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Music For the Soul
Devotional: July 7th

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THE ANGEL OF THE LORD

The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them. - Psalms 34:7

There run throughout the whole of the Old Testament notices of the occasional manifestation of a mysterious person who is named the Angel," " the Angel of the Lord." For instance, in the great scene in the wilderness, where the bush burned and was not consumed. He who appeared is named "the Angel of the Lord"; and His lips declare ’’ I Am that I Am." In like manner, soon after, the Divine voice speaks to Moses of "the Angel in whom is My name." When Balaam had his path blocked amongst the vineyards, it was a replica of the figure that stayed his way - a Man with a drawn sword in His hand, who speaks in autocratic and Divine form. When the parents of Samson were apprised of the coming birth of the hero, it was the Angel of the Lord that appeared to them, accepted their sacrifice, declared the Divine will, and disappeared in a flame of fire from the altar. A psalm speaks of " the Angel of the Lord " as " encamping round about them that fear Him, and delivering them." Isaiah tells us of the "Angel of His face," who was "afflicted in all Israel’s afflictions, and saved them." And the last prophetic utterance of the Old Testament is most distinct and remarkable in the strange identification and separation of Jehovah and the Angel, when it says, " the Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the Covenant." Now, if we put all these passages - and they are but select instances - if we put all these passages together, I think we cannot help seeing that there runs, as I said, throughout the whole of the Old Testament a singular strain of revelation in regard to a person who, in a remarkable manner, is distinguished from the created hosts of angel beings, and also is distinguished from, and yet in name, attributes, and worship all but identified with, the Lord Himself.

If we turn to the narrative in Joshua 5 we find there similar phenomena marked out. For this mysterious "Man with the sword drawn" in His hand, quotes the very words which were spoken at the bush, when He says, " Loose thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy "; and by fair implication. He would have us to identify the persons in these two great theophanies. He ascribes to Himself, in the further conversation in the next chapter, directly Divine attributes, and is named by the sacred name, " The Lord said unto Joshua, see I have given into thy hand Jericho and its king."

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