I have often been intrigued by the scripture where, after speaking of the preaching of the gospel and the salvation of believers, the Bible says, “Even angels long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1:12 NIV). What are the matters of humans that angels desire to look into? After all, angels are a higher order of creation than mankind (Hebrews 2:9) and are wiser and more powerful than humans (2 Peter 2:11).
An important aspect of the human experience that angels can never experience is the joy of salvation, of being delivered from bondage to sin and passing from darkness to glorious light (1 Peter 2:9). When Adam and Eve rebelled in the Garden of Eden, humanity fell from grace and intimate fellowship with God. We have been in bondage to sin ever since (John 8:34). Jesus gave His life for us on the cross of Calvary to redeem us from the power of sin and to set us free (John 8:36). God did not send His Son to die for the angels, but for us. As the song says:
“Holy, holy,” is what the angels sing,
And I expect to help them make the courts of Heaven ring;
But when I sing redemption’s story, they will fold their wings,
For angels never felt the joys that our salvation brings.
—Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856–1922)
Another privilege given to humanity is that of walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Angels live in the presence of God and in a place of such light and splendor that to praise and worship Him comes naturally to them. We believe in God and trust in Him by faith, even though we are not able to experience Him with our physical senses (1 Peter 1:8).
Some of our earthly experiences and trials can also break our hearts in a way that angels can only observe. But God promises that everything we go through in our lives will eventually work together for our good because we love Him (Romans 8:28).
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave humanity its greatest privilege when He took on the form of a human being and became one of us. He did this so that He could better understand us and become our intercessor before the Father (Hebrews 2:16–17). He is now exalted to the right hand of God and freely bestows His grace on all who call on Him (Romans 10:12).