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The Angel Of The Lord's
Surprising First Appearance
The Angel Of The Lord mysteriously appears as a formidable figure in the Old Testament. He influenced and guided some of the most exceptional men in history. His words and actions set in motion significant events that continue to inspire and shape our understanding of the world in which we live.
Abraham
Who was the first person to be honoured with a visit from The Angel Of The Lord? Was it Abraham who was to become the Father of the Faithful? He has become a major figure in three world religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. God chose Abraham while he was still worshipping idols. The Lord took this heathen and showed him grace and kindness. God told him to leave the wicked culture surrounding him and go to a new land. It took courage and faith to step out and obey this unknown God. Yet he did. He received great promises throughout his travels, which required tremendous faith. Abraham obeyed every step of the way.
The man who would build the foundation for the nation of Israel through whom the Messiah would come to liberate the world had to pass the ultimate test of faith. God promised Abraham that his only son Isaac would inherit the promises given, and then, in an apparent contradictory command, God ordered Abraham to offer his beloved son as a human sacrifice.
We read this history in Genesis Chapter Twenty-Two Verses One to Nineteen. Abraham’s heart broke as he climbed Mount Moriah with Isaac, knowing what he had to do. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he bound his loved, handsome, twenty-something son, who willingly submitted to his father. His fingers trembled as he placed his son on the altar and drew the knife, raising it high. There was no turning back.
Do you remember what stopped him just seconds before he was going to plunge the knife into his son’s heart? It was the command of The Angel Of The Lord. This is the first recorded time Abraham heard the voice of The Angel Of The Lord. But it is not the first time The Angel Of The Lord appeared to a human being. The first time will shock you.
Moses
Moses also met The Angel Of The Lord. He had thought he was a mighty man of God empowered to deliver his countrymen from the oppressive hand of Pharoah. Then, one of them had stood against him, and he had run in terror from the rage of the most powerful monarch in the known world.
Moses hid in the lonely desert and looked after sheep for forty years after that, always looking over his shoulder in case Pharoah’s spies were closing in. His dreams were dashed, and his hope was gone. He was a failure, a somebody who had become a nobody and would die in obscurity. Nothing was left but to trod through sheep manure for the rest of his miserable life.
One day, in the middle of his monotonous routine, he saw something that ignited his curiosity. It was a burning bush. Nothing unusual about that. The desert heat caused bushes to burst into flames. This one caught his eye not because it was burning but because it wasn’t being burnt up. Then, The Angel Of The Lord spoke to him out of the burning bush. His life was transformed. History was changed. The nation of Israel would be formed as the womb to hold the Messiah. The voice of The Angel Of The Lord launched these world-shattering events. Yet not much happened the first time The Angel Of The Lord spoke to a human being.
Who Was First?
Seventy times, The Angel Of The Lord appears. Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah and others heard his life-changing words. Who is this Angel Of The Lord? Many scholars believe that it is an Old Testament appearance of none other than the Son of God. The Son of God is co-eternal with the Father and Spirit. He was not inactive before He took on human flesh and became the God-Man Jesus Christ we know today.
So, who was honoured with the first recorded visit from The Angel Of The Lord? Who could be greater than Abraham, the father of the faithful, Moses the deliverer and law-giver, David, the greatest king and God-worshiper Israel ever had, or Elijah, one of the greatest miracle prophets of all time? Who could stand among these giants? Who would be the first recorded person to hear from The Angel Of The Lord, possibly the Son of God Himself?
Hagar
The Angel Of The Lord first appeared in the time of Abraham, but it was not to Abraham.
We read the story in Genesis Chapter Sixteen. “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram…”Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abraham agreed…He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress…Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. The Angel Of The Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert…And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she answered. Then, The Angel Of The Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”…She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
Did you see that coming? The first person The Angel Of The Lord chose to reveal himself to was a surrogate Egyptian slave girl with a bad attitude fleeing from an abusive mistress. As we consider this, one question bubbles to the top and demands an answer. Why? This is a person on the lowest rung of society. A nobody. And not even a nice person. Why would The Angel Of The Lord choose her as the first recorded person with whom to have a conversation?
In one or more ways, we can all identify with Hagar.
Hagar Was An Outsider
Hagar was an Egyptian, a foreigner. She didn’t belong with the people of God. She was an outsider. Have you ever felt like an outsider? Do you know what it is like to be a poor, hungry boy or girl looking longingly through a restaurant window at people eating delicious meals? Do you know the desperate desire of seeing others fulfill their dreams while yours die a quiet death? Hagar could see the blessing of God on Abram and his family, but it wasn’t hers. She was the outsider. But God loved her and took the time to include her, giving her the honour of the first recorded visit of The Angel Of The Lord. You may see others blessed by God and feel left out or rejected. God sees you. He loves you. He has not forgotten you.
Hagar Was Abused
Hagar knew what it was to be abused. Abram, the great man of faith, the one everyone looked up to, used her to achieve his own ends and then was willing to abandon her when she became inconvenient. Perhaps, like Hagar, someone in authority, someone you admired and trusted, betrayed you. You had thought they really cared. You believed they had your best interest in mind. You trusted they had your back until the knife went between your shoulder blades. Maybe you have walked away from the Church because of it. Hagar experienced the same hurt and anger. Jesus knows. His heart of compassion reaches out to you. He will meet you in the desert of your life, but He will tell you that running away from the Church is not the answer.
Hagar Had A Bad Attitude
Hagar had a bad attitude. Being a surrogate for Sarai was not what she wanted. On the other hand, in her mind, it was an opportunity. As a lowly slave girl, she could bear Abram’s son. Maybe she could get Abram’s affection and favour by giving him the son his heart desired. Sure, Sarai would claim the child as hers, but they all knew the truth. Sarai was a failure. Hagar was the future. In her haughty over-confidence, she showed her true feelings. Sarai was unworthy to be a wife, let alone the wife of a great man who walked with God. Yet Hagar forget that Sarai was Abram’s great love and was in charge of running the household. That cost her dearly, and she fled from Sarai’s rage and into the wilderness.
How many times have we been arrogant, rude and self-centred? How often have we devalued others because they weren’t what we thought they should be? How many consequences have we had due to a bad attitude? Yet, despite this, God does not abandon us. He is still there. He searches us out in the desert places. Our sins and wrong attitudes do not drive God away. His love still reaches down to us, drawing us closer to Himself if we let Him.
The Angel Of The Lord
Conclusion
The Angel Of The Lord first appeared to Hagar to reveal His care and concern for everyone, even the lowest and most rejected. Everyone - Abram, Sarai and Hagar herself - looked to her to provide the promised child to inherit God’s promises. But God had a different plan. Hagar’s son, Ishmael, was not God’s promised son, but God did not ignore him either. He made him into a great nation as well. Just because we misunderstand God's plan doesn’t mean we get pushed aside. Our loving heavenly Father has a good plan for all of His children. Don’t be discouraged if your plan doesn’t work out. The Angel Of The Lord and Hagar show that that God sees, God cares and God has a good plan for your life. Don’t give up on Him because He never gives up on you.
For more information about Glenn Davis, see our About Glenn page or visit Glenn Davis Books.
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