1) The angel of Jehovah

a) In the Old Testament there is a peculiar expression.

b) In the KJV this expression is “the angel of the Lord.”

c) We see this description in places like Gen. 16:7.

d) If you use the KJV, you will see some capital letters in this and other verses.

e) The KJV version treats the word “Lord” in two very different ways.

2) Sometimes the word Lord has a capital “l” but puts “ord” in lower case.

3) There are other places, like Gen. 16:7, where Lord is in all upper case letters.

4) When Lord is in upper case letters it is a way of describing God.

5) The ASV translators took a different approach; they used the word Jehovah, a name for God.

a) In Gen. 16:7 the text in the ASV says “the angel of Jehovah.”

b) Many times in the Old Testament the angel of Jehovah or the angel of the LORD is mentioned.

6) Tonight we want to look at some passages that discuss this character and then identify Him next week.

a) As we look at this subject we need to bear in mind this point.

b) We are not talking about “an” angel of the Lord. All saved angels are angels of Jehovah.

c) This angel is the angel of Jehovah; it or He is a special being. The Angel of Jehovah is unique.

d) If were to pull out a pew Bible (a NKJV) you would see something interesting.

e) In Gen. 16:7 (and other places), the word “angel” has a capital A.

f) In the midst of the sentence the word angel has a capital A when discussing the angel of Jehovah.

g) The ASV, KJV, and NKJV tell readers something about the angel of Jehovah is very peculiar.

h) One other little detail also bears mentioning.

i) We do not find the angel of Jehovah appearing in the New Testament.

j) He is mentioned in Stephen’s speech when the Old Testament is discussed (Acts 7:30).

k) As far as work and activity, the references to this being are limited to the Old Testament.

7) Some passages specifically identify the angel of Jehovah as the angel of Jehovah.

8) Others might seem to indicate the angel of Jehovah is under consideration but He is not specifically mentioned.

9) This study will only deal with verses where this specific expression is used.

a) We have already introduced the first text where this expression occurs, Gen. 16:7.

b) Abraham was going to have a child; Hagar was going to be the mother.

c) Hagar did not get along too well with Sarah, so Hagar finally fled from Abraham’s house (verse 6).

d) We see the Angel of Jehovah appearing in verse 7 – READ.

e) Hagar spoke to this Angel; the Angel then gave her some instructions – verses 9-12 – READ.

f) Verse 10 does not sound like any ordinary angel.

g) What is said in the 10^th verse sounds like a promise directly from God.

h) What this Angel promises is actually attributed to God in Gen. 12:1-2.

i) We need to look carefully at the wording in Gen. 16.

j) The Angel of Jehovah did not say, “God will do this for you.”

k) He said, “I” will do these things.

l) If someone speaks as God, which is what is being done here, and the person is not God, it is blasphemy.

10) What this angel said is conclusive proof the Angel of Jehovah is not a created being.

11) We see a further indication of this in verse 13 – READ.

a) The Bible says “God” spoke to her.

b) Furthermore, Hagar described this visitor as “the God who sees.”

c) If she were wrong, the Angel of Jehovah should have immediately corrected her.

d) We have no record of such being done.

e) Hagar saw in the Angel of Jehovah as a being with omniscience and omnipresence.

12) In the Old Testament we first find the Angel of Jehovah appearing to Hagar.

13) The second time we find the appearance of this special character is also in the life of Hagar.

a) After Ishmael was born 14 years passed. Then Isaac was born.

b) We know this by combining Gen. 16:16 and Gen. 21:5.

c) Let’s now move ahead 14 years to the time of Isaac’s birth, Gen. 21.

d) In Gen. 21:8 we are told that Isaac was “weaned.”

e) Abraham made a great feast on this day – READ verse 8.

f) Ishmael was now a teenager; on the day described in this chapter he decided to make fun of Isaac.

g) Verse 9 - READ.

h) Sarah saw her child being ridiculed and she got mad; she did not want to have her baby boy mocked.

i) Because she was so angry she told Abraham to throw Ishmael and his mother out of the house.

j) Verse 10 – READ.

14) Abraham was troubled by this because Ishmael was also his son (verse 11).

15) As this great man of God was between a rock and a hard place God spoke to him – verse 12 – READ.

16) Abraham obeyed the voice of God – verse 14 – READ.

a) Here is a woman and her son, on their own, and they wander into a desert area.

b) They were in a wilderness area and things did not look good.

c) In fact, things were so bad it looked like there was only one choice: death.

d) Verses 15-16 of Gen. 21 – READ.

e) With the water all gone, mom put her child in a place where she would not have to watch him die.

f) Verse 16 indicates strong and maybe wild sobbing on the part of this mother.

g) She has literally come to the end, or so she thinks.

h) Now we come to the Angel of Jehovah in verse 17 – READ.

i) We read of this Angel in verse 17 and we have another divine promise in verse 18.

j) The angel said He would make a great nation of Hagar’s son.

k) Here is a second example of divine promises being made by the Angel of Jehovah.

