God is an Eternal Relationship (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). That does not mean God is ‘three gods.’ God is One God in Three Persons. Some people say that God is One in Essence and Three in Person. The Father is God, but the Father is not the Son. The Son is God, but the Son is not the Father. The Holy Spirit is God, but the Spirit is not the Father or the Son.

God and Humans

In the last part of our series we saw God creating supernatural beings (e.g. angels). The angels worship God and serve Him. The angels also serve humans “who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). That brings us to the next relationship that God created –

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. Genesis 1:26-28

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being … And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:7, 21-24

This was a new relationship on many levels. God had a special relationship with humans as His creation and humans had a special relationship with God as their Creator. The relationship was different than the one God had with angels. While God created hundreds of millions of angels (Revelation 5:11), they did not marry in Heaven (Matthew 22:30). God created all the angels that would exist. As for humans, God created just two of them – the man and wife Adam referred to in Genesis 2. God created them with the physical ability to reproduce and rule with God on the earth – “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” This would occur through a process Adam described as – “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

The new ‘human’ family God created started with two people and within a period of years became hundreds, then thousands, then millions, and eventually billions of people. We currently have about eight billion people on the earth. It’s estimated that as many as 100 billion people may have been born since Eve conceived her first child. All of this came from God’s unique plan for humans to – “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” God created the biological mechanisms for all of this to happen. It was His plan designed from Eternity.

Angels and Humans

While we know that angels “shouted for joy” when God created the earth (Job 38), we’re not told how they reacted when God created humans. The ‘shout’ may have also been for the creation of humans and animals, but Job’s context is about laying ‘the foundations of the earth,’ determining ‘its measurements, fastening ‘its foundations,’ and laying ‘its cornerstone.’ (Job 38) The emphasis appears to be on the earth itself. If Satan and his angels had already rebelled against God prior to earth’s creation, or any of the ‘days’ mentioned in Genesis 1, then a majority of angels would have shouted for joy but a minority may not. If Satan and his angels did not fall until after God rested from creating, then all of the angels would have shouted for joy at God’s great handiwork.

The relationship between angels and humans has been mixed for thousands of years. The devil, an angel, lied to the first humans and deceived the woman into disobeying God. The man followed in that disobedience (1 Timothy 2) and plunged all of their descendants into sin. God cursed the devil and the ground, and removed the humans from the Garden of Eden. God’s commandment to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” did not change because of the removal from the garden (Genesis 9:1), but humanity’s relationship with God and angels had changed. The woman conceived the first human child after leaving the garden.

One of the ways the relationship changed with angels was that they became “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.” Salvation wasn’t necessary when humans were in the Garden of Eden openly walking and talking with God in obedience. However, salvation did become necessary after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and God removed them from the garden.

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24

A ‘cherubim’ is an angel. God placed the angel there with a flaming sword to ‘guard the way to the tree of life.’ God would not allow Adam and Eve or any of their descendants access to eat the fruit of the ‘Tree of Life.’ He had other plans for them.

It was at that time that angels, those who had been obedient to God and not rebelled against Him, took on the new role of ministering to those who will inherit salvation. As you read through the Bible you will often see angels involved in that ministry to humans. An interesting example is when two angels ministered to Abraham’s nephew Lot to save him from their destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19).

We see in Scripture that angels sometimes ‘defend’ humans (‘those who will inherit salvation’) and sometimes ‘destroy’ humans (those who will not inherit salvation). However, it’s important to note that angels do not defend or destroy humans on their personal whim. God controls the actions of angels. We’ve previously seen that Satan had to receive God’s permission to ‘test’ Job (Job 1 and 2). God also allowed Satan to ‘test’ Jesus (Matthew 4), and ‘enter into’ Judas Iscariot for the purpose of helping in the arrest and eventual crucifixion of Jesus.

God sent angels to His chosen people many times in Scripture to help them finish the work He had given them to do. That’s the meaning of angels being “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.”

The Angel of the Lord

The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) has an interesting designation for the ‘Angel of the Lord.’ The New Testament uses the term ‘an angel of the Lord.’ It appears from the Old Testament that ‘the’ Angel of the Lord is a unique Person. I say unique ‘Person’ for two reasons. First, the definite article ‘the’ is used. Second, because of the way people responded to the Angel of the Lord by ‘worshipping’ Him.

