The Availability of Angels
Hebrew 1:14 speaks of angels as ministering spirits set forth to minister to those who inherit salvation.
And who are they?
Well, that includes you, because Galatians 3:29 says, if you are Christ’s, you are heirs according to the promise!
The service of these angels, therefore, is part of your inheritance.
When talking about the angels and our “so great salvation” in Hebrew, chapter 2, we do well to remember that the Greek word for salvation includes the meaning, deliverance.
Isn’t that good? You have an angel whose ministry is to deliver you! Psalm 34:7 says, “The angels of the Lord camps all around them who fear Him. And delivers them.”
So as we think about the deliverance angels provide, we first take note of the fact your angel is near, not far away. In fact, he sets up camp right next to you. And should need arise, he is there to deliver you!
Angels Protect
At times, this deliverance may be physical. In Billy Graham’s book, Angels: God’s Secret Agents, there is this account from the Reverend John G. Paton, a pioneer missionary in the New Hebrides Islands.
Hostile natives, in great number, surrounded his mission headquarters one night, intent on burning the Patons out and killing them. John Paton and his wife prayed all during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them.
When daylight finally came, they were amazed to see that, unaccountably, the attackers had left. So as you might imagine, they proceeded to thank God profusely for delivering them.
A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Jesus Christ. Not too long afterwards, Mr. Paton, keenly remembering what had happened, asked the chief what had kept him and his men from burning down their house and killing them.
The chief replied in surprise, “Who were all those men you had with you there?” The missionary answered, “There were no men there, just my wife and I.”
The chief argued that they had seen many men standing guard—hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords in their hands; they seemed to circle the mission station so that the natives were afraid to attack.
Who were they? You know who they were. They were the angels of God.
Years later, Arthur Blessitt, the Southern Baptist evangelist who carried a cross on his back all around the world was in a jungle area of Nicaragua when natives surrounded the small quarters where he was staying. After suddenly surrounding it, they demanded that he come out. Knowing for sure what that would mean, the evangelist wouldn’t budge.
He then heard the countdown begin: “uno, dos, tres!” And then … there was silence. This silence was ominous, triggering the thought, what were they going to do?
Beads of sweat appeared, anxiety gained momentum, but eventually this silence brought relief—nothing happened!
What did happen, Blessitt later learned: Fierce and ferocious looking men suddenly showed up, and the would-be attackers quickly vanished.
So, another deliverance by angels!
One more story, and there are so many of these even in Scripture—remember: the angel helping Peter with a prison break (Acts 5), helping Mary and Joseph know when to go hide in Egypt because after a “silent night” there was going to be a “violent night” (Matthew 2:13).
The angel also let them know when it was safe to return (Matthew 2:19).
Of course, prior to this we see in the Old Testament an angel providing fire protection for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3) and complete protection for Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6).
In more modern times, there is this story of Sum Pam Sing, a well-known Christian who was thrown into a dry well in a certain Tibetan community.
His arms were broken during the capture. There seemed to be no way out.
But then, mysteriously, a rope with a loop was thrown down so all he had to do was step into the loop, whereupon there was a pulling from above.
By whom?
He never knew. When completing his escape, he didn’t see anyone!
None of his fellow Christians dared help him, being under threat as they were by the chief lama.
When the chief lama later heard of the escape, he adamantly denied the report. He couldn’t believe it! No one had ever gotten out of that well!
It’s important to know that the deliverance angels provide is more than a physical deliverance, a la Superman! As Psalm 103:20 puts it, the angels are indeed “excellent in strength,” but their mission is multifaceted.
Angels Guide
For example, in Exodus 23:20 we read: “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place that I have prepared.”
For Israel, the angel’s ministry involved protecting them with a cloud and a fire.
The cloud brought confusion to the enemy because they couldn’t see well enough to advance against the people of God.
The fire brought light to the Israelites so they could see where they should go in their continuing escape (Exodus 14:19, 20).
Two dimensions of a wonderful deliverance!
How comforting it is to know that God’s angels are commissioned to limit what an enemy may purpose to do.
There are precise destiny points for your life and mine. These destiny points, Scripture says, are the good works foreordained by God that he prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
As an example of that, we see an angel coming to get Philip in the middle of a glorious revival in Samaria to bring him to a desert.
Why?
At first, it made no sense. Philip was the leader of that long overdue revival. Why remove him?
As the story unfolds, we learn that there was a leader from Africa in that desert, and God chose Philip to evangelize him.
Without the angel both appearing and assigning, Philip wouldn’t have been there. But because of the angel, we see one of the rare “hinges of history” transacted—an entire continent, Africa, being brought under the saving influence of Christ.
In the Old Testament we see the opposite of this, as an angel stands in the way of Balaam, seeking to prevent him from going where he shouldn’t go.
Aren’t you glad that God cares so much for you that he doesn’t let you drift, doesn’t let you go about your way defenseless, but attends to all your needs, even if that means dispatching an angel?
Angels Serve
The multifaceted help that angels give also meant providing food for Israel in the wilderness—yes, angel food (Psalm 78:25)! And for Elijah, same thing: the angel brought food to the discouraged prophet—and did so two days in a row!
Why? Because the journey ahead was too great for Elijah (I Kings 19:7)!
The principle here? Since the angel leads us in the way we should go, he is ever ready to make provisions for that way.
Psalm 91:11 declares, “He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.” This commission of caring, a command from headquarters to your angel, is an ordained guardianship over your life, whatever that entails.
And yet it must be remembered, even though the angel went to great lengths to keep Balaam in the right way, Balaam’s resistance to the angel caused the mission to fail—and it wasn’t the angel’s fault!
The same is true of the angelic ministry to Israel in the wilderness. The angels were faithful to supernaturally guide, guard, and garner in all the ways that would meet their need.
Yet, in the end, that generation never made it into the place God had prepared for them. In fact, the Bible speaks of that generation provoking God (Hebrews 3:8).
Exodus 23:21 says we are not to provoke an angel.
You will recall that Lot’s wife did that! The angel came to rescue her from the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; and in doing so, very specifically told her to not look back. So what did she do? She defied the angel and looked back anyway!
That backward look demonstrated that she loved what she was leaving more than where God was leading. Instantly, then, she was turned into a pillar of salt! Her bizarre death reflecting a bizarre life!
When we consider both the ability and availability of angels, our gratitude to God increases immensely.
