Thus the OT affords a rich variety of statements about sonsliip to God as ascribed to men, which seem to exhibit successive stages in a development and elevation of the idea. (1) From the lirst it ap- pears to be raised above the gross physical notion by the conception of it as origin from the jieople that is married to J". Then (2) it is conceived as being members of the people that J" has created as his son ; (3) as being taught and trained by J " as a father ; and (4) as not constituted by mere natural descent, but Ijy the fear of the Lord, and so possible for those who are not by birth meuibers of the people of Israel.
Before proceeding to consider how thia line of teaching is completed by Christ and liis apostles, it will be proper to refer to a few pas-sages in OT where the name 'sons of God* is given opparently to eiiperhuman beings. In Job 387, where J" challenges Job for ignorance of his wonderful works, he describes the crualioii of the world as being, ' When the morning stars Bang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.' Tlie parallel seems to be similar to the usage by which the hosts of God denote sometimes the stars and sometimes tlie angels : and ■ince in Job 16 and 21 .S.itan, undoubteflly conceived as a super- human Bi)irit, is described as presenting himself among the 30n8 of God, it is probable that m all these places the name is given to angels, and is used to indicate their nature, as the more common name 'angels' still retained its original reference to their otHce as messengers of God. It would indicate beings akin to Ood as tjeing spiritual and superhuman, tiiough derived from and inferior to the Creator. They are also called his ' holv ones ' f Dt 3.-i2, I's 895), and his ' hosts ' (Ps 10321 etc.). In Ps 29' and 89«
* sons of the mighty ' should prob. be rendered ' sons of God ' or
* of gods,' but It is not a usual form of the name when used of the true Ood. The phra.se is sometimes used in the way in which in Ileb.'son of man ' is simply 'man,' 'son of oil' = fruitful, "sons of flame' = sparks ; and as m early times tlie Israelites did Dot doubt the existence of the deities of the nations around them, they called them gods (f.r/. Ex 1511), which was afterwards ■oftened into ' sons of God,' or ' of gods' (Ps bU*J), and then into ' angels of Ood ' (as in I,.\.\ Pe STI- B).
The paj>sa^e in On 6i-» has been variously unrlerstood from very early times, and no interpretation is free from dirticiilty, but moilern sctiolarship inchnes to the view that by 'sons of Ood ' are meant angels.
In Ps 821-8 'sons of the Host High* is synonj-mous with 'fifods,' and is applied to rulers and judges in the congrej^tion of God OS Investea t>y him with power, and called to rule in his Dome.
B. IN THE NT.— As the Bible contains no dis- tinct doctrine about angels, it is impossible to form any definite conception of the relation implied in the name ' sons of (Jud ' given to them in OT, esp. as the usage is not followed out in NT, where in the Fp. to Hebrews it is denied that God ever gave the name 'my son' iiersonally to any of the angels, that being the more e.xcellent name obtained by him who is the effulgence of God's glory and tlie very image of bis substance (He 1*"').
1. The Teaching of Jesus. — While keeping silence as to tlie sonship of angels, Jesus and his apostles have much to say as to the truth and blessedness of men being sons or children of Gwl. In the teaching of our Lord himself the fatherhood of God occupies a very large place, and is fur more fully exhibited than in OT. Jnsus came to reveal
God, and the name in which he summed up his disclosure of his character was ' the Father.' He is the Father by way of eminence as being full of love, pity, and kimlness, such as Jesus himself showed in ills own person. And this love extended to the most unworthy and sinful, and to Gentiles who were outside the commonwealth of Israel. Thus it is assiuncd in Christ's teaching that the blessing of being sons of God is not limited to the Jewish nation, though that is nowhere expressly said, and though Jesus declares that such praj'ers as the Gentiles offer are not to be made by tho.se who know God as their Father in heaven (Mt 6'- *>. To be called sons of God is one of the blessings of the kingdom of God which he proclaimed, promised to its members, esp. as peace-makers and as loving their enemies (>It 5"- ■""**). As that kingdom is to be open to all nations (JIt 8"), and to men simply as sinners (Mt 9'- "), it is free to all or any to be sons of God, and in that aspect his F'atherhood may be called universal ; he has a fatherly heart towards all men, loves and pities all, and fncly forgives the most sinful when they return to liim. This is the lesson of the I'arable of the I'lodigal Son (Lk 15), and it is a most gracious and blessed one. In order to be entitled tocall God our Father we need no other w.trrant than that we are sinners, willing to confess our sin and ask his forgiveness.