The Angels of God

1. The Angels of God Class 3: The Angels work for YOU!

2. Hebrews 1:14 14 Are they (angels) not all ministering spiritssent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? They are with us all the time – not just when troubles come. Learn to be aware of their presence and appreciate their help. If we hope to be equal to angels, we must learn to serve like them now. It’s too late to wait till the kingdom starts. Christadelphian Bible marking lessons completely skip this aspect of the angels! So do most hymns.

3. Revelation22:8-9 8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, "See that you do not do that. ForI am your fellow servant,and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God." The angels work unselfishly as our fellow-servants, so that we can join them in their work as members of the family of God

4. 1 Corinthians 4:9-13 9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death;for we have been made a spectacleto the world,both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. 12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13 being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. Angels are sometimes surprised at what saints must experience. Imagine their wonder at what Jesus had to go through!

5. Isaiah 63:9 9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, andthe Angel of His Presence saved them;in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. The angel working with Moses (probably Michael) expressed the same love, concern, compassion and mercy that God himself would feel. The angels are family extensions of God himself, who live and feel like God. The angels who work with us act and feel the same way!

6. Psalm 34:7 7 The angel of the LORD encampsall around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Note the context: David was scared and came up with a plan. Act like an insane person before Achish so he would let him live. On the surface it looked like David was just scheming his way through the problem. David did act, but in his own mind, he was fully aware of God’s angel helping him through the situation. Always make God the center of our plans. Pray and plead for His guidance and assistance. Then be aware of His angels helping us through the events of our lives – spouses, children, jobs, accidents, medical problems.

7. Judges 5:23-24 23 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD,'Curse its inhabitants bitterly,because they did not come to the help of the LORD,to the help of the LORD against the mighty.‘ (Meroz was a village 12 miles from Samaria) 24 "Most blessed among women is Jael,the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed is she among women in tents. We can make things difficult for our angels. Their patience can run out! They can become so disappointed in people that they curse them. Let’s make sure we don’t disappoint our angels, but give them reasons to bless us.

8. Acts 7:2-3 2 And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen:The God of glory appearedto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia,before he dwelt in Haran, 3 "and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.' An angel first appeared to Abraham when he lived in Ur and began his promises to Abraham.

9. Genesis 12:1-4 1 Nowthe LORD had said to Abram:"Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house,to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you,and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 4 So Abram departedas the LORD had spoken to him,and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

10. Genesis 15:7-9 7 ThenHe said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Urof the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it." 8 Andhe said, "Lord GOD,how shall I know that I will inherit it?" 9 SoHe said to him, "Bring Mea three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. The angel asked Abraham to leave Ur and promised to work through Abraham and his family – if he would believe. Angels still work the same way today. Pray for your families & appreciate the help of our angels.

11. Genesis 16:7-11 7 Nowthe Angel of the LORD found herby a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai." 9The Angel of the LORD said to her,"Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand." 10 Thenthe Angel of the LORD said to her, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude." 11 Andthe Angel of the LORD said to her:"Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael,because the LORD has heard your affliction. Angels look for us too, when we are depressed and discouraged. They won’t leave us alone because they want us to succeed!

12. Genesis 17:1-3 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old,the LORD appeared to Abramand said to him,"I am Almighty God;walk before Me and be blameless. 2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." 3 Then Abram fell on his face, andGod talked with him, saying: 22 Then He finished talking with him, andGod went up from Abraham. An angel appeared to personally confirm the covenant with Abraham and let him know Sarah would finally have a son.

13. Genesis 18:1-2 1 Thenthe LORD appearedto him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold,three men were standing by him;and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 4 "Please let a little water be brought, andwash your feet,and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 "And I will bring amorsel of bread,that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant."They said, "Do as you have said." 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the treeas they ate. Note how accommodating these angels were!

14. Genesis 18:12-13 12 Therefore Sarahlaughed within herself,saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" 13 Andthe LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh,saying, 'Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?‘ 1 Peter 3:5-6 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 asSarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord,whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. We can’t fool angels. They read our thoughts. They know our motives. They need to in order to be ministers for us!

15. Genesis 18:17-19 17 And the LORD said,"Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 "since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 "For I have known him, in order that he may command his childrenand his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him." Note the discussion and decision-making of the angels, as they work together in God’s service!

