Isaiah 40:28-31 – On Eagles’ Wings – Bible study

Isaiah 40:28-31 On Eagles Wings The eagle is mentioned some 30 times in the Bible. Sometimes the eagle is mentioned in relationship to prophecy. Often the eagle is mentioned with judgment, but sometimes it is used as the symbol of the child of God after he has become what the Lord wants him to be, as it is here. Notice how God uses the eagle as a symbol of Gods infused power and strength. Yet God associates that strength with the Christian. Why? Some 30 plus years ago, Richard Adkins, gave me a copy of a message. The message was a copy of a copy. The preacher of that message never identified himself in his message and tape only had "Eagle Message" written on it. It was in very poor condition, and I had to strain to understand it, but I was greatly encouraged by it. I preached that message, almost thought for thought to our church a few weeks later. In the years since, I have added a few thoughts to the message but it is essentially another mans sermon. I have been told that the man who originally preached the eagle message was probably Bobby Thompson, although I have not been able to verify it as I have misplaced my copy of the tape. Let me share some facts with you about the eagle: 1. There are many types of eagles. Here in the U.S., we have two which are native, the Bald Eagle and the Golden Eagle. 2. In Israel, the place where these verses were written, there are many other varieties including the Golden Eagle, the White Tailed Eagle, the Eastern Imperial Eagle, the Great Spotted Eagle, the Strep Eagle, the Tawny Eagle, and others. Sadly, despite the large number of different breeds, the eagle population in Israel is very small. 3. The eagle is in the air what the lion is in the jungle. He is king. a. There is no bird which flies as high, b. that moves as swiftly, c. that is as strong, or d. or that loves as dearly as the eagle. e. Those four characteristics which set the eagle a part from other birds and are mentioned in the Bible. 4. The eagle was built for height. a. The eagle flies high (1) Eagle can fly between 1 and 2 miles high, although one source says they have been spotted as high as 25,000 feet. (2) At that height, ice would be forming on their wings as they fly. b. The eagle lives high. (1) The eagle will build his nest in the highest tree or on the highest cliff that he can find. (2) The only requirement an eagle has before he will built his nest is that he must be able to see clearly in all directions – no obstructions. 5. The eagle has some of the most powerful eyesight of any creature that God created. The eagle can see three to four times farther than a human. From 5,000 feet, the eagle can see a rabbit running along the ground. He can spot another eagle soaring from fifty miles away. 6. The eagle is swift! It can descend from a height of 2 miles in 40 seconds. That is a descending rate of over 185 mph. While the cursing speed of an eagle is around 30 to 35 mph, they have been observed moving at over 130 mph. 7. Eagles live a long life. At the time the original sermon was preached (probably the early 1980s), the oldest known eagle in captivity was at an eagle sanctuary. It was 128 years old. The eagle had lived through 3 generations of caretakers, being in the care of the grandson of the man who originally started the eagle sanctuary. 8. The eagle has been a symbol of power through history. a. Over 5,000 years ago, the Sumerians took the eagle with his wings spread out as their symbol. b. The Persians used the eagle as their nation symbol. c. The Persians were conquered by the Romans, who even though they were the conquerors, likewise took the eagle as their national symbol. d. Napoleon Bonaparte used the golden eagle as his emblem. e. In Germanys days of world dominance, they also claimed the eagle as their mascot. f. And of course, in 1782, the United States took the Bald Eagle for its national emblem. g. The reason the eagle keeps coming up in history is because it speaks of majesty and royalty. The eagle is a regal animal as God intends His people would be regal in their walk with Him. I. The Height of the Eagle Jer 49:16 Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD. A The eagle loves height. 1. In this text, God is issuing judgment on Edom. Edom was a mountain people who like to dwell in the high mountains. They thought it made them invincible, and it did against many earthy armies. 2. God uses the eagle as an illustration of these people. They, like the eagle, loved to dwell in high places. 3. The fact here that we want to draw is that the eagle likes to dwell high. B. The eagle likes height because that is the way God made him. From the time he is born, that is its nature. 1. An eagle is not satisfied with feet on the ground. That is just not the way that God made him. The eagle must be high to be happy – and so must we! 2. God didnt make Christians to cluck like chickens on the ground or to dig furrows under the earth like the snake, but to soar high above all things – in the heavens! C. You can see the eagle was built for height by his eyes. 1. What would an eagle be on the ground? Hed be a MESS! 2. The eagle builds his nest high and with a clear view so that he can see for miles, but eyes that are made to see for miles can not see that far when the eagle is grounded. a. Instead, the earth and its foliage gets in the way. b. When Christians get up high, they can see clearly the hand of God. c. Down on the ground they can not see over the mountain or around the tree. d. When we loose perspective, that is a sign that we are flying too low! D. You can see the eagle was built for height by his body. 1. Strong, long wings that help the eagle in the air would be a hindrance on the ground! 