Series: Angels; As It Was In The Days of Noah
Sun am 6 May 2012 – Kobus Swart
Heb. 1:7, 14; Ps. 34:7; (Judges 7:1-24); Ps. 51:16-17; Isa. 66:1-2; Dan. 1:8;
Dan. 3:11-18, 23-28; Dan. 6:19-22;Dan. 12:3-4, 10; Dan. 11:32-35
Angels are ministering spirits who come alongside those who are heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:7, 14). The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him (Ps. 34:7). Fear in that verse means, reverence, respect, bowing down, worship. There is something the Lord wants to highlight in this regard. What God is looking for is a quality of spirit that the Lord calls a contrite spirit and a broken heart. Humility of spirit attracts ministering spirits. Arrogance has a way of chasing them away.
David was a broken man. He committed adultery; he had a child with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. Yet David was a man after God’s heart only because of what you read in Psalm 51; he walked with a repentant spirit. For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise Cross references:
(Ps. 51:16-17). These are the ingredients that God will look at to bring together the remnant for the final battle.
Remember it was not the whole army that took Mount Hebron where the giants lived. It was Caleb and his sons. They had to be a brave group but they must have had this quality, a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. David too, was a brave man, a warrior, but in his heart he had this quality. Thus says the Lord, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word (Isa. 66:1-2). God’s ministering spirits don’t need a lot of encouragement to go where God looks. If you treat the living word that is coming only as sermons, all you will get from it is a good sermon, but if you tremble at His Word, it has all the potential to transform you and renew your mind; to arrest false opinions and fortresses in the mind, to break down mindsets. God is going to do some sifting and come to the humble and contrite of heart and to those who tremble at His Word.
Daniel was a man who was assisted numerous times by angels. One of the reasons is that he had a quality in his spirit. In a world that was falling apart, God found a man Noah. In the midst of the situation where Nebuchadnezzar took Israel captive and brought the sons of Israel into the Babylonian kingdom, among them was Daniel and his 3 Hebrew friends. From the very outset, Daniel refused to compromise. It is something to watch out for with the disappearing of moral standards in our world. Where is the prophetic voice of the Church? How can the church change the course of a nation? The example is in the book of Daniel. God is looking for those who will not bow down to the gods of this world (Dan. 3:11-17). Something strange happened. When they were thrown in the fiery furnace, what they were tied with was destroyed in the fire and they came out without the smell of smoke (Dan. 3:18-28). Angels are there to help those who have the quality of spirit that will attract these ministering spirits.
Many of us are waiting for answers from God. An angel of the Lord was talking to Daniel: He said to me, “O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future” (Dan. 10:11-14). Satan once was one of the chief princes in God’s kingdom. Then he fell and brought a third of the angels with him. So Satan knows a lot of things, but there are more angels of light than angels of darkness. This passage of Scripture tells us that countries have angels; nations have angels. God has released the answer the moment we pray, so the way to pray in the Kingdom is, whatever you ask; ask with thanksgiving, because it has already been released. There are instances where those answers are being withheld by fallen angels – demonic warfare. But the good news is that the answer will come to you, it will reach you. Humble your heart, and you will not be disappointed.
Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” (Dan. 12:3-4). Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand (Dan. 12:10). By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; ….. Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time(Dan. 11:32-33, 35).
Humble your heart, tremble at His word, have a contrite spirit and you are a candidate because His angels are given as ministering spirits to assist us on our way to full salvation.