ON EAGLES’ WINGS
By Betty Wu
Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Exodus 19:4
When the Israelites reached the Sinai Desert three months after leaving Egypt, the Lord commanded Moses to remind the people that God carried them on eagles’ wings out of slavery. Forty years later when Moses reached the age of 120, the Israelites were ready to enter the promised land. Since Moses would not be allowed to cross the Jordan with them, he begged the people to remain strong and be of good courage for the Lord will never forsake them. “He is a faithful God” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
Exodus 19:4 and Deuteronomy 32:11 liken God’s concern for the Israelites to that of the eagle’s loving care for her young.
The eagle’s nurturing care for her family is extraordinary. She watches over her young diligently while at the same time training them to act for themselves. She builds her nest on high craggy rocks or ledges, out of reach of predators. Looking for materials that cannot be blown away by strong winds, she weaves together twigs, branches and shrubs. The nest is lined with feathers and scraps of cloths, providing a soft and comfortable feeling. The nest becomes a safe and cozy haven for the baby eagle.
But a wise mother knows that her offspring are not destined to remain forever in a comfortable nest. At 9 or 10 weeks when the eaglets are ready to fly, the mother starts stirring up the nest. She strips the nest of any soft materials and the eaglets start feeling the pain of being stuck by the remaining sharp twigs and shrubs. The eaglets begin to cry out in their discomfort to their mother.
After the stirring of the nest, the mother eagle hovers over the nest spreading her wings to show them how powerful she is. The wing span can range from five to seven feet. She then urges and at times forces them to leave the nest and mount her wings. Soaring high into the air the eaglets experience the thrill of flying. When they feel relaxed on their mother ‘s wings, she shakes them off. Some immediately start flying while others fall. Diving under the falling one she catches the baby eagle on her wing. Again she soars upward and tips her wing to shake off her child. This process is repeated time and again until the eaglet learns to fly.
So God stirred up Israel’s nest. After being nurtured for several hundred years in Egypt as favored guests, they fell into a state of contentment, forgetting God’s original purpose for them as
His chosen people. Israel was to be a holy nation, a kingdom of priests glorifying God rather than building bricks for the Egyptians. God changed their circumstances from being a favored people to that of being slaves. This forced them to cry out to God.
God bore Israel on eagles’ wings and hovered over them in Egypt, demonstrating His awesome power as one plague after another was unleashed on the Egyptians. This spurred the hesitant Israelites finally to step out in faith and leave their nest. The young eagles were coerced to leave their nests and in learning how to fly often fell. So the Israelites on their desert trek often fell from God’s grace and favor but as a loving father He continually picked them up, disciplining and training them in readiness to enter the promised land.
Just as the baby eagles were born to leave the cozy nest and fly into the unknown, we as Christians may have to experience change to fulfill God ‘s purpose for our lives. When God stirs up our comfort zone, discomfort and pain may ensue if we are to serve our God and Father, for which purpose we were created.
Source: ON MISSION WITH GOD
Authors: Avery T. Willis, Jr.
Henry T. Blackaby