And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” (Exodus 19:3-6)

On The Wings Of Eagles

When God created man and placed him in the garden, the heart of the Lord desired to commune with His creation and share all the manifold blessings of His immense storehouse with the world He created. Everything was beautiful in the garden. God and man walked together in the cool of the day. Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed. Fear did not fill the world. In the place called Eden, Paradise reigned supreme. Satan tempted Eve, and falling prey to his scheme, the woman disobeyed God and gave the forbidden fruit to Adam. The world created by God was now destroyed by sin, and man was cast out of the garden.

Cain killed his brother Abel. The heart of man grew worse, and humanity was destroyed in a flood save eight souls. Men struggled to find peace and happiness as they sought after their own desires. Men like Abram stood above the world to seek the will of the Lord to find happiness. God showed His power and might to those who followed Him proving His benevolent love for them. God’s promise to Abraham to provide land, nation, and seed began to unfold by divine will when Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. Isaac and Rebekah gave birth to Jacob. The children of Jacob became slaves in the pagan world of Egypt. God had not forgotten His promises to Abraham and heard the plight of the children of Jacob.

Egypt was the world’s superpower, and the Hebrews were no match for the Egyptian might. Enslaved for generations, the descendants of Jacob could do nothing but languish in the misery of slavery in a cruel world. They could not save themselves. Only the Lord God could deliver them from Egypt, and with His mighty hand, He delivered His people. First, the Lord God destroyed the nation of Egypt through ten powerful plagues. When the Egyptian army tried to recapture the Hebrews at the Red Sea, God destroyed the army in the sea. Egypt would never be a great nation again.

When the Hebrews arrived at Mount Sinai, the Lord reminded them of His mercy and grace. God wanted the people never to forget what He did to the Egyptians. He told Moses to remind the people their deliverance was like salvation on eagle’s wings brought forth by the hand of the Lord God who saves. The Hebrews did not escape Egypt on their own accord. God delivered them. He brought them out with majesty and power to be His own special people. The Lord tells Moses that He brought Israel to Himself. That is where He wanted Israel to be – in the presence of God. All God has desired for His people is to dwell with them and commune with them.

God tells Moses that He will bless Israel with all the bounty of His grace if only the people obey His voice and keep His commandments. If the people served the Lord, they would be a special treasure above all people on the earth. They must obey His voice and keep His commandments. All the earth belongs to the Lord God, who will bless all who follow Him. Israel was given a choice. They chose to refuse the blessings of God. The history of Israel unfolds the rebellion in the people’s hearts as they did not hear the voice of God and refused to obey His commandments. Israel was no longer the special treasure of the Lord. Like Adam and Eve, they turned their back on the blessings of God.

Israel was delivered on the wings of eagles from Egypt through the grace of God. Jesus Christ came into the world to remove the weight of sin from the shoulders of men on the arms of a cross. God did mighty works against Egypt, but His greatest work was found at a place called Golgotha. It was there He destroyed the power of Satan. Through the blood of His only begotten Son, God promised to raise sinful man up from the depths of destruction if only he would hear His voice and obey His commandments. Men refuse. On the wings of eagles, God has provided the avenue of grace to save men from His wrath. When men hear the voice of God and obey His commandments, they become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Jesus died to build His church where all the saved are found. Come to the voice of God. Obey His commandments. Let God deliver you through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.