"Messengers and Protectors"
May 13, 2007
2 Kings 6:13-17; Hebrews 1:14
(from Billy Graham's "Angels")

Introduction: When my kids were younger I used to play the game CandyLand with them. It was a fun game, but also educational. To play the game you draw a card with a color on it, and then move your piece to that color. So by playing the game the kids learned their colors. Also in the stack of cards, were special picture cards with pictures of the CandyLand characters on them (like Plumpy, Queen Frostine, Jolly, and Gramma Nutt). When you drew a picture card, you would move to where that picture was located on the board. The problem was, that sometimes you could be close to the finish, and then draw say a Plumpy card, which would cause you to have to move all the way back to the beginning. So if the kids were struggling, (without their seeing me) I would sometimes put cards in the right order so that they would stay out of trouble, and end up winning the game! This was a simple way for me to watch over them, and yet they never knew I was doing it.

This morning, as we continue in our series on Angels, we see how angels were created by God to minister to us, and protect us. And more often than not, they do this in a way that we are not even aware of their presence, or their help. Since angels are invisible, they can do this without us noticing.

I. Angels as Ministering Spirits- (Hebrews 1:14; Genesis 32:2, 24-30;

Hosea 12:3-4; Exodus 3:2-3, 16-17; Numbers 20:16)

a. Watched over- A truth that we need to understand about our

world is that supernatural forces are at work. It is believed by most Christian leaders, based on the scriptures, that there are unseen demonic forces at work in our world, and these forces are increasing. That is why it feels sometimes that the world is out of control. But we must realize that in the end, righteousness will prevail.

We see this truth in the book of Revelations. We are going through a study on this book at our 9 a.m. Bible study class on Sundays in the Parlor. And I can’t tell you how many times people have said things to me like, “The book of Revelations is scary,” or “The book of revelations is all about Satan and evil.” But the truth is, the book of Revelations is about the battle between God’s angels and the demons. And even more, it is about Jesus Christ as our victor, and about how God will resolve all the conflict. In the end, all who believe will be in heaven with God!!

But until this end, we do have a struggle in this world with evil forces. So God gives us words of comfort in the Bible to let us know that He is watching out for us. As we just read in Hebrews 1:14, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” This is a wonderful verse that lets us know that God watches out for us with His created angels. In fact, God loves us so much, that when He created us, He had already created the angels with a purpose for caring for and ministering to us.

So instead of being afraid of the evil that is around us, we should take comfort in the fact that God is watching over us. This is important, because it does no good to live life in fear. It is important to be safe, but not to live in fear. Live your life with the assurance that you have protection around you. This doesn’t mean that nothing bad will ever happen, but it does mean that we are not alone.

b. Biblical Examples- Let’s take some time to look at biblical

examples of how God ministered to His people using angels.

Example 1: Jacob- The experience of Jacob with angels is a wonderful example of their ministry for God to men. Jacob was the one who was in line to receive the promise of God which was given to Abraham, and then passed on to his son Isaac, who then passed it on to Jacob. From Jacob the 12 tribes of Israel would come. One day, while Jacob was journeying to Canaan, “the angels of God met him; and when Jacob saw them he said, ‘This is God’s army!’” (Genesis 32:2) But the story does not end here. Jacob knew that he had stolen the birthright from Esau, and he knew that he would be seeing Esau soon in his journey. So there was fear from Jacob. The night before Jacob was to meet Esau, he sent his family and servants ahead of him. Then the scriptures say that “a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man…But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go until you bless me….’” Then the man changed his name to Israel and blessed him there. (Genesis 32:24-30)

Through these two experiences God revealed His will for Jacob’s life more fully. Through these two experiences Jacob was comforted in knowing that God was there to protect him. Centuries later, the prophet Hosea gives us more insight into this wrestling experience for Jacob when he says in Hosea 12:3-4, “In the womb he grasped his brother's heel; as a man he struggled with God. ⁴ He struggled with the angel and overcame him…”

Example 2: Moses- For 40 years Moses grew up living in the palace as the adopted son of the Pharaoh. He lived a life of luxury and was given an important position in the kingdom. But after Moses saw an Egyptian guard beating a Hebrew, and knowing that he was a Hebrew, Moses in his anger killed the guard. This caused Moses to have to flee to the desert for safety. While in the desert he became a sheepherder. He did this for the next 40 years. Then one day while he was tending sheep, Moses saw a bush that was on fire, but wasn’t burning up.

Exodus 3:2-3 tells us, “There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.’” And through this experience Moses finds out it is God Himself, and God tells Moses, “¹⁶ Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. ¹⁷ And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites…”

This again shows us that God used angels (or in this case He Himself appeared as an angel) to watch over and care for his people. The presence of angels became known as the “Exodus experience.” As Numbers 20:16 says- “When we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice and sent an angel, and has brought us forth out of Egypt.” Time and time again in the Bible we see God’s angels ministering to people.

II. Angels as Protectors- (2 Kings 6:14-17; Acts 27:23-25;

Matthew 18:10; Psalm 91:11-12)

But along with ministering, angels help to protect God’s people.

a. Divine protectors- God’s angels often protect His servants from

potential enemies. Consider this from our reading this morning 2 Kings 6:14-17,

^“14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. ¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. ¹⁶ "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." ¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” When Elisha said “those who are with us are more than those who are with them,” he was not talking about people, he was talking about angels! This was an example of God protecting His people in times of hardship and danger.

