Why does God use angels?

by | Mar 12, 2019 | Theology | 0 comments

Have you ever thought about why God uses angels to do his work? Check out this passage from John Calvin’s Institutes:

Why it is through angels, rather than through himself without their service that God is wont to declare his power, to provide for the safety of believers, and to communicate the gifts of his beneficence to them? Surely, he does not do this out of necessity as if he could not do without them, for as often as he pleases, he disregards them and carries out his work though his will alone, so far are they from being to him a means of lightening difficulty.

See his point? God could, of course just do things, all by himself, so to speak, without employing lesser spiritual beings (whom he created) to do his work (or at least some of his work) for him. Maybe we can’t know the answer as to why he doesn’t do it that way, but I thought Calvin’s try at an answer was as good as any, and actually, I found it pretty encouraging and helpful. Check it out:

Therefore, he makes use of angles to comfort our weakness, that we may lack nothing at all that can raise up our minds to good hope or confirm them in security. One thing, indeed, ought to be quite enough for us: that the Lord declares himself to be our protector. But when we see ourselves beset by so many perils, so many harmful things, so many kinds of enemies – such is our softness and frailty – we would sometimes be filled with trepidation or yield to despair if the Lord did not make us realize the presence of his grace according to our capacity.

For this reason, he not only promises to take care of us, but tells us he has innumerable guardians whom he has bidden to look after our safety; that so long as we are hedged about by their defense and keeping, whatever perils may threaten, we have been placed beyond all chance of evil. I confess that we act wrongly when, after that simple promise of the protection of the one God, we still seek whence our help may come. But because the Lord, out of his immeasurable kindness and gentleness, wishes to remedy this fault of ours, we have no reason to disregard his great benefit.

We have an example of this thing in Elisha’s servant, who, when he saw the mountain besieged by the Syrian army and that there was no escape, was overwhelmed with fear, as if all was over for himself and his master. Here Elisha prayed to God that He might open his servant’s eyes. Straightway the servant saw the mountain filled with fiery horses and chariots, that is, with a host of angles, who were to protect him as well as the prophet [II Kings 6:17]. Strengthened by this vision, he recovered himself and was able with undaunted courage to look down upon his enemies, at sight of whom he had almost expired.

God makes use of the angels, not for his own sake, but for ours.

(Institutes, I.16.18)