"What Are Angels For?" Sermon: Hebrews 1:14

“What Are Angels For?”

                                                                  [Hebrews 1:14]     

February 12, 2012 Second Reformed Church

            Having shown that Jesus is greater than angels, the author of Hebrews tells us a little more about the angels themselves, so it might be worthwhile to ask at this point, “What are angels for?”

            We understand that angels are created beings, like us, but they are purely spiritual beings whose natural state is to be invisible to human eyes, though there are records throughout the Scripture of times when angels have appeared visible to the human eye, either in their natural form or in a form that looked like a human.

            In verses six and seven of Hebrews chapter one, we remember the author writing, “And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God's angels worship him.’  Of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire’” (Hebrews 1:6-7, ESV).

            We also read, “And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,”

(Revelation 7:11, ESV).

            In this we saw that angles were created to worship Jesus.  And we saw that the angels were created quick and mighty beings who applied God’s Word to the world.  That is they delivered messages from God and carried out God’s Will both to bless and to afflict.

            Why does God choose to use angels in this way rather than always delivering messages, blessings, and wrath directly?  We’re not told.  God’s use of the angels is yet another mystery that God does not see fit to explain to us in this lifetime.  We know it is true, but that is all we can say.

            In this morning’s Scripture, we learn a little more about the angles:  “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”

            IF the angels primary purpose is to worship God, their secondary purpose is to minister according to God’s Will.  They are examples to us of quick and ready obedience to the Word and the Will of God.  So, if we know that the angels were created a little higher than us – than humans – and they are quick to obey and follow God’s Word and Will, we, also, after their example, ought to seek to be quick to follow God’s Word and Will.

            After Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, we read, “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him” (Matthew 4:11, ESV).

            And concerning after Jesus’ Ascension, we read, “who [Jesus] has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him”

(1 Peter 3:22, ESV).

            After the fall of Satan and his demons, there was no more rebellion in the angelic host:  since that day, all of the angels have obeyed quickly and completely the Word and Will of God.  As created beings, the angels have finite minds, just like we do, yet they obey and serve without question and in holy completeness.  Ought we not also obey and serve in the same way?

            If the holy angels obey and serve and worship God immediately and without turning to the right or to the left, is that not good reason for we lesser creatures to do the same?  And since God have shown us blessings and favor that He never has and never will show the angels, isn’t that more reason to follow Him quickly, without questioning His Word and Will?

            What does that mean?

            Our text says that the angels, among other things, serve for the sake of those who inherit salvation.  We who believe in Jesus Alone for salvation are heirs of salvation.  We are made brothers and sisters with Jesus, co-heirs of the Kingdom that Jesus earned through His Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension.  There never was and never will be an angel who is given the status of heir – an adopted child – but we are.

            If you believe that Jesus is God Who came to earth, lived under His Own Law perfectly, died for the sins of all those who would believe, physically rose from the dead, and ascended back to the Throne of the Son, then you have been adopted by God – you are the adopted son or daughter of God, with an equal inheritance of the Kingdom as God’s Only Begotten Son, Jesus.

            Although we were created a little lower than the angels, we have been blessed far beyond the angles and receive rights and privileges that they never will.  So, if the servants of God, the angles, obey quickly and without question, ought we not obey – having been adopted as sons and daughters of God due to no merit of our own?

“Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”

            The angels are ministering spirits who are sent out by God for the sake of those who inherit salvation.  The angels are sent by God to serve in ways that benefit us – all those who believing savingly in Jesus.  The angels wait on God and carry out His holy services for the good of the elect – the Church.

            What does this mean?

            One thing we can say it does not mean – despite it being hugely popular in modern culture and even in the Church – there is no such thing as a guardian angel.  God never promises that each human being will be assigned a particular angel to protect him or her.  That is a myth of Hollywood, Hallmark, and history.  You see, it is nothing new:

            In the seventeenth century, John Owen wrote against the popular belief in a guardian angel, saying, “The Socratical fancy of one single guardian angel attending every one, as it is, if admitted, a real impeachment of the consolation of believers, so a great inducement unto superstition and idolatry” (John Owen, Epistle to the Hebrews, volume 3, 256).

            Owen argues that the promise of a guardian angel is not to be found in the Bible – and it is not a harmless fancy to believe that each person is assigned a specific angel, because it can easily lead to superstition about particular angels and to idolatry of an angel that someone believes is his or her guardian angel.

            And Owen is correct:  I googled “guardian angel” on Amazon, and there are pages of books on identifying your guardian angel, praying to your guardian angel, getting your guardian angel to do what you want, and so forth.  This is not biblical – this is idolatry, witchcraft, Satanism, and folly.

