Heavenly Servants

We're in the beginning of studying Genesis 28, the episode of Jacob resting his head on a rock and dreaming of a ladder reaching into Heaven. First, of course, this passage affirms the reality of life beyond this earth, especially when understood properly. And it is easy to understand it properly, because Jesus Himself explains what it all means. That is the subject of the next post.

In the meantime, though, the passage contains a very interesting sentence about angels.

"And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!"

Our culture, especially lately, seems to be very fascinated with angels. We see posters and books and music and calendars full of cherubic faces gazing up into the sky. But Genesis 28 doesn't match our cultural expectations. The angels in this verse seem to be very busy. But what are they doing?

Matthew Henry has a theory:

"Angels are employed as ministering spirits, to serve all the purposes and designs of Providence, and the wisdom of God is at the upper end of the ladder, directing all the motions of second causes to the glory of the first Cause. The angels are active spirits, continually ascending and descending; they rest not, day nor night, from service, according to the posts assigned them. They ascend, to give account of what they have done, and to receive orders; and then descend, to execute the orders they have received."

This fits in well with Hebrews 1:14, which tells us that angels are "...ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation." Some of the heirs of salvation are already at the top of Jacob's ladder, while some of us are left weeping here below. We know for sure that angels are servants to the heirs of salvation, working day and night for us, according to the express command of God.

I wonder how they serve our loved ones in heaven above and what they are doing now in serving us here on earth?