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Eagles have caught the visions of the modern body of Messiah, seemingly as much or more than any other creature save possibly the lion. G+d must have something specific to communicate by His Spirit (in Hebrew 'haRuach'). We propose that the eagle is a model for the training and for the use of the Spirit in the life of a believer.
There are five attributes of the eagle that stand out in the Scriptures. One is renewed or long life (Ps. 103:5). The next two, which are assumed but not described at length, are the swiftness of its flight (2 Sam. 1:23; Jer. 4:13; Lam. 4:19) and the height of its nest (Obad. 4). The eagle, when it stoops to its prey, is swift and effective, lending itself to accuracy and precision. With its keen vision and strong wings, the eagle is able to focus on its goal with accuracy and power, hitting the mark and hitting it hard. Just so, we should clearly see the goals G+d has for us and direct ourselves to them with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. However, the nest of the eagle is set so that these very tactics cannot be used against it. Its young are protected by height and seclusion from just such a stooping attack from above that the eagle itself makes. Just so, we are to train up our young - our new believers. How? In a safe place, protecting them from confusion and watching to keep them safe and secure from the lying and deceptive tactics of the enemy. These attributes - focus, direction, caution, and vigilance - are human virtues that can be humanly trained, and so are to be noted. But the real lessons in the Spirit are in those other two attributes, the training and the soaring of the eagle. These lessons relate to G+d's part in how we live out the example of the eagle. The young of the eagle are trained in a unique way, made possible by the very height of the nest. The eagle urges the eaglet out of the nest, and lets it try its wings while it falls.The eagle catches it before it falls dangerously far and carries it "on eagle's wings" back to the nest to see how it is done and to try again. This is referenced twice, in Exodus and Deuteronomy (Exo. 19:4-6, Deut. 32:10-11). Both times, it refers to Israel being brought out of Egypt. The traditional interpretation of this is protection. This is indeed a component (especially in Deuteronomy), but more so this is an aspect of G+d caring for and taking Israel to be His people. In particular, the reference in Exodus is spoken to Israel just before the receiving of the Torah. And it was effectively this image that the Israelites were to have in mind as G+d gave them His instruction. Likewise, in Deuteronomy, the eagle is stirring up the nest, that is, urging the eaglets out of the nest and onto the mother's back, so that they may observe. Then she urges them strongly to fly by themselves by tipping them off her back. The point is, that G+d intended that we observe, repent, learn, and practice His instruction. His instruction shows us to how to walk in holiness and how to use our wings and soar. The soaring of the eagle is the lesson to be learned by the young. The young must learn the ways of navigating the wind by using the power of the wind rather than the power of the wings. We see this in Isaiah 40:31, where "... those who hope in the L+rd (Adonai) will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles...." And so this is also the lesson we are to learn. Our lesson is to soar by the power of the wind and not by the strength of our wings, but to catch the wind in our wings. And this lesson is tied in with the giving of Torah on Sinai, and the detailed instruction of the L+rd given in Deuteronomy. The wind of the Spirit (the Hebrew word 'ruach' means breath, wind, and spirit), as Yeshua (Jesus) says, blows where it will (John 3:8). Those who have been born in the Spirit are to soar upon it. To soar we need to use what G+d has prepared for us by the power and direction of the Spirit. But without wings, how is one to fly? We are reborn with the wings of eagles, but G+d teaches us to fly. And what are these wings? Consider what a wing is - a complex structure of many parts, that coordinate together to catch and navigate the wind. Torah - meaning all of G+d's instruction to us - is such a structure. Without faith, without salvation, without the Spirit, Torah is merely a burden, something to drag along with us as we hop across the ground, and of no apparent use. But withfaith, with salvation, with the Spirit, it is a carefully and awesomely designed structure that allows us to soar on the winds of the Spirit. By G+d's Word we soar wherever G+d would have us go, to be renewed by the power of the Spirit and not by our own strength. Through it we are enabled to focus upon and strike the mark that G+d has set for us. Torah is the means by which G+d enables us to use His gifts to further His Kingdom and to grow in His Glory and His manifest presence (Shekhinah). Two common errors must be avoided. One error is, to ignore G+d's instructions and hence strip the wings off the eagle. Such a one cannot fly. If we ignore G+d's Word and do as we please without reference to His instruction, we will never learn to fly or, worse, deliberately disable ourselves from flying. The second error is to strip the wings from the eagle and to replace them with others of our own design making sort of a "Bionic Eagle." The notion of a delta-winged, jet-propelled eagle may seem an improvement to many, just as a modernized, "delta-winged" theology may also sound appealing. But what we really end up with is a crippled eagle tied to a jet-pack. The "Bionic Eagle" is no longer able to soar on the winds. It can no longer renew itself in strength in the thermals. It can no longer reduce the wear and tear of the world by staying in the thermals. And it is doomed to go wherever its propulsion unit takes it. The same thing happens when we seek to improve on G+d's design for our lives by rewriting His instructions. We end up following our own wills or the will of our new philosophy and not the will of the Spirit. And we miss the guidance and renewal of soaring on the Spirit with the wings G+d gave us. This does not mean that we must go only where we have been. The eagle can fly wherever the wind takes it. But we are to get there with the tools and wisdom of G+d and not of man. G+d provides the wind - the Spirit - but we are to navigate with the wings of His Word, His instruction. Only with such wings can we soar by His Spirit, can we focus and direct ourselves upon His purposes. Only with such wings can we protect and train the next generation of believers in the ways, the power, and the glory of G+d. NOTE: G+d is used instead of God as a traditional form of reverence and respect, to avoid taking G+d's name in vain. |
| On Eagles Wings by Rabbi Kevin Lind |