Let us turn to the Word of God
in 1 Timothy 3, and I'll read verse 16. 1 Timothy 3, verse 16. I'm sure
it's a familiar verse with us. A little compendium of divinity,
a little body. of grace, and without controversy
great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the
Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. And just a few days ago, contemplating
the ministry today, I thought of these words in the middle
of the verse, seen of angels and it's that expression that
I want to take for a text tonight I was thinking of the words of
the hymn when he says but see what different thoughts arise
in ours and angels breasts to hail his birth they left the
skies we lodged him with the beast The angels take a great
interest, even a delight, in the things that are spoken of
in this remarkable verse. The great mystery of godliness,
the incarnation, God veiled in human flesh, or God manifest
in the flesh, and all of it seen of angels. But before we come
to consider that particular expression and to say something with regards
to the ministry of the angels. I want to remark on this mystery
of godliness and what we're to understand here. What is the
mystery of godliness? Well it's the mystery of real
religion. In the following chapter Paul goes on to say there at
verse 7, Refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself
rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth
little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise
of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. For
this godliness it is profitable for this present life, this mortal
life that we live upon the earth, but also it has great promise
of that life that is to come. For it is appointed unto man
once to die and then cometh the judgment. and ought to be prepared
for that, for that great change. What he is speaking of then when
he makes mention of godliness and the mystery of godliness
is that religion that is real and part and parcel of it in
this life of course is faith. And here in this 16th verse we
read of him who is believed on, believed on in the world. One of the elements then of the
mystery of godliness is the life of faith. Through faith is the
life of God. Deep in the heart it lies. It
lives and labours on the load. Though damped, it never dies. There is a mystery to that life
of faith, that life of the godly, when we think in those subjective
terms with regards to what faith is. But then also, when we think
of the mystery of godliness, we think not only in terms of
the life that is being lived by those who have been favoured
with that gift of saving faith, surely also we should take account
of what is really contained throughout this particular verse. As I intimated
here, we really have the very sum and substance of the gospel
and that gospel of course centers in the person and the work of
the Lord Jesus Christ, the mystery of the faith. The mystery of the faith is not
so much to be understood in a subjective sense as referring to that gift
of faith that is so necessary if we're going to be believers,
but the faith in scripture more often refers us to the great
body of truth that is to be believed. To understand the faith in an
objective way is what God sets before us as the great body of
doctrinal truth that we're brought to believe as we come to saving
faith. And it all centers, as I say,
in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus. He is that one
God manifest in the flesh. justified in the Spirit, seen
of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory. Oh, he is the object of faith.
We are to be those who would be looking unto Jesus, the author
and the finisher of our faith. But as I said, I really want
to concentrate more particularly this evening on this expression,
scene of angels, and so to say something with regards to the
ministry of angels. Now there are, of course, elect
angels and there are foreign angels. All the angels did not
keep their first estate, there were those who rebelled against
God, and Phal and the chief of those fallen angels is Satan
but there are also elect angels and surely it is principally
these angels that is being spoken of here in our text and remember
that there are different types we read of the Cherubim Cherubim is a transliteration of the Hebrew
words, and the "-im", ending, simply indicates a plural. The cherub would be one of these
angels. Cherubim would refer to a multitude
of these angels. Normally in our English, when
we want to speak in the plural, we simply put an "-s", on the
end of the noun, to indicate the plural. There are exceptions.
We speak about a child, but we don't speak of childs. The plural
is the word children. And so, in the Hebrew the "-im",
ending, indicates the plural. Now I know in our authorized
version we have an "-s", on the end of that, cherubims. But in
a sense it is really quite superfluous. The cherub is singular, as I
said, the cherubim is the plural, it's the same with the seraph
and the seraphim. Now, there are obviously these
different types of angels. What are we to understand by
the word cherub or cherubim? Well, the word is derived from
a noun that means to hold fast, to lay hold of a thing. It has the idea of strength. And in fact, in the book of the
Revelation, we read in Revelation 5 and verse 2 of a strong angel. And then in chapter 10 and verse
1 we read of a mighty angel. These are the cherubim. They
are renowned for their great strength and mighty creatures.