Another place we see this is in Acts 27:23-25 when Paul is on his way to Rome. Paul and those he is with get in a shipwreck. The people on board become very afraid. So Paul offers words of encouragement to all those on board, when he says, “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'” Paul assured them that they would be kept safe by the protection of one of God’s angels.

There are many who believe that God gives us a guardian angel. It is believed that this happens at our birth. This thinking comes from Matthew 18:10, where Jesus says, “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” So this verse tells us that we each have an angel in heaven who has personal access to the Father in heaven on our behalf. So consequently, we have personal access to God.

b. At work for us- However, the most important characteristic of

angels is not that they have power to exercise control over our lives, or that they are beautiful creatures, but that they work on our behalf. They are motivated by an inexhaustible love for God and are jealous to see that the will of God in Jesus Christ is fulfilled in us. As Psalm 91:11-12 tells us, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

And so as believers in Christ, we should be encouraged and strengthened in knowing that angels are watching our lives, and marking our paths. They are watching to protect the interest of the Lord, always working to promote God’s plans and to bring about God’s highest will for us. GOD ASSIGNS ANGELIC POWERS TO WATCH OVER US!

And so we are left to think about whether or not we have had an angel protect us. Many Christians can recall some incident in which their lives, in times of danger, have been miraculously preserved. EX. I remember once when I was on the volunteer staff of a Junior High ministry at the Crystal Cathedral, and we took a leadership retreat up to the mountains one weekend. It was in the winter, so there was snow on the sides of the road, and it was at night, so the roads were slick. At one point we were trying to go up a hill, but the tires lost traction, and we started to slip backwards. The driver did a quick move backward and then turned the car the opposite direction and went forward. We hit a pile of snow, which slowed the car enough so that the tires got traction, and we went forward. As we stopped and got out, we could see that this pile of snow was the only pile on the whole street, and if we had missed that pile, we would have plunged down about 20 feet! Was this an angel of God protecting us? I can’t say for sure, but I would have the inclination to say yes.

And yet, if this is true, then why do bad things happen? How come God doesn’t use His angels to protect us from all trouble? To answer this, we need to go back to the fact that God’s angels are here to insure that God’s perfect will is accomplished. We see that when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed, “If it is possible, let this cup pass from me.” Jesus was saying, if it is possible, make it so that I don’t have to get whipped, and beaten and crucified. But then Jesus added the important words, “yet not my will, but Yours be done.” There are times when God’s overall mysterious plan is not understood by us. Sometimes suffering is part of the plan. Like Jesus, we might want it to change, but hopefully also like Jesus we should want to be in God’s will most of all, and trust God to work good.

III. A Mothers Role-

Many people feel that their mothers are angels sent from God. And in

many ways mothers are like angels in how they minister to and protect their children. Mothers play an important role in seeing God’s will lived out in their children, and guiding their children to the right paths.

Read Story called “Motherhood.”

"Two friends are sitting down at lunch, talking, when one of them says to the other: 'My husband and I are thinking of starting a family, what do you think?' Her friend, who is a mother responds: 'It will change your life.' The first woman responds back: 'I know, no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations...' But that is not what she meant. So she begins to think about what she wants to tell her friend about motherhood that she will never learn in child-birth classes. She thinks to herself: 'I want to tell her that the physical wounds of childbearing wil heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.' She looks at her friend's manicured nails and stylish suit and thinks that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive lever of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of 'Mom!' will cause her to drop a souffle or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation. She wants to warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally dreailed by motherhood. She might arrange childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep from running home just to make sure her baby is alright. She wants her friend to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine. However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother. Looking at her attractive friend, she wants to assure her that evertually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so importnat, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years--not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish his or hers. She wants her friend to know that a Caesarean scar of shiny stretch mark will become badges of honor. That her relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way that she thinks. That she can love a man so much more who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. That she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic. She wants her friend to understand why she will be able to think rationally about most issues, but will become temporarily insane when she discusses issues that will effect her child'e futrue. She wants her friend to know the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike; the joy of your child's belly laugh when touching the soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time; the joy that is all too real. She then notices her friend staring at her, and realizes that tears have formed in her eyes. So she simply respons by saying: 'You'll never regret having a child.' Then she reaches across, squeezes her friend's hand in hers, offers a silent prayer for her and for all mothers who have joined together in this most wonderful of callings. The blessed gift of God and that of being a mother!

It is interesting to see how we don’t think twice about an event that could be an angel helping us, protecting us, or ministering to us. We don’t think about needing to say “thank you” for those events that seem out of our control, but seem to work themselves out. And similarly, mothers often give of themselves to their children, regardless of whether their efforts are noticed or they get a “thank you.” The important part is that their children are cared for, loved, and taught the important things of God and life.

Conclusion: I want to challenge you to think through your life, and see if you can’t remember stories where an angel might have intervened for you. Stories like the one I told you about my mountain retreat escape. And also, start being more aware of situations in your life now where God might be watching over you and protecting you from hardship or harm. And I want to ask that you might take some time to pray to God and thank God for this special protection and care. I hope you can give God thanks for how He created angels to watch over your life.

But I also want to challenge you to think about the many ways your mother gave herself to you and for you. I would bet that all mothers, in some way, have given themselves in sacrifice to protect and care for their children. And if your mother is still alive, call her or visit her and say “thank you.” And if your mother isn’t alive, say a prayer to God and give God thanks for her. And so may we leave today with the assurance that God has shown us how much He loves us, by giving us our mothers, and giving us angels who minister to us and protect us. Amen.