God had broken Egypt’s yoke of oppression upon Israel and He accomplished the feat in a style miraculous. No one else could have possibly achieved this compliment for Israel in the manner or for the purpose it was done and now God wants Israel to remember. This reminder comes just prior to the receiving of the Law; the mirror that reflects our sinful character and the road sign that points us to the only solution in Jesus Christ. In this recount, God makes application to an eagle and her fledgling; an analogy that He will return to over and over again in His word.
As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, Deuteronomy 32:11
Stirring up the Nest
For the baby eagle the nest is a very comfy place, but as it matures that once cozy respite becomes less and less comfortable—by design. When the fledglings become restless and fidgety with their surroundings, it is a sign to mama to stir things up. As we are likely familiar, one by one each bird is thrown overboard. We also know that after a brief free-fall, mama swoops in and rescues each one, but on one of those occasions, baby bird will spread his wings, catch a draft, and rise spectacularly. No other animal creature on earth captures this maturation process more dramatically than the eagle and why God makes use of the imagery repeatedly.
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
In many ways Egypt was a nest for Israel. When they had arrived there four hundred years earlier, it was a safe, albeit temporary haven, but as they matured as a nation it became a bit rough and scratchy to say the least. The trials Israel endured up until this point were akin to being shoved out of an uninhabitable aerie, only to be caught into the loving arms of God and given safe passage to the other side. Sadly, Israel has yet to realize the process that they are undergoing, despite God’s continued explanation. The question for us is do we grasp God’s methodology in this our sanctification?
Waiting on the Lord
“Those who wait on the Lord,” is an oft misunderstood Bible verse. While ‘waiting’ most certainly applies to long-suffering and patience, its primary application (as it pertains to the Isaiah passage) is revealed in what a waiter does in the performance of his duties—he ‘waits’ on his customer. When we are told to wait on the Lord, we are being directed towards Christian service so that He may renew our strength, so that we might mount up with wings like eagles, so that we may run and not grow weary, and so we can walk and not faint. Oh, these are not things we must do towards salvation (Jesus finished that work), but rather things we ought to do in order to further God’s Kingdom according to God’s perfect plan. We can squawk and complain, or we can do as James suggested in his epistle…
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22
He Dwells -- The B'log in My Eye 