“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:2)

Angels are not human men or women; they are spirits—in fact, “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). Nevertheless, God has given them the remarkable ability to take on the actual appearance of men when the need arises.

The allusion in our text to some who have unwittingly played host to angelic visitors probably refers to Abraham, who entertained God and two angels, appearing as men, one hot day long ago in “the plains of Mamre,” and then to his nephew Lot down in Sodom, who offered the hospitality of his home to the two angels that evening (Genesis 18:2; 19:1). Because of the wicked reputation of the Sodomites and then their rapacious desire to abuse Lot’s two guests, these angels the next day enabled Lot and his daughters to escape when there came down “fire from the LORD out of heaven” (Genesis 19:24) to destroy that city.

Most of us have never seen an angel—that is, unless we, like Abraham and Lot, have unwittingly encountered them. But the fact is that they are there when needed! “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7).

In fact, the Bible records a number of miraculous occurrences that actually involved the agency of one or more angels to bring them about. For example, the prophet Daniel passed an entire night in a den of hungry lions because, as Daniel reported the next morning, “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me” (Daniel 6:22).

God indeed is able to deliver us when we have a special need and when we call on Him in faith. HMM