of Tidings
They visited Abraham's tent with warning of Sodom's overthrow. Genesis 18.
They visited Lot in the city, and urged him to get his family out.
Genesis 19.
As Jacob, in fear but repentance, was about to meet Esau, whom he had deceived, ”the angels of G.o.d met him.” Genesis 32. ”This is G.o.d's host,”
he said, and he knew that the G.o.d of Abraham and Isaac, and his G.o.d, also, had not forsaken him.
At a discouraging time in the history of Israel, an angel appeared to Gideon, bringing the message, ”The Lord is with thee,” and calling him to the work of delivering his people. Judges 6.
[Ill.u.s.tration: JACOB'S DREAM IN BETHEL
”Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Heb. 1:14.]
As Daniel's prayer reached heaven, even while he still prayed, the angel Gabriel ”being caused to fly swiftly,” touched him, and said:
”O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee.” Dan. 9:21-23.
So close is the communication between heaven and earth.
The gladdest tidings ever brought from heaven to earth since the promise of the Deliverer to Adam in Eden, were brought by angels to the shepherds of Bethlehem. First, one angel appeared, saying:
”I bring you good tidings of great joy.... For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Such tidings to earth could never be the mission of one lone angel, when all heaven longed to cry the news to a lost world.
”And suddenly there was with the angel a mult.i.tude of the heavenly host praising G.o.d, and saying, Glory to G.o.d in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:13, 14.
Unseen in Halls of Government
One incident related in the book of Daniel draws aside the curtain, and shows how angels doubtless often have worked unseen in kingly courts or halls of legislation. Daniel had prayed for three weeks for light in certain matters that the angel Gabriel had begun to unfold to him. When at last the angel came, overpowering the prophet with the glory of his presence, it was with a statement, first, of the reason for the delay in responding to his prayer. The angel said:
”From the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy G.o.d, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days.”
Dan. 10:12-14.
Messengers of Deliverance
The story of deliverance wrought by angels is too long to tell. One need only think of the angels' taking slow-moving Lot by the arms and setting him out of Sodom (Genesis 19); of the angel finding Elijah under a bush in the desert, and first baking a cake for the hungry man before speaking the word to his discouraged heart (1 Kings 19); of Elisha praying that the young man's eyes might be opened to see that there were more angels with them round about than all the Syrians encamped against them:
”The Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:17.
An angel shut the mouths of the lions when Daniel was cast into their den. Daniel 6. An angel smote off Peter's irons in the prison at Jerusalem, opened the doors, and led him forth. Acts 12. Amid the angry waves sweeping over the foundering s.h.i.+p in the Adriatic, Paul the apostle bade the despairing crew be of good courage, ”for there stood by me this night the angel of G.o.d, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not.” Acts 27:23, 24.