            The truth of the ministering of angels is far greater than the lies about guardian angels:  the entire army of the heavenly host is sent out to minister for the good of the Church.  If you believe in Jesus Alone for salvation, then myriads upon myriads and thousands upon thousands of angels are ministering according to God’s Will and Word for the sake of His Church.

            We are not given a supernatural puppy dog to train and use for our protection.  No, God has given us His Ministry with and through all of the armies of the Lord.

            We see that God sends varying numbers of angels to bring messages from God:

            God sent a message to Hagar, mother of Ishmael, through an angel, “The angel of the LORD also said to her, ‘I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude’” (Genesis 16:10, ESV).

            God sent a message to Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary, “But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’”

(Matthew 1:20, ESV).

            God sends angels – at times – to protect us:

God told Israel in the wilderness, “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared” (Exodus 23:20, ESV).

            David wrote generally about God’s protection via angels, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7, ESV).

            When Syria was on the march and Elisha and Gehazzi were viewing their descent, Gehazzi feared what would happened, and Elisha prayed that God would reveal the protection that God has sent, as it is recorded:

            “When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:15-17, ESV).

            Let’s understand this is not to be understood to mean that God will always send us angels to get us out of trouble.  God sends His angels as He wills – according to His Good Pleasure.

            When we are in trouble, let us turn to God and pray to God and leave it to God how He chooses to address our request.  We are not to pray to angels or to be so presumptuous as to ask for their intervening.  But we are to understand that God does send angels for the good of His heirs – and angels are all around us.

            Just as Gehazzi did not realize that there were angels all around them, and God had sent the angels to protect them, there are angels all around us – even though we do not usually see them.  There are angels in this church.  And they are worshipping God and waiting on His instruction to them.

            Sometimes God send angels to kill people:

            Balaam the prophet had disobeyed God and was on his way to curse Israel, so God sent an angel – with a big sword, “And the angel of the LORD said to him, ‘Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me.’” (Numbers 22:32, ESV).

            God allowed David to see the angel who was killing people on God’s behalf, “Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, ‘Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father's house’” (2 Samuel 24:17, ESV).

            And God sent angels to slaughter the Assyrian army as they almost conquered:  “And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies” (2 Kings 19:35, ESV).

            Again, let us remember that God sends angels to minster for our good, but the angels serve God, not us.  We cannot and ought not call on angels to do things for us; we are to pray to God Alone and ask Him our requests.

            We also see that God sends the angels to bring the elect to Him:  “And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31, ESV).

            When Jesus returns, He will send the angels out to gather all those who have died in the faith and bring them to Him.

            And we also see that the angels will witness the judgment of humanity.  The will be witnesses to our entrance into the Kingdom or our being thrown into the pit of Hell:  “but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God” (Luke 12:9, ESV).

            God created the angels to worship Him and to serve and minster to the elect – those who inherit the Kingdom – those who believe in Jesus Alone for salvation – according to God’s Will.  Angels are not to be worshiped or prayed to.  They are God’s servants, just as we are, and God sends them as He wills.

            We see in the Scripture that they are sent to give messages, to protect God’s people, to kill, to gather God’s people together at the judgment, and to witness the judgment.

            The angels are examples to us of serving God quickly and completely, submitting to everything we know of God’s Word and Will.

            We can see how great God’s Love is for His people, in that He sends these beings to minister and serve for our sake as He wills.

            We can understand that it angers Satan that God sends the angels out for our good.

            So let us be thankful to God for the angels, for God’s love of us, and for His Salvation.

            Let us give thanks that the day will come when we will join with the angels in sinless holiness, worshipping God with them in the Kingdom.

            And let us also give thanks that though the angels are with God now, God chose to save us from among the humans – and from humans alone.  God has not made salvation for any other type of being.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, You are worthy of all praise and thanksgiving, and we humbly come before You to give thanks.  We thank You for letting us know that You have created the angels to worship You and that You use them for Your Own Reasons to minster and serve we the people that You have saved through Jesus Christ Alone.  Keep us from being confused about the purpose of the angels.  Let us know them as other creatures that You have created.  Let us understand that in some way they are a little greater than us – so we might learn from their example – especially in that the serve You quickly and wholly in following after Your Word and Will.  Keep us from falling into sin by praying to angels or worshipping them.  Help us to remember that we benefit from the service of angels only as You chose to send them; they are Your servants, as are we.  Make us useful and send us out to serve and minster to Your Glory.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.