Of course the salvation here spoken of is the deliverance from Egyptian
bondage. This is a summary of the Exodus. But we must mark well that
significant expression, 'the angel of His face' or 'presence.' We can
only attempt a partial and bald enumeration of some of the very
remarkable references to that mysterious person, 'the angel of the Lord
'or 'of the presence.' The dying Jacob ascribed his being 'redeemed
from all evil' to 'the Angel,' and invoked his blessing on 'the lads.'
'_The_ angel of the Lord' appeared to Moses out of the midst of the
burning bush. On Sinai, Jehovah promised to send an 'angel' in whom was
His own name, before the people. The promise was renewed after Israel's
sin and repentance, and was then given in the form, '_My_ presence
shall go with thee.' Joshua saw a man with a drawn sword in his hand,
who declared himself to be the Captain of the Lord's host. 'The angel
of the Lord' appeared to Manoah and his wife, withheld his name from
them because it was 'wonderful' or 'secret,' accepted their sacrifice,
and went up to heaven in its flame. Wherefore Manoah said, 'We have
seen God.' Long after these early visions, a psalmist knows himself
safe because 'the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that
fear Him.' Hosea, looking back on the story of Jacob's wrestling at
Peniel, says, first, that 'he had power with _God_, yea, he had power
over the _angel_,' and then goes on to say that 'there He spake with
us, even _Jehovah_.' And Malachi, on the last verge of Old Testament
prophecy, goes furthest of all in seeming to run together the
conceptions of Jehovah and the Angel of Jehovah, for he says, 'The Lord
whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple; and the angel of the
covenant ... behold, _he_ cometh.' From this imperfect _resume_, we see
that there appears in the earliest as in the latest books of the Old
Testament, a person distinguished from the hosts of angels, identified
in a very remarkable manner with Jehovah, by alternation of names, in
attributes and offices, and in receiving worship, and being the organ
of His revelation. That special relation to the divine revelation is
expressed by both the representation that 'Jehovah's name is in him,'
and by the designation in our text, 'the angel of His presence,' or
literally, 'of His face.' For 'name' and 'face' are in so far
synonymous that they mean the side of the divine nature which is turned
to the world.
For the present I go no further than this. It is clear, then, that our
text is at all events remarkable, in that it ascribes to this 'angel of
His presence' the praise of Jehovah's saving work. The loving heart,
afflicted in all their afflictions, sends forth the messenger of His
face, and by Him is salvation wrought. The whole sum of the deliverance
of Israel in the past is attributed to Him. Surely this must have been
felt by a devout Jew to conceal some great mystery.
III. The crowning revelation both of the heart of God and of His saving
power.
(a) Jesus Christ is the true 'angel of the face.'
I do not need to enter on the question of whether in the Old Testament
the angel of the Covenant was indeed a pre-manifestation of the eternal
Son. I am disposed to answer it in the affirmative. But be that as it
may, all that was spoken of the angel is true of Him. God's name is in
Him, and that not in fragments or half-syllables but complete. The face
of God looks lovingly on men in Him, so that Jesus could declare, 'He
that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.' His presence brings God's
presence, and He can venture to say, '_We_ will come and make our abode
with Him.' He is the agent of the divine salvation.
The identity and the difference are here in their highest form.
(b) The mystery of God's sharing our sorrows is explained in Him.
We may find a difficulty in the thought of a suffering and sympathising
God. But if we believe that 'My name is in Him,' then the sympathy and
gentleness of Jesus is the compassion of God. This is a true
revelation. So tears at the grave sighs in healing, and all the sorrows
which He bore are an unveiling of the heart of God.
That sharing our sorrows is the very heart of His work. We might almost
say that He became man in order to increase His power of sympathy, as a
prince might temporarily become a pauper. But certainly He became man
that He might bear our burdens. 'Himself took our infirmities.'
'Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He himself
also likewise took part of the same.'
The atoning death is the climax of Christ's being afflicted with our
afflictions. His priestly sympathy flows out now and for ever to us all.
So complete is His unity with God, that He works the salvation which is
God's, and that God's name is in Him. So complete is His union with us,
that our sorrows touch Him and His life becomes ours. 'Ye have done it
unto Me.' 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?'
For us in all our troubles there are no darker rooms than Christ has
been in before us. We are like prisoners put in the same cell as some
great martyr. He drank the cup, and we can put the rim to our lips at
the place that His lips have touched. But not only may we have our
sufferings lightened by the thought that He has borne the same, and
that we know the 'fellowship of Christ's sufferings,' but we have the
further alleviation of being sure that He makes our afflictions His by
perfect sympathy, and, still more wonderful and blessed, that there is
such unity of life and sensation between the Head and the members that
our afflictions _are_ His, and are not merely made so.
'Think not thou canst sigh a sigh,
And thy Saviour is not by;
Think not thou canst shed a tear
And thy Saviour is not near.'
Do not front the world alone. _In_ all our afflictions He is with us;
_out_ of them all He saves.