Our readings over the last few days have brought us to consider aspects of Angelic ministration both in Genesis and the Psalms, and in the New Testament. It is one of those happy coincidences that in our recent readings, there has been this common theme. Indeed, yesterday’s reading states that:
“The angel of Yahweh encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them” (Psa. 34:7).
Although this Psalm is attributed to David, and describes certain particulars regarding his experiences, there is also a background in the life of Jacob. So we read:
“the angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow to be a multitude in the midst of the earth” (Gen. 48:16),
Here this verse matches Psalm 34: the Angel delivering the faithful from evil. Indeed the life of Jacob in relation to the Angelic Hand in his life is most instructive for us to consider – and this is what we shall endeavour to do by way of exhortation for today.
Genesis chapter 28 describes the circumstances regarding Jacob’s journey to Padan-Aram to obtain a wife, and Isaac’s blessing upon him:
“God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people: and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee …” (Gen. 28:3-4).
Interestingly, the word for “multitude” of people is used again in Psalm 22, a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ: “I will declare thy Name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee” (Psa 22:22). And this verse is in turn cited in Hebrews 2:12: “… I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee”. The word for “church” here is “ecclesia”, which signifies those who have been called out as an assembly, to become a special people in the sight of God.
What this establishes, is that when Jacob was saying that his son Isaac would be “a multitude of people”, he used the equivalent Hebrew word for the Greek, “ecclesia”! Isaac was the child of promise, and it is through him that the Ecclesia of Christ would come! The ecclesia consists of those who embrace the Hope of Israel, and who are also children of promise – as a consideration of Romans chapter 9 confirms.
The Genesis account continues to record how on his journey, Jacob was shown a vision of the Angelic ministers:
“and he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached unto heaven: and behold, the Angels of God ascending and descending on it” (Gen. 28:12).
This vision confirmed that the Angels were to be with Jacob, but the way in which this would be so, is most interesting. The description echoes and contrasts with the language of the tower built at Babel: “let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven: and let us make us a name …” (Gen. 11:4). Their intent was thwarted by God confounding their languages and scattering them away from that place. But here, Jacob sees a means of access to heaven which was denied the builders of Babel. Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ quotes from this vision, and applies it’s principles to himself:
“… verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (Jno. 1:51).
The Lord Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man: the means of access to heaven, and the means by which the Angels minister to his brethren: “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Jno. 14:6).
The Angels in Jacob’s dream travelled to heaven and back, illustrating the constant communication they have with Yahweh in heaven. Indeed, the Lord draws an exhortational point from this principle: “take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say unto you, That in heaven, their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Mat. 18:10). Here is the point: would we want the Angels to communicate a bad report before the Father in heaven, because we despised one of his little ones?
After Jacob had obtained his wives – and a considerable degree of wealth – the Angel of God revealed himself again to him, and commanded him to return home: “… now arise, and get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred” (Gen. 31: see verses 11-13). Genesis chapter 32 then recounts how “Jacob went his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim” (Gen. 32:1-2). Mahanaim means “two camps”, and evidently refers to both his, and the Angelic encampment. Indeed, this is the principle of Psalm 34:7, “the angel of Yahweh encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them”. The appearance of the Angels to Jacob should have given him great encouragement, for he had been afraid of how his brother Esau would receive him. Yet something else was necessary for him to no longer trust in his own strength or ingenuity but rather take courage in the Hand of the Almighty, and that is recorded in the next chapter.
Genesis 32 describes the preparations that Jacob made to meet his brother. He divided his own camp into two groups, being “greatly afraid and distressed” (Gen. 32:7), saying: “if Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape” (vs 8). He made all the provisions that were humanly possible, and prayed to the God of his fathers for deliverance (vs. 9-12). Having done all, he was left alone. But an angel came to him (vs. 24), and wrestled with Jacob – something which was the subject of a later prophecy of Hosea, speaking of Jacob:
“He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God. Yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Beth-el, and there he spake with us” (Hos. 12:3-4).
