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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 YaHuWaH. He may have wings. He may not. That is not the point. The point is an angel (a malik) is an agent or messenger.
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 YaHuWaH to sacrifice his son Isaac. It was a test few - if any - have ever faced. This is one experience when the angel of Elohim, that Special Agent who is a manifestation of YaHuWaH Himself, came to earth. You will see in this experience why this Messenger of YaHuWaH was particularly interested in Abraham's test. He came not merely to test Abraham's faith, but to witness the dramatized prediction, the model, the shadow of his own death on Calvary, which Elohim (unlike Abraham) was to carry through to the bitter end. For YAHUSHUA the Messiah 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 YaHuWaH the Elohim of Israel had planned for the future. Remember this important fact.
| Genesis 22 | Read the whole chapter noting especially verses: |
| verse 11 | And the angel of YaHuWaH called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. |
| verse 15 | And the angel of YaHuWaH called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16: And said, By Myself have I sworn, saith YaHuWaH, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18: 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 YaHuWaH ! He was none other than the Messiah Himself. Here is the Savior studying His Father's 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 YaHuWaH again visited earth when Moshe 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 | And the angel of YaHuWaH appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3: And Moshe said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4: And when YaHuWaH saw that he turned aside to see, Elohim called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moshe, Moshe. And he said, Here am I. 5: And He said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6: Moreover He said, I am the Elohim of thy father, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob. And Moshe hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon Elohim. 7: And YaHuWaH said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8: And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey... |
This drama tells of and prefigures salvation: freedom from the slavery of sin and entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.
4. The Almighty's Torah
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 YaHuWaH 's enemies: his ultimate objective being to establish a Torah abiding universe which will develop according to YaHuWaH 's will. To do this he must give mankind his Father's Torah, which is an expression of the Most High's will. In this role he is called the Messenger of the Covenant.
| Malachi 3:1 | Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and Adon, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith YaHuWaH Tz'va'ot. 2: 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: 3: And He shall sit as a refiner and purifer of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto YaHuWaH an offering in righteousness. |
NOTE: From this passage 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 Torah of the Most High. And though the Saviour does not have wings like a seraph, He is nevertheless the Special Messenger of YaHuWaH Almighty. Not only is He a Messenger of YaHuWaH, 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." YaHuWaH '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 YaHuWaH.' If you closely study the lives of these men you will see that in every single case it said: " YaHuWaH WAS WITH THEM." His special messenger went with them through all their journeys. (Gen.48:16, Exo.23:20, 32:34, 33:2)
- Abraham: Genesis 21:22
- Isaac: Genesis 26:3
- Jacob: Genesis 28:15
- Joseph: Genesis 39:23
- Samuel: 1 Samuel 3:19
- David: 1 Samuel 16:18
YaHuWaH was with all these believers. Indeed YaHuWaH 's presence is promised to every true believer in the person of YAHUSHUA His Son, the Messenger of the Covenant, the special envoy of the Almighty Elohim.
| 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, Elohim with us. |
| Isaiah 63:9 | In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old. |
| Matthew 28:20 | ... and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. |
NOTE: As you can see this sermon is about YAHUSHUA the Messiah. 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 YaHuWaH, the Almighty Elohim 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 fulfill, the Most High dispatched YAHUSHUA Himself to deliver the message. In many of these instances the Savior is referred to as the Angel of YaHuWaH , or the Word of YaHuWaH .
Now please do not go away with the impression that YAHUSHUA the Messiah is a created being with wings; or that He is on the same level as other messengers or angels of YaHuWaH. Oh no, YAHUSHUA the Messiah is YaHuWaH 's only begotten Son. He was not created as the angels are. He issued from His Father as the only begotten Son of YaHuWaH ! He is YaHuWaH incarnate!
That means Elohim in human flesh. YAHUSHUA 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 YAHUSHUA is, in fact, YaHuWaH ! and He should be worshiped as Elohim.
| Matthew 28:18 | And YAHUSHUA came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in Earth. 19: Go 20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. |
Amen.
Joy By Surprise
