Do You Believe Him?

by Reneé Austin

The Angel of the LORD had a hard job.

Folks didn’t seem to recognize Him when He showed up, which was usually unexpectedly, and He didn’t tend to introduce Himself. Now, in the South, that’s usually considered bad manners. You’re expected to call before you stop by. Why? Well, for one, folks might look a mess as they are lounging around in their housecoat with their hair looking like a possum just died. Or, possibly, they are takin’ that long, much anticipated, nap they’ve been looking forward to for a week and you showin’ up with your unannounced banging on the screen door 15 minutes into a sound sleep, can make even a Pastor have to repent for the murderous thoughts going through his head at that moment.

Yet, this was how the Angel of the LORD rolled. He just popped into the messiest of situations in the best human costume ever made and started taking names doin’ supernatural stuff. The AOL, as I like to call Him, showed up to 7 people: 6 men and 1 woman. I’m covering two.

Ladies first… Genesis 16:6-16 introduces Mrs. Hagar, the fleeing, pregnant, secondary wife to 86 year old Abram and maid of 76 year old Sarai, who made Hagar marry Abram to give him a son. Because in Sarai’s opinion, The LORD wasn’t moving fast enough… When Hagar got pregnant, per Sarai’s stupid plan, Sarai turned hateful and mistreated Hagar because Sarai felt Hagar despised her and was the more “important” wife… Fellas can we just all agree that having more than one spouse is a bad idea? O.k., o.k. I digress..

Hagar fled from The Abram’s (sorry they didn’t do last names back then) and, like most pregnant women, needed to rest so she sat down by a stream of water in the wilderness. But she wasn’t alone for long… drumroll please for the first mention of …. The Angel of the LORD! He found her by the stream and said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where did you come from, and where are you going?” Now, trust me, He “knew” her exact GPS coordinates were set for Egypt. He knew her name. He knew she was fleeing from Sarai. He also knew this Egyptian
Pagan needed Him. Why? He had just made a covenant with Abram that He would multiply his offspring (even when Hagar was not part of that original plan) and would surely multiply Abram’s descendants so that they cannot be counted.. (sounds like sand to me and a GOD Who keeps His Word). The AOL continued, “You’re pregnant, you’ll have a son and you’ll call his name Ishmael [God hears] because the LORD has heard and paid attention to your
affliction.” Hagar believed Him and called the name of the LORD Who spoke to her, “You are a God of Seeing”, for she said, “Truly here I have seen Him who looks after me.”

Hagar turned around and went back home to the Abram’s with no guarantee Sarai would be kind to her. She didn’t obey because Abram might love her more than Sarai. She turned around and went back because she had an encounter with the Angel of the LORD who promised He would look after her. He did. Months later, she gave Abram a son. Seems she told Abam Who she met by the stream, and what He said the boy’s name would be… How do I know? Gen. 16:15, “Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.” Hagar’s faith in The Angel of the LORD was well rewarded and ours will be too, if we just believe what the LORD promises us.

Alright fellas, it’s your turn.. The list of Angel of The LORD, eye-witness list, is small but prestigious; Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Jacob, Elijah and Zechariah. I chose Abraham. Gen. 22 – Unbeknownst to Isaac, God has asked Abram, now Abraham, to offer his son who he loves, as a burnt offering on an undisclosed mountain near Mt. Moriah. I would’ve handled this very differently than Abe. He got up early that morning, saddled his donkey and with two helpers and Isaac, he split the very wood he was being asked to lay his son on for the offering.

I, who am the Mama of just one son myself, would have been up all night beggin’ God to change His mind. Reminding Him, how long I waited for my son and I’d probably start accusing Him with, “What kind of God are you? Who asks someone to kill their only son? I would’ve tried to stall as long as I could in my human strength, then as the sun began to rise, start walking in the direction I think will get me and my boy back home safe and sound and hope God will change His mind on the walk back. Just being honest. After choppin’ the wood, the fellas set out for the “unknown” mountain location… On day three, Abraham looks up, seeing the place in the distance and “knows” this is the place. He stops, tells the two helpers to stay, set up camp with the donkeys, as he and Isaac must go
and worship but they’ll be back. Interesting… Abraham takes the rope-bound stack of wood meant for the burnt offering and lays it on Isaac, his son. Does this story sound familiar in a New Testament kinda way? It should… Abraham took the fire (firepot), the knife and off they walked together. Moses, who wrote Genesis, doesn’t mention God tellin’ Abraham where to go but, in Gen, 22:9, Abraham knew
where to go. Isaac, who appears to be following his father’s footsteps from a short distance, unaware of the fate that awaits him, has a burning question that just won’t wait any longer, “Father!”, he calls out. “I’m here, my son!”Abraham answers. Isaac states the obvious, “Here’s the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt sacrifice?” I’m sure the pain in Abraham’s heart was palatable. Abraham replied, “My son, God Himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering.” Isaac, content with that answer, continued on the walk with his Father.

When they came to the place God had told him, Abraham built the altar there, laid the wood in order, bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood Isaac had carried on his own back. Abraham took the knife in his hand and raised it in the air to slaughter his son….
But.
But what?
But wait!!
The Angel of The LORD called to Abraham from Heaven, shouting his name loud and clear… Abraham! Abraham! He looked around seeing no one and answered, “Here I am!” The Angel of The LORD told him, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know you fear and revere God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me. Abrahan looked up and around him and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. He went over, took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place, “The LORD will provide.”

As if that wasn’t enough, the Angel of The LORD had more to say, “I have sworn by Myself, (I love it when He does that!) says the LORD, that since you went through with this and didn’t withhold giving Me your son, your only son, in blessing I will bless you and in multiplying, I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies.” Notice the capital “S” in Seed. He’s talking about Himself in the future as Jesus, the Messiah! “And in your Seed (Christ) will all the nations of the earth be blessed and [by Him] bless themselves, because you have heard and obeyed My voice.

What’s the repeat theme that Hagar and Abraham both lived through? The Angel of The LORD spoke and they believed Him and did what He said. Brothers and Sisters we are in the last days. The Angel of The LORD in the Old Testament is the Messiah, and Lord Jesus Christ of the New Testament. He reigns as King and Lord sitting at the right hand of His Father because God sent Him to be the sacrifice for you and me with a wooden cross He had to carry to his own slaughter.

When He speaks,

1. Listen, Whatever He tells you to do,
2. Believe that what He says is always true and will come to pass. He never lies.
3. Move forward in faith, trusting Him no matter how things look in the natural.

There was no ram in the thicket when Abraham arrived at the location God selected. The ram wasn’t provided till Abraham lifted his knife high in the air to thrust his blade full force into the heart of his son Isaac. That’s the kind of faith and obedience we must have in our LORD. If He says it, believe Him and watch the glory of heaven fall.

DO YOU BELIEVE ME?