O holy Guardian! At thy feet these wreath of humble flowers I lay; O that their odor were as sweet as He desires who sings the lay, Protect me at death's awful hour, Receive my soul to thine embrace, Rich with the wonders of thy power, To thank, to praise thee, face to face.Amen
In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they hovered. One cried out to the other:“ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” Isaiah 6:1-3
He expelled the man, stationing the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword east of the garden of Eden, to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24
God meant business. We know Jesus came to show God's mercy, as the Old Testament was rather light in compassion; this Bible verse demonstrates His fire and wrath. God placed a cherubim angel outside the garden to stand guard and ensure Adam could not return. The angel, further, had a fiery sword as deterrence for Adam.
Most of us have heard of a guardian angel being protection for x or y, providing safety; earlier in the month we had posts from a few #homwf contributors. After reflecting on both images, one of an angel standing guard, the other of an angel offering protection, I can't help but think the angels are one and the same. When Jesus came to die on the cross and open the gates of heaven, the cherubim needed a new job. I don't know how the angel is able to provide protection for all humanity, but that is where faith plays a role. Even us little people have a 24/7 bodyguard, potentially.
When have you felt the presence of an angel offering protection? I'm curious if the strength of a cherubim, fiery sword and all, would be noticed? Share in the comments your experiences.