But then, besides the cherubim, we also read of the seraphim. Now, what are we to understand
with regards to these creatures, these angels? Well, remember,
in particular, they are spoken of there in Isaiah chapter 6,
where we have mentioned of the circumstances in which the prophet
receives his call, his commission, from God is in the temple King
Uzziah has died another king will now sit upon the throne
and he sees that throne of God which is never vacated and around
the throne are the seraphim and the word is derived from that
that has the idea of burning ones all their burning ones are
such bright pure creatures, the Seraphim. Why? What is the song
of the Seraphim? They are before the throne of
God and they worship Him and they say, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord
God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. If the cherubim remind us of
the strength of angels, the Seraphim remind us of the holiness. and the purity of the elect angels. But then also we read of others
when we think of the fallen angels. Remember what Paul says in Ephesians
chapter 6, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places. He's speaking
of the different types of demons, the fallen angels. But interestingly,
in that same epistle, in Ephesians chapter 1, he speaks of the principalities
and powers and dominions in terms of the elect angels. speaks of
the resurrection of Christ, what God wrought in Christ, when he
raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand
in the heavenly places far above all principality, and power,
and might, and dominion, and every name that is named not
only in this world but also in that which is to come. Oh, there
are cherubim, there are seraphim, there are principalities, powers,
dominions. These various types of angels
ended up being spoken of. And here we read of the angels in reference to
the great mystery of godliness, the incarnation. And now it is
all seen, seen of angels. But when we think of the ministry
of angels, it's more than what they see. Angels really are set
before us as those who serve, and how they serve God. Or again,
in the Revelation we're told that they are before the throne
of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple. Why those Seraphim, in Isaiah
chapter 6, they have six wings. Or they are pure, sinless creatures,
and yet they are on holy ground, they have six wings, with two
they cover their feet, because the ground is holy. With two
they cover their eyes, they cannot bear the sight of God's purity
and God's holiness, and with two they fly. Or they fly at
the bidding of God. They are there waiting upon the
Lord, waiting to do His commandment instantly. They will fly at His
command. Why, remember how we see the
angel coming in answer to the prayer of Daniel, that remarkable
prayer in Daniel chapter 9, and then when we come to the end
of that chapter, Daniel says, Yea, whilst I was speaking in
prayer, even the man Gabriel, this is the very one of course
who as we saw appears to Zacharias and also to Maron, the man Gabriel
whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning being caused
to fly swiftly touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
And he informed me and talked with me and said, O Daniel, I
am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the
beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and
I am come to show them. For thou art greatly beloved,
therefore understand the matter and consider the vision. Oh,
he comes, you see, he's commanding. He's an angel, what does he do?
He does what God commands him to do, and he does it immediately. He flies at God's commands. These angels, the service of
the angels, they serve God. They serve God, and they serve
God day and night in his temple. They are such obedient creatures,
mighty, holy as they are. But then they don't only serve
God, Remember how it is man who is made in the image, and man
who is made in the likeness of God. And how the angels serve
man. There at the end of Hebrews chapter
1 we're told, Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth
to minister to them who are the heirs of salvation? And we read of their ministry.
We have the record in Holy Scripture. There in Genesis chapter 18,
how they come, they serve Abraham. They're sent to minister to the
heirs of salvation. And there is Abraham, he's the
father of all them that believe. And you know the content of Genesis
chapter 18. At the beginning of that chapter,
three strangers arrive, three men. Now we know that one is
the angel of the Lord. It's an appearance of the Lord
Jesus Christ in human form, a theophany. It anticipates the fullness of
the time. It anticipates that great mystery
of godliness, the incarnation. But even there in the Old Testament
the Lord Jesus Christ appears as a man, the angel of the Lord.
But there are two others. And in chapter 19 we see that
those two other men were in fact angels. And they come to communicate
with Abraham concerning what is going to befall those wicked
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And what we read is how Abraham
receives them and ministers to them, feeds them, entertains
them. And we're told in Hebrews 13
how some entertained angels unawares. You know there is still a ministry
of angels. There is still a ministry of
angels. It is so clear from what the
Lord Jesus Christ himself says in the New Testament. Matthew
18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones
for I say unto you that in heaven there are angels Do always behold
the face of my Father which is in heaven." These little ones.
