Angels - part 3
To begin today’s blog entry on the topic of angels, let’s start in Genesis 19 where angels appeared as visible beings to help Lot escape from Sodom. These angels had the power to strike the men at the door with blindness. “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.” (Genesis 19:11 NKJV)
These angels also gave Lot instructions, escorted him out of town, and then destroyed the city. God knew Lot could not save himself and would not leave without angelic assistance. If it had not been for Abraham’s persistent prayer, his family, and these angels, Lot would have been destroyed as well.
This example shows us that prayer can bring angels to help someone in danger. In Lot’s case, two angels came. They had power to deal with the enemy men at the door. They knew where to take Lot from the instructions God had given them and that timing was crucial, as these angels were concerned about time as they urged Lot to hurry.
We also see in this example that angelic instructions need to be obeyed as though God Himself is speaking, for the angels told Lot and his family in Genesis 19:17 (NKJV), “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains lest you be destroyed.” We remember from the rest of the account that Lot’s wife disobeyed by looking back and she turned into a pillar of salt.
There are scriptural verses indicating that angels can take on human form. This, however, does not make them human. “So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, ‘This is God’s camp.’ And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.” (Genesis 32:1-2 NKJV)
We often find that angels come at the most crucial times. Mothers of Nations, do you remember in Genesis 21:17-19 when Hagar was in great distress in the desert? She and her son would have died of thirst and starvation had the angel not appeared to them and assisted them.
In another instance, Jacob was running from Esau when he discovered angels. These angels came to him in a dream. They were ascending and descending a ladder set on earth reaching to heaven, evidently connecting the two locations through the use of the ladder. Once again revelation came in the presence of angels and God. The Lord spoke to Jacob in Genesis 18:13-15 (NKJV) and said,
“And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac: the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
Jacob now recognized that the Lord was in that place, though he did not know it before. He thought he had found the gate to heaven and responded to God’s Word with obedience and worship. He also pledged a tithe of his income as an act of adoration. Surely the presence of the Lord in that place changed Jacob’s heart forever.
As we close today, have you had an experience with an angel that changed your heart in some way? Or have you experienced angels coming to you in a crisis and giving assistance? I would love to hear about your angelic experiences. Please feel free to comment to us here on the Mothers of Nations website!
Dr. Sharon Predovich
