Authority to Act on God’s Behalf

Authority to Act on God’s Behalf

Q. In Genesis 19:13, two angels claim they would destroy Sodom, but verse 24 records that the Lord destroyed it. Why?

A. Clearly, Lot understood the angels to be acting as agents of God under His authority. Thus, whatever role the angels would have in the coming destruction, the Lord’s judgment and power were ultimately responsible.

The principle of delegation means that when one in authority commands an action, he can rightly be given credit for it, even if he has an agent perform the action. In this case, God delegated the announcement of destruction to the angels. The principle holds true because God is the One with the power to enable the action and authority to order it.

This principle is seen in believers being required to minister in the Name of Jesus. This is not a catchphrase we use for sensitivity, but the requirement that we are to operate under the direction, for the account, and with the authority of the Lord Jesus Himself.