All these poor people, these despised people, these Christian
believers. All there's a ministry of angels
to the people of God. They don't only serve God. They
serve man who was made in the image and created in the likeness
of God, and when that blessed image is restored, or the heirs
of salvation, the angels minister to them." When I say minister
to God and minister to men, it should not surprise us that they
minister to Him who is God-man. Or are they minister to the Lord
Jesus Christ Himself? Paul tells us they made us to
Him a little lower than the angels. We see Jesus who was made a little
lower than the angels for the suffering of death. Verily He
took not on Him the nature of angels, He took upon Him the
seed of Abraham. Now, no provision was made for
the fallen angels. God has passed over the fallen
angels. There's no salvation, no restoration
for those angels that fell. And of course the elect angels,
they never fell, they never sinned. There was therefore no need of
any provision for their restoration. But in his wisdom God decreed
that salvation would come to the fallen sinners of mankind. And how we see the angels taking
such an interest in this great work that the Eternal Son of
God comes into this world to accomplish. They proclaim the birth of the
Lord Jesus Christ As we saw there in our reading in the opening
chapter of Luke, Gabriel comes to Zacharias, the husband of
Elizabeth. They're old people, they're well
stricken in years, Elizabeth is barren, but there is to be
the birth of a child to this old woman. Nothing is impossible
with God. Nothing is impossible with God.
Why, many times in the Old Testament we read of those women who appeared
to be barren in God's appointed time, giving birth to the promised
seed, the promised son? Was he not so with Sarah? Was
he not so with Rachel? Was he not so with Hannah? And
so, when we come to the New Testament, here we see it in the case of
Elizabeth. and Zacharias but it all anticipates
of course that greatest of all miracles in conception that the
Virgin should conceive and so as we read the angel comes and
he speaks those words to Mary that opening chapter of Luke Verse 26, In the sixth month
the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named
Nazareth to a virgin, espoused to a man whose name was Joseph
of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail thou that art
highly favoured. The Lord is with thee. Blessed
art thou among women. Lord, let us not despise this
woman because of the awful mereolatry of the Romish church and the
blasphemies of that church. She is one who in scripture is
declared to be blessed among women. When she saw him she was
troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation
this should be. And the angel said unto her,
fear not Mary, For thou hast found favour with God, and, behold,
thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt
call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall
be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David. He shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be
no end." What strange words of greeting And Mary says to the
angel, How shall this be? Seeing I know not a man. And
then the answer of the angel, The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the higher shall overshadow thee. Therefore
also that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God. Or the ministry of the angels,
And then, of course, subsequently, remember in the second chapter,
when the actual birth takes place, the shepherds keeping watch over
their flocks by night, the angel of the Lord appears onto them,
and then a great multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God
and saying, Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good
will towards men. Why the angels? The angels have
a ministry here. They are sent to proclaim this
remarkable birth. But it's not only at the beginning
of the life of the Lord Jesus. We see the angelic activity subsequently. Now I know in the course of his
ministry there's also the activity of the fallen angels. Even when
we see him there in the synagogue in Capernaum. and he's about
to cast the demons out of the man. And now the demons cry out. What have we to do with thee
thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us?
I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. There's much
demonic activity when we read through the Gospels. There's
much opposition. But there's not just the fallen
angels. There's these elect angels you see. Here is the Lord Jesus
Christ and He is constantly seen of angels. Think of His temptations
after His baptizing. We read the heavens opened, the
Spirit descends upon Him in the form of a dove, the Father speaks
those words from heaven, this is my beloved Son in whom I am
well pleased. And then strangely He is led
of the Spirit led of the Spirit into the wilderness how strange
after the blessings of his baptizing and now there he is tempted forty
days and then we are told how the devil leaves him for a season
and behold angels came and ministered unto him he was seen of angels
how the angels take an interest how the angels minister and not
only there at the beginning of his public ministry but when
we come to the end and he's contemplating all that lies before him all
the horrors now that he must endure when he comes to die upon
the cross at Calvary there we see him in the garden of Gethsemane
agonizing in his prayers to God And his sweat is like blood,
drops of blood falling to the ground. A strange sweat. The agonies of the soul of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him. It's what we read there
in Luke 22, 43. An angel. from heaven. Oh, remember how
dear Rabbi Duncan used to say that was his favorite angel.
Oh, that angel who came to strengthen the suffering son of God in all
the agonies of his soul. How the angels, you see, they
see these things. And what a sight it is. It's
more than a sight, they're ministering. They minister to the God-man,
they minister to the Lord Jesus Christ. And then when we come
to His resurrection, on that first day of the week, when the
women come to the tomb, those women from Galilee who had followed
Him to Jerusalem, and we see them there going to the tomb,
the beginning of Luke 24, Or they were much perplexed,
it says. And behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. They are perplexed because the
tomb is empty. And these two men in shining
garments speak to them. Why seek ye the living among
the dead? He is not here, but is risen.