17) A third Angel of Jehovah reference is found in the next chapter (Gen. 22).

a) Here is where we read of Abraham, Isaac, and the proposed sacrifice.

b) Verses 1-3 tell us God is the one involved in this matter – READ.

c) We are likely very familiar with this story, but let’s pay very close attention to verses 11-12 – READ.

d) Verse 12 closes with two very interesting words: “from me.”

18) Abraham had not withheld His son (verse 12) from the Angel of Jehovah (verse 11).

19) Here, as in the previous two references, the Angel of Jehovah is associated with God.

20) An even clearer understanding of the Angel of Jehovah is found later in this chapter – verses 15-16 – READ.

21) This “angel swore by Himself.” Who is powerful enough to swear by Himself? God.

22) The angel is described in verse 15 and then is identified as Jehovah in verse 16.

a) In many of the Old Testament stories that are frequently taught to children we see this angel.

b) The Angel of Jehovah comes to light again in the life of Jacob, Abraham’s grandson.

c) Jacob had a dream(Gen. 28:10-17) that he explained to Leah and Rachel, his two wives.

d) His dream is what many commonly call “Jacob’s ladder.”

e) Jacob later told his wives how the Angel of Jehovah had identified Himself in Gen. 31.

f) If we had only one place to turn to so we could understand this passage, this might be the text.

g) I want to read verse 11 and then read verse 13 – READ.

h) The Angel of Jehovah calls Himself “God” in verse 13.

i) The text either means what it says or it does not.

23) Jacob had some interesting things happen to him.

24) One of the events we remember from his life is a wrestling match.

a) We have this information recorded in Gen. 32:24-32.

b) Jacob wrestled with someone called a “man” till dawn (Gen. 32:24).

c) Jacob’s hip was knocked out of joint and this terminated the match (Gen. 32:25).

d) Jacob asked for a blessing, received it, and then made an interesting comment.

e) He said he had “see God face to face” and lived (Gen. 32:30).

f) Year later we are told that the “man” was really the Angel of Jehovah.

g) Listen to what is said in Hosea 12:4-5a – READ.

h) It was the Angel of Jehovah that Jacob met and wrestled with.

i) Jacob was right in saying he had met God face to face and lived.

j) God took the form of a man or the Angel of Jehovah to interact with Jacob.

k) The Angel of Jehovah took this same form to deal with others like Hagar.

l) Later in Jacob’s life (Gen. 48:16) he said an angel had “redeemed him from all evil.”

m) What angel—even an arch angel—can redeem a man from any evil let alone all evil?

n) Once again the Angel of Jehovah is somehow associated with God.

25) Leaving the book of Genesis we turn to Exodus for information on the Angel of Jehovah.

26) We are familiar with the story of the burning bush.

27) Ex. 3:2 says the Angel of Jehovah appeared to Moses as a flame in a bush.

a) This is especially interesting because of what is said in verse 4 – READ.

b) It was the Angel of Jehovah that was burning as a flame and then we are told God called to Moses.

c) It sounds like the angel of Jehovah and God are one in the same.

d) Too, we are told in verse 5 that Moses was on “holy ground” (deity was present).

e) Similar accounts are found in the story of Balaam and his talking donkey (Num. 22:22-35).

f) Balaam bowed his head and fell down on his face (Num. 22:31).

g) If the Angel of Jehovah is only a created angel, it seems like Balaam worshipped a creature.

h) Balaam said he had received words from God (verse 38), but these words came from this angel (verse 35).

28) One of the most interesting passages about the Angel of Jehovah is Judg. 2:1-5.

29) I want to read Judg. 2:1-2 - READ.

a) Was it an angel or was it God who brought Israel out of Egypt and made a covenant with them?

b) Why would the Angel of Jehovah say, “ye have not hearkened to my voice?”

c) Gideon’s parents saw this angel (Judg. 6:11-24) and they thought they would have to die.

d) Samson’s parents saw Him too and they drew this same conclusion (Judg.13:1-23).

e) In fact, in verse 22 Samson’s dad said, “we have seen God.”

30) Somehow deity is associated with the Angel of Jehovah.

31) A key lesson from this being is that He interacted with man before Jesus came into the world.

32) God loved man long before the death of Jesus, 2000 years ago. He loves all who are here tonight.