16. Genesis 18:20-22 20 And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 "I will go down now and seewhether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me;and if not, I will know." 22 Then the men (2 of the angels) turned away from there and went toward Sodom,but Abraham still stood before the LORD. Angels are not omniscient – they need to be present to see what is happening. That’s why they are with us all the time! They are aware of outcries against sin!

17. Genesis 18:23-26 23 And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 "Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You!Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26 So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes." Look at the power of prayer! Angels respond to our desires to save our family and friends!

18. Genesis 19:1-2 1 Nowthe two angels came to Sodomin the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, "Here now,my lords,please turn in to your servant's house and spend the night, andwash your feet;then you may rise early and go on your way." And they said, "No, but we will spend the night in the open square.“(they came down to see for themselves!) 3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, andthey ate. Note how accommodating the angels were to Lot. They do respond to our wants and needs.

19. Genesis 19:10-13 10But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door. 12 Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city-- take them out of this place! 13 "For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it." Once again angels can affect the sight of men. Note the loving compassion of the angels who wanted to save Lot’s family for Abraham’s sake.

20. Genesis 19:15-17 15 When the morning dawned,the angels urged Lot to hurry,saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city." 16 Andwhile he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him,and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” Angels don’t usually force us because they want us to make the good decisions. There may be times when they force our hands out of compassion and mercy.

21. Remember: Lot was righteous and the angels knew it! 2 Peter 2:6-9 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 anddelivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (forthat righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)-- 9 then the Lord knows howto deliver the godly out of temptationsand to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

22. Genesis 19:18-22 18 Then Lot said to them, "Please, no, my lords! 19 "Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 "See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one;please let me escape there(is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live." 21And he said to him, "See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 "Hurry, escape there.For I cannot do anything until you arrive there."Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The angel responded to Lot’s request, and had to wait for Lot to get to Zoar! Patience, kindness & mercy. Just Like God himself!

23. Genesis 19:25-26 25 SoHe overthrew those cities,all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Angels are merciful, but they are also to be feared for their justice. Imagine the disappointment of Lot’s wife’s angel when she looked back  Years of patient work ended in a moment by a bad choice. Let’s commit today to appreciate all the angels do for us and try not to let them down by our choices.

24. Characteristics of Angels revealed in Genesis 18-19 • Can appear as normal men • Want to save us • Can develop a personal relationship with us • Can read our thoughts • Need to be present to know what’s happening • Willing to reason with us • Willing to accommodate us (within reason) • Discuss with each other to make decisions • Are extremely patient & merciful with us

25. Genesis 20:1-3 1 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 ButGod came to Abimelech in a dream by night,and said to him, "Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." An angel protected Sarah and made sure the covenant with Abraham would be fulfilled.

26. Genesis 24:7 7 "The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I give this land,'He will send His angel before you,and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 39 "And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' 40 "But he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk,will send His angel with you and prosper your way;and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house. Note Abraham’s awareness of the angels and his confidence that God would work through them. We need to walk like Abraham.

27. Genesis 45:4-5 4 And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me." So they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 "But now, do not therefore be grieved nor angry with yourselves because you sold me here;for God sent me before you to preserve life. Genesis 50:19-20 19 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me;but God meant it for good,in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. When we feel the presence of the angels and confidently trust they are in control, it diffuses our anger, pain, frustration and jealousy we experience in our dealings with one another. The angels are working for our good!

28. 1 Kings 19:4-7 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. Andhe prayed that he might die,and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenlyan angel touched him,and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 Andthe angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat,because the journey is too great for you." Note the compassion and kindness of the angel – even though Elijah was on a mission to plead with God “against Israel” (Rom 11:1)

29. 2 Kings 1:3, 15 3 Butthe angel of the LORD said to Elijahthe Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' 15 And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him."So he arose and went down with him to the king. The angel encouraged Elijah to meet with Ahaziah. Note how gentle and patient the angel was with Elijah. We must learn to treat each other this way to be useful ministers of God in the kingdom!

30. Angels involvement at Christ’s Return Matt 13:39-41 (wheat & tares) 39 "The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 "Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness Matt 13:49-50 (dragnet) 49 "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 "and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.“ Angels will eliminate the wicked so the righteous may shine!

31. Angels involvement at Christ’s Return Matt 25:31-32 (sheep & goats) 31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. Angels will be involved in the resurrection & judgment. Let’s get to know and trust our angels so we can confidently rejoice when they appear to take us to the judgment seat of Christ!

32. That’s it for now! Next we’ll look at why YOU need the Angels - They really are your Friends 