The Angel of the LORD
Who Is This Messenger?
PART SEVEN
We are continuing our study to discover how Yahweh identified and distinguished Himself as He engaged with the prophets and patriarchs in the Old Testament. Who is the messenger of Yahweh? Who is the Angel of the LORD?
In this article we will look at the first two Bible passages were the title Angel of the LORD is first mentioned. The Angel of Yahweh appears first to Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, who has run away from her mistress, Sari. Let’s read:
Genesis 16:7-13 NKJV
7 Now the Angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”
9 The Angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.”
10 Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” 11 And the Angel of the LORD said to her:
“Behold, you are with child,
And you shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
Because the LORD has heard your affliction.
12 He shall be a wild man;
His hand shall be against every man,
And every man’s hand against him.
And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?”
Though we do see the Angel speaking in the first person as Yahweh, we cannot be certain that he is anything more than a messenger of Yahweh. However, the NKJV indicates that they believe this Messenger is Yahweh Himself in the visible form of a man. It seems from the narrative, that Hagar also believes that the One she sees, the One who speaks to her, the One who names the child she is carrying, is the LORD God of Abraham.
Genesis 22:1-18
1 After these things God (Elohim) tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Abraham recognizes this as the voice of YHWH.
11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Yes?” he answered.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God (Elohim), because you did not refuse to give Me your son, your only son.”
Notice Translators capitalize God/Elohim to indicate they believe this to be Yahweh speaking. Also take note that when the Angel of Yahweh speaks to Abraham, Abraham recognizes his voice. Abraham does not ask “Who Are You?” He did not fear it was the voice of another elohim; a strange god.
At this point Abraham sees the ram and offers it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham dedicates that place by name, calling it “YHWH Yireh” interpreted to mean The LORD will provide.
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 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— 17 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. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
You may have noticed that in verse 16 the writer has the word which the Angel of the LORD delivers as coming from YHWH directly. However, it is interesting to see that in verses 11 -12, there is no such clarification. The wording of the text blurs the distinction between Yahweh and this messenger (Angel) by swapping the messenger/angel into the role of the person who initially demanded the sacrifice as a test—Yahweh himself.
The Biblical writer had the ability to make sure Yahweh and the Angel were distinguished but did not do so. Because this same failure occurs in several other places in the Old Testament. It is reasonable to consider that this was not a careless oversight, but rather the wording is designed to blur the two persons.