Jump Start # 2105

Hebrews 2:16 “For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendants of Abraham.”

Over the winter, we had an unusual guest. It was a stray cat. My wife loves cats. I like them, but not quite to the level she’s at. She was concerned about this cat who kept hanging around. So we started feeding him. I fed him. He stayed. Who wouldn’t. Free meals are nice. Then it started getting cold. She was worried about the cat, that she had named Georgie. We didn’t know if Georgie was male or female. So, we got a tub that we put a Styrofoam cooler on the inside. We got some straw and put that inside the cooler and cut a hole just the size of a cat. On cold nights, Georgie went inside his winter house. By spring, Georgie was gone. The food supply was turned off.

I thought about Georgie when I read this passage. It seems that we did more for that stray cat than what God did for the angels. Angelology, that’s a real word, is the study of angels. There are more theories, ideas and thoughts about angels than what the Bible tells us. Greeting cards and little statues represent angels as chubby little kids with wings. Figurines display angels as women with long hair and beautiful wings. Some believe that children become angels when they go to Heaven. Lots of ideas and not much Bible behind these concepts.

There are only two angels named in the Bible. They were both male. There is a “strong” angel in Revelation and there is such a thing as an archangel, which seems to imply an order among angels. Angels are spirits. They are not eternal. They were created by God at the beginning. Some angels disobeyed God and are reserved for punishment. There doesn’t seem to be any salvation for angels. Jesus didn’t die for angels. Angels were not created in the image of God. Hebrews tells us that angels serve the people of God. Many important Biblical events involve angels. It was angels who announced to the shepherds out in the field the wonderful news of Jesus’ birth. Angels were at the resurrection of Jesus. When the Lord returns, He will bring all the angels with Him. One angel slew thousands of enemy during the days of Israel. Jesus declared that He could summon legions of angels if He wanted to. The story of the Bible involves these special heavenly host.

Our verse today shows that God does not give help to angels. God helps the descendants of Abraham. God helps His people. This statement, God helps the descendants of Abraham, tells us a couple of valuable things.

First, we are not left alone. God is there to help us. We pray, believing not only will God hear our words, but that God is moved to help us. Why pray if He won’t do anything? Why pray if nothing will change? God helps us. What an amazing thought. There are times we can feel very alone. There are times when our own family seems so busy or unconcerned about our plight in life. There are times when we feel just like a number at work. No one really cares. There are times when we can even feel that way in a congregation. There is no one who understands. There is no one who can help me. God can. God helps in a number of ways. Prayer is one way. Another way is instruction, comfort and hope that is found in Scriptures. Another way is through fellowship and encouragement. Worship helps. Counting your blessings helps.

Second, God thinks more of us than He does the angels. He doesn’t help angels. He helps the descendants of Abraham. That’s hard to grasp. It’s easy to believe that it ought to be the other way around. The angels are around the throne of God. The angels are in Heaven now. The angels come at God’s beckoning. It’s easy to think that in the order of things that angels are nearer to the heart of God than we are. We certainly needed a Savior. We needed the Bible. We need God’s help. I don’t know who named Michael and Gabriel, their names. I expect it was God. The names seem like human names. The angels longed to know what we have found in the Bible. The angels are serving us, not the other way around.

All of this is simply special.

Now, there remains one other lesson here. It’s there, but we often miss it. God helps His people, but do we take that help and do we thank God for that help. Self reliant as we are, we don’t read directions, ask for help or call a neighbor. We do all that we can just to figure things out on our own. That’s the way we are. Yet, God is there to help. Do we take God’s help or do we just drown in our sins? Do we take advantage of the encouragement God provides or do we just smoother in discouragement? Do we utilize the open doors of opportunity that God gives us or do walk right past them with our eyes closed.

God helps. Does my life reflect that? And, am I thankful for that? Suppose, through a sermon or the words of a friend, God stepped on my toes to wake me up. Do I get upset at those things or do I realize God is helping me? Suppose God slows me down by allowing me to get sick, so I can take a long look at what really matters in life? Suppose God made some of the dreams that I am chasing to go away? Maybe those dreams weren’t best for me. God knows.

God helps. Do I take Him up on His help and am I thankful for that help? He’s doing things for you that He won’t do for angels? All of this shows how special we must be to God. I wonder if we think about God as much as He thinks about us?

Sure makes a person wonder, doesn’t it?

Roger