The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you … - Judges 2:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 27, 2019): Judges 2

The Bible is a book that is filled with angels. They leap out at us from the printed page. Some are warriors, standing guard around the god-fearing or waging heavenly wars against evil that we mere mortals never even knew existed. Some are worshippers who gather around the throne, praising God for all of the good that he has done. Some are messengers, carrying words of wisdom from the heavens to our waiting ears. Some are even more, although how much more is often a debate. What angels never are in the pages of the Bible, is us. That is not to say that sometimes we mistake humans for angels. But it is a mistake. We may think that we bear angelic qualities, but we are never angels. And in the same way, we are also never demons. We are the created progeny of God, separate forever from the angels and demons which may walk this earth.

So, what kind of angel is it that went from Gilgal to Bokim. This angel is a messenger. But there is also an understanding that sometimes the angels of the Bible are real humans who are mistaken to be angels. They are unknown prophets, who walk into a situation with a message and then leave again just as mysteriously. They carry a message from God, and the people mistake what is really human flesh and blood to be a citizen of heaven sent from the throne of God. It is possible that this is the angel that came up from Gilgal, a prophet who appears, and then just as quickly, disappears again.

But it also seems to be possible that this angel is something – more. The argument, as provocative as it might be, is that this angel is not actually an angel, and the angel is also not a human prophet; this angel is Jesus come down to earth before his incarnation in Bethlehem. The reason for this explanation is found in the wording of the angel. First, the angel claims to be divine. His words are clear, “I brought you up out of Egypt.” Those are words that belong to the God of Moses and Burning Bush. God was the ultimate reason why the Exodus succeeded. It could have been an angel charged with the message of God, but the personification here seems to lead us to believe that the speaker was not speaking on behalf of the divine, but rather as the divine. Second, as the divine, the speaker claims ownership over the Mosaic Covenant. It is not “the covenant which God made with you,” but rather the angel speaks of “my covenant with you.”

Third, there is a promise that sounds very Jesus-like in the words of the angel. “I will never break my covenant with you.” For me, the words are a reminder of something else. Jesus made a similar promise to his followers after his resurrection. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Don’t bother looking for me to leave any time soon. I will never break my promise to you, and I will never leave you.

Was this really Jesus? There is no way to know the answer to the question. But, it is an interesting possibility, and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be. After all, Micah speaks clearly of the pre-existent Jesus who has reigned from old, long before Bethlehem.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 3