.Angels are mentioned in 34 books of the Bible for a total of 273 times

(108 in the Old Testament and 165 in the New Testament).

Hebrews 13:2, tell us that "Some have entertained angels unawares."

A. Through Angels He Learned The Way To God.

Notice Genesis 28:10-12, "And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. [11] And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. [12] And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it."

B. Through Angels He Learned The Will Of God.

Notice Genesis 31:11-13, "And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. [12] And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. [13] I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred."

Angels are involved in both heavenly affairs and human affairs.

Psalm 103:20, "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word."

1. Angels do God’s bidding and are involved in God’s business.

Genesis 32 we see the third experience Jacob had with angels.

1. Jacob was learning that God was in charge

2. He was learning how to let God be in charge.

Psalm 91:11, "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." The God that was in charge sent His angels to take charge.

We read in Genesis 32:1, "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him."

A. When The Angels Met Jacob.

1. He knows that he must face his brother Esau.

Genesis 27:41, "And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob."

Esau had vowed that one day he would kill Jacob.

We read in Genesis 32:6-7, "And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. [7] Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands."

B. Why The Angels Met Jacob.

Notice Genesis 32:2, "And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim."

Psalm 34:7, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."

Psalm 68:17, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place."

**There are thousands of angels that are encamped around us. **

We read in Hebrews 12:22, "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels."

I love the story of Elisha and his servant. He got up one morning and found that they were completely surrounded by the Syrians. But Elisha said, "Don’t get upset young man. There are more with us than with them." He prayed, "Lord, open his eyes." When God opened the eyes of the servant he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire."

The implication of Jacob’s encounter with angels of this night was that they had come to accompany him in his meeting with his brother. Jacob found himself with an angelic escort.

A. The Abiding Presence of the Angels.

These angels did not just fly in and then fly out. They had come to abide with Jacob. They had come as an escort to be at his side.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:10, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." The ideal, is that the angels of God are constantly watching over us as well as constantly beholding the face of the Father on our behalf.

B. The Available Protection of the Angels.

Genesis 32:3-5, "And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. [4] And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: [5] And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight."

Finally Jacob does what he should have done in the first place. He goes to God in prayer. Notice

Genesis 32:9-12, "And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: [10] I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. [11] Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. [12] And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude."