Dear Friends in the penultimate part of our series on Angels, we come to the angelic functions…. vis-a-vis firstly their Creator and then at His command in relation to His Prized creation, Man. Well, we can say that they are of…
Adoration…
Isaiah 6:1-3, on the worshipping angels, portrays a clear picture of the Angels’ primary calling and that is of: Worship (well it is ours too)! Before I take even a providential step, let me state here that our Lord, of His Sovereign wisdom, has kept a “sense of discovery” in us, and also in the Angels! Remember the triumphant cry, “Eureka!” of Archimedes on discovering a “water-related secret” in his bathtub!
Now a devout friend of mine had a “legitimate” doubt: don’t angels ever get “bored” shouting “Hallelujahs” day-in and day-out? Any monotonous activity would lead to boredom. To whom did my friend take his doubt? To the Lord Himself! Mind you, it is not a sin to have a doubt, but once we get it, we need to take it honestly to the “Right Person” (a la Asaph and John the Baptist–Psa 73:17/Luke 7:19)! And what was the Lord’s response? “My Son,” the Lord said, taking my friend to his garden, “do you know what it takes to keep these plants alive?” “No,” was the candid answer of my Pal. The next question was, “Do you know everything about how all your organs function to sustain your physical life?” “No,” was again the sincere response. “OK,” said the Lord, “In my vast universe, I have stored enough secrets about how this universe functions. Each day I reveal some secrets and angels respond spontaneously with Eurekas…opps sorry…I mean Hallelujahs!”
Dear friends, our Heavenly Father is simply “indescribable,” so much so that angelic worship on coming to know more and more about His “goodness allied with greatness” can be described thus as thus: “opening their hearts to the love of God, quickening their conscience to the Holiness of God, purging their imagination with the beauty of God, filling their minds with the truth of God and committing their purposes to the will of God”. Our Worship, too, ought to be purpose-driven, as that of the angels, even as He opens our eyes “to see marvellous truths in His written Word.” (Psa 119:18)!
Hmmm..now in relation to Man…
Protection…
Scripture portions such as Psalm 34:7 and Matthew 18:10 leave none in doubt about the protective role of the Angels in the lives of His precious, Chosen ones at the command of the Supreme One. Any doubt? Then better listen to a certain Daniel…
“My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” (Dan 6:22)
Provision…
“Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” (Matt 4:11)
So if you think the role of providing needed resources (read Ministering) of the Angels at God’s command ended after Jesus’ ordeal in the Desert, then consider this testimony…
Many years ago, my elderly relative had quit a high-profile job in Central Government to take-up full-time Lord’s Work at the Lord’s prompting. At a time, he was undergoing Seminary training in Canada, a letter arrived from his wife that their daughter would not be allowed to attend her classes in School (in a week’s time) due to non-payment of fees. What did my relative do? He simply placed that “warning” letter before the Bible and prayed a La Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:14-19). If for Hezekiah the Lord sent a warring angel for subjugation of physical enemies, then for my relative the Lord sent an “unknown” benefactor, who searched for him by name in his class the next day, placed the needed money in the hands of my stunned relative and simply walked away, never to be seen again!
Communication…
Luke 1:26-33, Mark 16:5, Acts 1:9-11
Scripturally, if angels are found communicating messages from the Lord to His people right from Old Testament times (See Judges 6:12-24/13:2-20), then in the life of our Saviour, as well, angels have been communicating messages. Oh yes, from the time of Jesus birth, angels had been communicating messages. If it was concerning His birth to Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-33), then it was about His resurrection to some ladies on the First Blessed Resurrection Day (Mark 16:5), and then finally, about His Second coming to stunned Disciples immediately post ascension of the Lord (Acts 1:9-11). Oh yes, an angel shall herald the Second Coming of the Lord, too, by way of a loud trumpet blast (1 Thess 4:16).
Prayer: Father, we praise and thank Thee for creation of angels through Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to minister to us. Amen.
Suresh Manoharan
An unworthy servant
J and SM Ministries
(To access the entire “Angelic…All the Way!” mini-series, please click here.)