Worship is not something an angel of God is allowed to receive. We find an example at the end of the Book of Revelation –

Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God. Revelation 22:8-9

Here we see the proper response of an angel to a human attempting to worship him. He will not accept it because he is “fellow servant.” The angel told John to ‘Worship God.’

The ‘Angel of the Lord’ that I’m referring to in the Old Testament is unique because of what He does. He accepts worship from humans, He identifies Himself with God, and speaks as God. Another interesting aspect is that the Angel of the Lord sometimes ‘appears’ on earth in a ‘Personal’ way. Here are some examples –

And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me … Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:10-12, 15-18

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. Exodus 3:1-6

Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ ” So it was, when the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept. Judges 2:1-4

Many view these appearances in the Old Testament as ‘Theophanies’ or ‘Christophanies’ – physical appearances of the Pre-Incarnate Christ. Though He was not referred to as the ‘Angel of the Lord’ in Genesis 18, the three ‘men’ Abraham met included the Pre-Incarnate Christ and two angels. The angels went on to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy them, while the Abraham pleaded with the ‘Lord’ to save Sodom because of his nephew Lot lived there. Abraham’s intercession did not save Sodom because God did not find even ten righteous men in the city –

Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place. Genesis 18:32-33

The following verses of Genesis 19 concern the two angels destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. Those were the same angels Abraham had seen with the Lord, but thought them all to be ‘men’ at first (Genesis 18:2).

Another example of an appearance of the Pre-Incarnate Christ in the Old Testament is found in Joshua 5. Rather than the title ‘Angel of the Lord,’ He identified Himself as ‘Commander of the army of the Lord.’

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:13-15

Notice that Joshua ‘worshipped’ the Commander and the Commander told Joshua to take the sandal off his foot, “for the place where you stand is holy.” That is reminiscent of what the Angel of the Lord said to Moses in Exodus 3. Joshua most likely had heard Moses tell him about that event and would have recognized the unique wording.

Jesus – God In Flesh

The Pre-Incarnate Christ became ‘Carnate’ two thousand years ago.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. Luke 2:10-12

The Apostle John explained what happened this way –

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

God the Son, who we saw in the Old Testament as Creator, Angel of the Lord, and Captain of the Lord’s Army, became flesh. Why? So he could destroy the works of the devil –

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

Why didn’t Jesus destroy the works of the devil in the Old Testament as the Angel of the Lord and Captain of the Lord’s Army? That was never God’s plan. The sacrificial death of God’s Son was always the Eternal Plan –

… knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:18-21

How could the Eternal Son of God die? He needed a human body to shed ‘precious blood’ –

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me … By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:5, 10

The idea of ‘a lamb without blemish and without spot’ goes back to when God freed Israel from slavery in Egypt –

For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. Exodus 12:23

That was the beginning of ‘Passover.’ However, the blood of an animal was never how God intended to destroy the works of the devil. It was always going to be the ‘precious blood’ of Christ –

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:14-18

The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ was never intended for angels. It was always planned for humans. That might explain why the first thing Jesus did after His baptism was to face the devil’s test. Jesus had come to destroy the devil’s works, so God showed how Jesus was going to do it – by glorifying His Father on the earth and finishing the work He had given Him to do (John 17:4).

God’s Eternal Plan

God’s Eternal Plan includes supernatural and natural beings. As we continue our series, it’s important to remember that everything you read in the Bible, what has happened to God’s people in the past, what is happening to God’s people now, and what will happen to them in the future is part of this Plan. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the center of that Plan. As Jesus taught His disciples after His resurrection –

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Luke 24:44-45

God is in control of all things. That may seem strange in light of the daily headlines as we see people do the most horrible things to other people. It may seem strange in light of the battle that God’s people are engaged in with the supernatural forces of evil (e.g. Ephesians 6:10-18). The key is not to forget this basic truth –

Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. 1 Chronicles 29:10-12

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, “Behold, I amthe Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? Jeremiah 32:26-27

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:4-6

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 1:8

Next Time

There is one more ‘relationship’ we need to look at as we consider God’s Eternal Plan and how it impacts our choices as His people. We’ll search the Scriptures together in our next study.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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