Remember how He spoke unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying,
The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men,
and be crucified, and the third day rise again. Oh, and they
remembered His words. Oh, it was Mary Magdalene, it
was Joanna and Mary the mother of James, and the other women
that came from Galilee. But the ministry of the angels,
you see, They are proclaiming the glorious truth of His resurrection. He is not here. He comes in the
place where He lies. The tomb is empty. But not only
His resurrection, they also are the ones who speak of His ascension. His ascending into heaven, but
not only His ascension, they also speak of His coming again. there in the opening chapter
of the Acts. Verse 9, when he had spoken these
things, he's addressing his disciples. When he had spoken these things,
while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him
out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly
toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them,
in white apparel, which also said ye men of Galilee, why stand
ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen him go into heaven." The angels, the ministry of the
angels. And was it not those same angels who also received
him? as He entered again, there was
the glorified man. When He enters into heaven, He
is that man that we read of in the 24th Psalm. It's a Messianic Psalm, it speaks
of Christ. Who shall ascend into the hill
of the Lord, who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath
clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul
unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Oh, it's this righteous man,
it's this holy man, who has just made the great sin atoning sacrifice,
and risen now, ascending. And there at the end of that
psalm, lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye
everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is
this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty.
the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory
shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The
Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory. Selah. Oh, it's Christ, you see. These
angels, these ministering spirits, they serve God. They serve men,
and how they serve Him who is God, man! How they serve the
Lord Jesus Christ! They serve God, day and night,
in His temple. But turning in the second place
to the sight of the angels that is particularly being spoken
of here in the text. Scene of angels. Scene of angels. What is the
site? Well, Peter tells us there in
1 Peter 1, verses 10, 11, and 12, he tells us something of
the ministry of the prophets in the Old Testament. The great subject matter of prophetic
ministry is that salvation that was accomplished by the Lord
Jesus Christ. Why Christ is the spirit of prophecy.
But then there at the end of verse 12 it says, which things
the angels desire to look into. That's their sight you see. That's
what they see. They delight to look into all
that the Lord Jesus Christ came to accomplish here upon the earth. And now it's a great mystery
to them. Now there in the very presence of God. They are in
the heaven of heavens, the third heavens. They serve God in His
temple. They are before the throne of
God. And yet they desire to look into things that take place here
upon the planet Earth. The Hymn writer says, when I,
by faith, my Maker see in weakness and distress, brought down to
that sad state for me, which angels can't express. Oh, it's
such a mystery to the angels. They can't understand these things.
They cannot fathom this great mystery that is being spoken
of in our text tonight without controversy. Great is the mystery
of godliness. and it's seen of angels. They
want to understand these things, they want to examine these things. It's a remarkable thing really,
but you know it's there in all the scriptures, it's there in
the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus is not only the spirit of Old
Testament prophecy, the Lord Jesus is there of course in type,
in shadow, in all that we have, in the Levitical laws. All the
furniture of the tabernacle that God instructed Moses about, remember
there in Exodus, Moses is told repeatedly, all must be made
according to that pattern that was shown to him in the mount.
the various curtains of the tabernacle, but also all the furnishings,
and amongst them, of course, that that stands at the very
center of the worship of the children of Israel, the Ark of
the Covenant. Those tables of stone that were
written by the finger of God were to be placed in the Ark.
And the Ark was to sit there in the Holy of Holies. the most
holy place at the center of the tabernacle but there was a covering
for the ark there was the mercy seat and we have the instruction
concerning that mercy seat in Exodus chapter 25 and I'm sure you most of you, probably all of
you are familiar with the detail, the cherubim the cherub, one
at each end of the mercy seat. Exodus 25, 17, Thou shalt make
a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be
the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
It's the same dimensions as the ark. It's a perfect covering,
a perfect lid to cover those tables of the law. But then he
goes on, Thou shalt make two cherubims of gold of beaten work
shalt thou make them in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make
one cherub on the one end and the other cherub on the other
end. Even of the mercy seat shall you make the cherubims on the
two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch
forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings.
And their faces, mark this, their faces shall look one to another. Toward the mercy seat shall the
faces of the cherubims be. And they shall put the mercy
seat above upon the ark, and in the ark they shall put the
testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee,
and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat from
between the two cherubim. Oh, here are the cherubims in.
