By F. D. Adkins
The decree was in writing, and the punishment was clear. So what. His loyalty was to God, not man. He would not hide his faith. With no hesitation in his step, he trudged home, went to his room, knelt down with the windows wide open, and prayed. He did this three times a day just as he always had. Of course, because he had violated the new decree, he had to face the penalty.
The king gave the order, and he was cast into the midst of the lions. As he looked up, he saw the stone being pushed over the entrance blocking any hope for escape. However, this man had been faithful to God, and God was not quite ready for this servant to come home. After all, twelve chapters comprise the book of Daniel, and the lions’ den is only chapter six. God still had work for Daniel to do, so even though he was surrounded by this pride of hungry predators, Daniel was not alone. God sent an angel to help him, and that angel kept the lions’ mouths closed.
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In cartoons when a character is faced with a choice, we often see an angel sitting on one shoulder and a little devil sitting on the other trying to sway the decision. Angels have been depicted in television shows such as Highway to Heaven and Touched by an Angel, and of course, the song “Angels Among Us” by Alabama is always popular on the radio around Christmas. But…what does the Bible tell us about angels? In the story above, God sent an angel to protect Daniel. In my study this week, I wanted to explore some of the angel encounters mentioned in the Bible.
Several instances note angels delivering messages from God.
- “And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak” (Numbers 22:35 KJV). In the story of Balaam, the angel appears. At first, only the donkey can see the angel which tells us that an angel can pick and choose who he reveals his presence to. Of course, after the donkey speaks to Balaam, which I would love to have seen, the angel reveals himself to Balaam giving Balaam clear instructions to follow.
- “But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John” (Luke 1:13 KJV). The angel, Gabriel, delivers the news to Zacharias that his wife will have a son.
- “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:30-31 KJV). The angel, Gabriel, also appeared to Mary giving her the news that she would have a son.
Many angels in the Bible were sent to help, guide, and protect God’s children.
Psalm 91:11-12 says, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone” (KJV).
- “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.” (Exodus 23:20 KJV) God sent an angel to guide Moses and the Israelites.
- “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me…” (Daniel 6:22 KJV). God sent an angel to protect Daniel in the den of lions.
- “while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding” (Daniel 9:21-22 KJV). God sent the angel, Gabriel, to Daniel as an answer to his prayer. (Note: This verse tells us that Daniel is seeing Gabriel in the form of a man. It also tells us this angel came in flight letting us know that angels fly.)
- “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves.” (Daniel 10:5-7 KJV). An angel came to help Daniel interpret his vision. (Note: Daniel was the only one that could see this angel. Also, this angel is not described as a man.)
- “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43-44 KJV). God sent an angel to comfort Jesus as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
- “And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands” (Acts 12:7 KJV). God sent an angel to rescue Peter from his prison cell.
These verses show angels sent to deliver news, guide, protect, comfort, give strength, and provide understanding. In addition, these verses show that angels do not reveal themselves to everyone, they can appear as a human or as a spirit, and they can fly.
And now for my favorite verse about angels:
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2 KJV).
Have you ever felt the presence of an angel? Maybe you barely avoided a car accident, and you knew that only a supernatural force could have stopped your car in time. Maybe a stranger provided a word of encouragement just when you needed it.
When my son was about four months old, we had started a little bit of rice cereal because he was always hungry. After only taking a few bites, he broke out in humongous hives, and his lips swelled. Of course, we stopped giving him cereal, and I took him to two different pediatricians because I was terrified of feeding him anything new. I had no experience with food allergies. However, two doctors gave me two different opinions. A couple of months had passed by, and I still had no idea what was safe to give him. One day at the grocery store, I remember standing in the baby food aisle just staring at the shelves. I noticed a lady picking up the jars and reading the labels. She told me that her son had food allergies and that she had encountered the same problem in taking her son to the regular pediatrician. She gave me the name and phone number of the pediatric allergist that had helped her son. I immediately went home and called for an appointment. The allergist discovered my son was extremely allergic to milk, eggs, wheat, and peanuts. This was before companies had to clearly state allergens on food labels, so I was given sheets with all of the names that these allergens could appear as on the ingredient list. The allergist also gave instructions to avoid proteins until he was at least a year old. As I looked at the sheets, I must have looked completely overwhelmed because the doctor looked at me and said, “Don’t worry. God will help you. It’s going to be alright.” And every time we went for a visit, this doctor always talked about God.
Now, I am not saying the lady in the grocery store was an angel, but she was definitely put there by God to cross paths with me. I believe wholeheartedly that God put that woman there to give me the information I needed to help my son. Not only did this woman give me the name of a doctor, but she gave the name of a Christian doctor. By five years old, my son had outgrown all of the food allergies, and to this day, he eats whatever he wants.
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When you feel overwhelmed… when you feel under attack… when you feel alone… when you feel hopeless… remember Elisha.
“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 15:17 KJV).
The servant thought there was no hope, but Elisha prayed that his eyes would be opened. Elisha wanted the servant to see that the army of angels helping them far outweighed their opponent. The same applies to us. The devil and his minions are no competition for God’s army. We have an army of angels fighting for us, and the thing is… we already know God has won.
