In the Old Testament, an angel is not always an angel. The same Hebrew word is used for a “human messenger of God” and a “spiritual being from the heavenly realm.” When translating the Old Testament we have to depend upon the context to decide how to translate. It is not always clear which the writer is referring to. That is okay, because it was not always immediately clear to the person that the messenger or angel appeared before.

When the angel/messenger stood before Manoah’s wife, she recognized him as a messenger of God, but described him to her husband as a “man of God.” She said he looked like an angel and was very awesome in appearance.

In answer to Manoah’s prayer, the angel reappeared and spoke with him, but even then he did not realize that the messenger was indeed an angel. It was only as the flames blazed up from the altar toward heaven and the angel ascended into the flames that Manoah and his wife recognize that they had been visited by spiritual being from heaven. They were awe struck and Manoah was afraid that they would die. Even now he did not recognize the messenger as an angel, but rather believed he had actually seen God. His wife was much more rational, and calmed him down with the knowledge that God did not want them dead, but rather God wanted them to be obedient.

God used both angels and humans as messengers on his behalf. Which raises a question, “Why did he send an angel to Manoah’s wife instead of a human messenger?” I am going to suggest a possible answer. He sent an angel because there were no humans righteous enough to deliver a message on his behalf. Israel as a nation was living contrary to God’s will; godly men and women were rare. I believe God had to send an angel to do a human’s job. When Christians are faithful, angels aren’t needed to do the work that is ours to do.