”I bore you on eagles´ wings and brought you to myself.”  (Ex 19:4).

The picture God is using about the eagles´ wings is a tender expression of His dealings in grace with His people, with you and me.  In the same chapter in Ex 19 the covenant of Sinai´s law was introduced immediately after these eagles´ words.  The people of Israel responded to its moral claim saying, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do!”  (v. 8).  Alas, they didn´t know their own weakness and how often they would violate that law.

But the law wasn´t the solution, as we know.  “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Rom. 10:4.  And on that covenant of grace we, too, are carried along on His unseen eagles´ wings.  When we are finally carried home to the Lord – and to some of us that may happen very soon – we shall testify to this truth.  “You were the One who in my weakness carried me all the way, Lord, on your eagles´ wings!”

One dying friend said to me and a couple of others standing at his death bed:  “David had to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but of Lazarus we read that he “was carried by the angels…”  (Luke 16:22).  I believe I´ll be carried too”, he said.  Beautiful, don´t you think?

I have sick friends I´m praying for.  Are they being carried too? Yes, but they often don´t feel it that way.  But they are.  They may not be healed by way of a miracle, but the eagles´ wings are still there.  Their testimony is akin to the language of Job, “Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him.”  (Job 13:15).  These people are like Job the real heroes of faith, as far as I´m concerned.

Our testimony may sometimes be carried by an inexplicable unseen powerful grace.  There´s only one explanation:  You and your testimony are carried by the unseen eagles´ wings of grace.  Or do you have any other explanation to offer?

-jn-


Febr. 4, 2010