They have their wings, and with their wings, you see, they're
covering the mercy seat. And their eyes are one to the
other, and they're looking into the mercy seat. And how significant
it all is. What remarkable typology we have
there. That mercy seat. in the Holy
of Holies, covering the Ark of the Testimony. Just once a year
the High Priest could go into that most holy place. It was
only on the Great Day of Atonement that he must go in with the blood
of sacrifice and he must sprinkle the blood upon the Mercy Seat
and before the Mercy Seat. Oh, what are these cherubims
doing? They are wanting to look into the Mistress of the Shed
Blood The Lord Jesus, that one who is the great antitype, who
will come and pour out his soul unto death. Oh, how the angels delight to
look into these things. These things are the seen, seen
of angels. And you know, it's an interesting
word that we have there in 1 Peter 1.12, to look into. The angels desire to look into. This is no cursory glance. This is a careful consideration.
They're looking into these things. They're studying these things. The same word is used when we
read in John 20 of Peter and John, after those women have
gone and informed them of the empty tomb and they run to the
sepulchre And John outruns Peter. And we read about John arriving
there. He doesn't enter in. He's stooping
down, it says. Stooping down and looking in.
Oh yes, bold, impetuous Peter who's following Peter straight
into the empty tomb. But here is John. He stoops down. He looks in. That's how the angels
desire to look into these things. They stoop. or they take time,
they're concerned about these things. They have no interest, personal
interest, in all that the Lord Jesus Christ has wrought. No salvation for the angels.
The fallen angels have passed over these elect angels. The
Lord Jesus is made a little lower than the angels. He has not taken
upon Him the nature of the angels. Oh, he has humbled himself to
become a man, a real man. He's come to save those from
amongst the sinful sons of men. But how the angels look into
these things. And I come again to that verse
that I felt so spoke to me just a few days ago. There in the
hymn 39, but see what different thoughts arise. in ours and angels
breast to hail his birth they left the skies we lodged him
with the beasts how awful it is angels for whom the Lord does not come
and yet they take such an interest in these things and how they
take a particular interest in the church Look at the words of Ephesians
3.10, "...to the intent that now unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly places..." What are the principalities and
powers in heavenly places? That's the angels. "...to the
intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places
might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God."
Have you ever thought what a privilege it is what a privilege it is
to belong to a gospel church what a privilege to be a member
in a gospel church it's here that the angels are
in the very presence of God learn something of the manifold wisdom
of God and you see when we come together to worship God why the
angels are present? the angels are present in our
services of worship When the apostle is dealing with the whole
matter of headship, there in 1 Corinthians 11, remember what
he says with regards to the headship of the woman. The man is the
head of the woman. Of course, the God himself is
the head of all things. But what does he say concerning
the women? They must have power on their head because of the
angels. There is the authority, you see,
for the head covering. And he speaks of the angels.
It's here in the church that the angels learn the manifold
wisdom of God. Or they come to take an interest
in things here upon the earth. And what does God do in the church?
Why it's here, of course, in the church that God is doing
his great work of salvation calling out sinners to himself daily
adding to the churches such as should be saved and there's joy
we're told there's joy in the presence of the angels of God
over every sinner that repents ought to be that sinner that
repentant sinner, that believing sinner who causes there to be
joy in the presence of the angels that's joy in the midst of heaven
itself over repentant sinners oh how these angels look, scene
of angels and what of us? what of our looks? Isaiah says, or God says to His
servant, the prophet, look unto me and be ye saved. All the ends
of the earth for I am God and there is none else. Or are we
those who look? Are we those who are looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and He set down the right hand of the throne of God. Are we
looking only onto Jesus, looking away from every other object?
Or we want to be like these angels, we desire to look into these
things, we want to understand something more of these great
mysteries of the faith, the mystery of godliness. That God was manifest
in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached
unto the Gentiles, believed only in the world, received up into
glory. Oh God help us then to to consider
this verse what a verse it is to meditate in the great truths
that are set before us in all of these statements concerning
real religion or do we know anything of that real religion the mystery
of godliness we want to understand what it
really means to see. To see as the angels see. They
desire to look into these things. Think of the mercy seat, and
the cherubim on each end, and their faces toward all that takes
place there, the sprinkling of the precious blood. Ought to
be those who would desire to look into that great sacrifice
that the Lord Jesus Christ himself has made when he offered himself in the
room in the stead of his people, when he died for just and the
unjust, to bring sinners to God. Oh God grant that we might be
those friends who have an interest in these things. And unlike the angels, able to
partake of all these blessings, of salvation let me just conclude
with the verses of one of the hymns that we that we sing that
if I can if I can remember hymn 39 And the last two verses say,
but see what different thoughts arise in ours and angels' breasts. To hail his birth they left the
skies, we lodged him with the beast. Yet let believers cease
their fears, nor envy heavenly powers. If sinless innocence
be theirs, redemption all is ours. Amen.