This reference in Hosea is most interesting: it states that “he had power over the Angel and prevailed”, yet the Genesis account describes the Angel as winning the wrestling match. The Angel obviously had much more strength than Jacob had: he had Divine strength, and was able to dislocate his thigh with a single touch. But still, Jacob would not let go of the Angel: “he said I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Gen. 32:26), and a blessing was duly given.
In these events, we do not see a fight between two opponents seeking to beat each other up! Rather, it was a test for Jacob – how strong would he be in seeking Divine blessing? Despite the pain of his dislocated thigh, Jacob refused to let go, until the blessing was given. He wanted to retain a hold of Divine things, as it were, and it was so. The wrestling ended with a blessing being conferred – yet Jacob’s thigh was still out of joint. He would not have physically been able to confront Esau in his disabled condition – all he could now do, was to trust in the Angel’s blessing, and that the Divine Camp would operate on his behalf, ensuring that peace would ensue between him and his brother Esau. Hence, in Genesis 48, he describes “the Angel that redeemed me from all evil” (vs 16). Now he recognised the Divine Hand in his life: Now he recognised that the blessings that came his way were not of his own endeavours, but rather it was the extension of Divine Favour towards him.
Having considered the Angelic ministers in the life of Jacob, we find principles for our learning, that we can trust in the power of our God to deliver us out of all adversity. But notice that the Angel did not prevent adversity to come upon Jacob. The promise of Psalm 34 is not that the Angel will prevent difficult circumstances – it is rather that when those times come, the Angel will “deliver” us out of them. It is written that: “there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). And we suggest, it is the Angel that makes that way to escape! That promised “way” is not always easy, and it might even lead us down a path that we ordinarily would avoid – but so long as we remain on that narrow way that brings us to life, we will be led through the obstacles in the way, to inherit the glory given to those who comprise the true “Israel of God”. Jacob, also named Israel, experienced this throughout his life, yet concluded his days by recognising the Divine hand which shaped and guided his life.
Returning to Psalm 34, we bring our minds to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. Whilst (as cited above) it describes Angelic ministration and deliverance; it also describes suffering to be experienced by those who fear Yahweh: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but Yahweh delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken” (Psa. 34:19-20). And this, we are informed, was a prophecy of Jesus: “… these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken” (Jno. 19:36). Whilst the Psalm expresses a general truth regarding the experiences of the faithful, it has a specific bearing on the Son of Man who laid down his life for his friends.
The Lord himself required and benefitted from Angelic hands. At the garden of Gethsemane, when he resigned himself to the doing of his Father’s Will, “there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him” (Lu. 22:43). Indeed, prior to this at the beginning of his ministry when tempted in the wilderness, we find that “then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him” (Mat. 4:11). So, his ministry began and ended with Angels being in attendance.
At the climax of his suffering upon the cross, the Lord could have called upon 12 legions of Angels to take him down (Mat. 26:53), yet he remained obedient to the doing of the Will of God.
Then we find the Angels again at the time of his resurrection: “… behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came, and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow” (Mat. 28:2-3).
Again, at the time of his ascension to heaven, there were two angels; so it is said of the disciples: “while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:10-11). At each stage of Messiah’s ministry, there was Angelic involvement, ensuring that the Divine Will was carried out.
To summarise the things that we have considered: we have seen the importance of trusting in the Angels of God: but we also find that difficulties will come. We think of the life of Jacob: He was brought face to face with his Angel, and we consider how difficulties came upon him. The Angel didn’t stop them from coming but ultimately made a way of escape. And we think of the Lord Jesus Christ: “great are the afflictions of the righteous”. The Lord Jesus was brought through death to be redeemed out of it. Those who would follow Christ, therefore, must look to these things as examples for themselves, that they might hold on to the things of the truth: the things of the Spirit. And then they will receive the promised blessing, and be confessed by their Lord in the presence of the Angels of God (Lu. 12:8, Rev. 3:5).
Christopher Maddocks
