MLC Sermon Notes Note 0604

Yahweh's Special Agent

Reading: Genesis 22
Angel: Hebrew 'Malik' = messenger, agent, envoy

1. Introduction

When the word 'angel' is used, people generally think of creatures with wings. To be sure angels have wings; the seraphim have six wings each. Whether this word 'wings' means 'feathered growth on the body' or 'modes of transport' is difficult to tell. What I want you, particularly in this sermon, to remember is that an 'angel' is a messenger, an agent or envoy of God. He may have wings. He may not. That is not the point. The point is an angel (a malik) is an agent or messenger. Concerning this special messenger of the Most High the Westminster Dictionary says this:
"Whilst any angel sent to execute the commands of God might be called the angel of the Lord, yet mention is made of an Angel under circumstances that justify one in always thinking of the same Angel, who is distinguished from Jehovah and is yet identified with Him, who revealed the face of God, in whom was Jehovah's name, and whose presence was equivalent to Jehovah's presence. The Angel of the Lord thus appears as a manifestation of Jehovah himself, one with Jehovah and yet different from Him" (article Angel)
Let us now examine two examples of this special messenger of the Most High visiting earth in the days of old.

2. Abraham's Sacrifice

Abraham was called upon by Yahweh to sacrifice his son Isaac. It was a test few - if any - have ever faced. This is one experience when the angel of the Lord, that Special Agent who is a manifestation of Yahweh Himself, came to earth. You will see in this experience why this messenger of God was particularly interested in Abraham's test. He came not merely to test Abraham's faith, but to witness the dramatised prediction, the model, the shadow of his own death on Calvary, which God (unlike Abraham) was to carry through to the bitter end. For Christ is the real Isaac. In other words, each time the Angel of the Lord visited earth in Old Testament times he came to witness a prophetic drama which he himself was going to fulfil in his role as the Son of Man. He came to witness a 'live demonstration' of an event the Almighty had planned for the future. Remember this important fact.
Genesis 22 Read the whole chapter noting especially verses:
v11 "And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven"
v15-18 "And the angel of the Lord called ... the second time and said 'By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand on the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."

Note how these promises were made to Abraham by this special messenger who identified himself as 'the Lord.' He was none other than the Messiah himself. Here is the Saviour studying the blueprint, witnessing the experience which was dramatically forecasting his own sacrifice on Calvary. And as the Son of the Most High he was able to authoritatively say: "By myself have I sworn ... I will bless thee. I will multiply thy seed ... because thou hast obeyed my voice."

This drama tells of the full price of salvation - the RAM'S death!

3. Israel's Deliverance

This Special Agent of Yahweh again visited earth when Moses was alive. In that instance once more his reason was to supervise the deliverance of Israel, a deliverance only made possible by the blood of the Passover Lamb - again a symbolic representation of his own death on Calvary.
Exodus 3:2-8 "And the Angel of Yahweh appeared unto him (Moses) in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush ... And He said, Draw not nigh hither: ... for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians ..."

This drama tells of the effects of salvation - freedom from sin and Satan.

4. The Almighty's Law

The Special Agent of the Most High is not only interested in saving his people from Satan, the Pharaoh of this world. He is also interested in the overthrow of Yahweh's enemies: his ultimate objective being to establish a law abiding universe which will develop according to Yahweh's will. To do this he must give mankind his Father's Law, which is an expression of the Most High's will. In this role he is called the Messenger of the Covenant.
Malachi 3:1-3 "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."

NOTE: From this text and others we learn that the messenger of the covenant is the Messiah himself. He is the Malik of the Most High who was sent to deliver the greatest message this world has ever heard - the Gospel of Salvation and the law of the Most High. And though the Saviour does not have wings like a seraph, he is nevertheless the Messenger of God Almighty. Not only is he a messenger of Yahweh, but he is the express image of his Father.

5. The Almighty's Presence

No promise in Scripture can compare with the promise of the Almighty's presence: "I will be with thee." Yahweh's presence is the greatest treasure any soul can ever have; for with it comes everything of value. I AM WITH THEE. All the great men and women of Scripture were blessed with the presence of God. If you closely study the lives of these men you will see that in every single case it said: "GOD WAS WITH THEM." His special messenger went with them through all their journeys. (Gen.48:16, Exo.23:20, 32:34, 33:2) Yahweh was with all these believers. Indeed Yahweh's presence is promised to every true believer in the person of Yeshua His Son, the messenger of the covenant, the special envoy of the Almighty God.
Matthew 1:23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
Isaiah 63:9 "In all their afflictions He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them."
Matthew 28:20 "And lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

NOTE: As you can see this sermon is about Jesus Christ. What then is it doing in this section on angels? The answer is not merely to explain the word malik (messenger), but to show how Yahweh, the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel prefigured the Plan of Salvation in the experiences of His people. When the Most High had a special message to deliver, one prefiguring sacrifice, deliverance and obedience, areas in which His son would have a special role to fulfil, the Most High despatched Jesus himself to deliver the message. In many of these instances the Saviour is referred to as the angel of the Lord, or the word of the Lord. Now please do not go away with the impression that Jesus Christ is a created being with wings; or that he is on the same level as other messengers or angels of God. Oh no, Jesus Christ is Yahweh's only begotten Son. He is God incarnate! That means God in human flesh. He is infinitely higher than every other messenger in the universe. In fact he speaks and acts with all the authority of the Almighty Himself: because Yahshua (Jesus) is God and he should be worshipped as God.
Philippians 2:10 "That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth."
Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

Amen.

Note 0603 Note 0605

MLC Sermon Notes

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