2. The Golden Eagle has a average body size of 30 to 34 inches, but a wingspan of seven feet. 3. The eagles wings are so long, he can not jump from the ground and fly. 4. He must jump from a perch into the wind and let the wind come under his wings and lift him up! E. You can see the eagle was built for height by his ability. 1. And there is no place on earth that is safer for the eagle than to soar on high. a. The storm causes no problem for the eagle. (1) What about lightning? rain? wind? (2) God didnt design the eagle to fly through the storm but over it. (3) As the eagle approaches a storm, he locks his wings in such a position as to let the wind strike in an angle to give him lift. The force of the storm is deflected harmlessly downward so that instead of striking against him it lifts him up. (4) The eagle harnesses the fierce winds to fly over the storm! (5) Like the eagle, the Christian is not build to fly through, but over the storms of life. (6) We are to enter into His presence, rest in His strength, and let His will be accomplished in us! b. Hunger is no problem for the soaring eagle. I have already mentioned his powerful eyesight which can spot prey from thousands of feet in the air. 2. And there is no enemy that can defeat the eagle in the air. a. No bird that can beat an eagle one-on-one. Hes just too strong. b. But suppose some birds, say falcons, try to gang up on an eagle. What one enemy could not do, a flock could. c. In such a case, the eagle does not land or drift toward the earth. d. Rather, he soars upward and into the sun. (1) God gave the eagle a special second eyelid so that when he looks at the sun, it comes down to protect his eyes and screen out the sun so that he can see. (2) Other birds do not have this second eyelid. (3) When the eagle turns into the sun, the other birds lose sight of the eagle, but he continues on unharmed. e. Again, Christian, the safest place for you is to be flying high toward the SON. (1) Notice I said SON not SUN. (2) Do not retreat to the world. You are more venerable there than any place else. (3) And do not let Satan clip your wings. (4) Soar, Christian, soar! F. Everything about the eagle says – "STAY UP HIGH!" 1. The eagles large wings would be a hinderance, not a help, on the ground. 2. Their eyesight which can see for miles would be nearly useless when blocked by hills and trees. 3. So should it be with the Christian. a. Christians must not be content to be grounded. b. God did not make us that way. II. The eagle is swift. Deut 28:49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; A. The context of this verse warns of God bringing a swift, powerful nation against Israel if they refuse to obey God, but the illustration emphasizes the eagles swiftness. 1. Throughout the Bible, the swiftness of the eagle is pictured. 2. \#Daniel 7:4\ in describing Babylon, the fulfiller of this prophecy, described them as a lion with eagles wings. 3. The wings mean that these beings are swift! B. The eagles descent 1. The wings of some eagles are seven feet (or larger) from tip to tip. The eagle soars by keeping those enormous wings spread out. 2. The eagle does not fly as much as he glides. 3. The eagle only flaps his wings only about 10% of the time. 90% of the time, he is just coasting. 4. When the eagle sees a prey from his height, he pulls those wings behind him, drops his head, and plummets to the ground. 5. The eagle can drop 2 miles in forty seconds – thats 180+ miles per hour. 6. The eagle can collide with a prey in a dive of 200 MPH, roll on its back and catch its stunned victim in its strong talons before its quarry can hit the ground. 7. Then with the mighty talons, he scoops up his prey, spreads his wings, and immediately begins his upward ride. C. Why did God make the eagle so swift? 1. The answer must be because he lives so high. a. If he wasnt so fast, hed never be able to catch his prey. b. God made the eagle mighty enough to soar in the heavens but fast enough to catch his prey! 2. The Bible describes the Christians prey. a. The Bible tells us that the lost are going into hell very quickly. Ps 55:15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. b. The Bible also tells us that we are to rescue them. Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. c. Once death has seized a soul, they go down quick into hell. d. The lost soul needs to be snatched before it begins its quick descend into hell. e. In order for that to happen, the Christian must go quickly, as the eagle, to rescue the perishing. 3. \#Luke 14:21\ Jesus commands in this parable that we "go out quickly" and bring in the needy. D. The eagle builds a strong nest for a home. 1. The eagles nest can be as large as two rooms of a house. It can be as deep as 8 to 10 feet. The nest would have to be big for two or three to stay in it if they have wing spans of 8 feet. 2. A finished eagles nest is strong enough to hold two grown men. It can weigh in excess of two tons. Remembering that every stick and branch must be flown up to the nests remote location, one can better appreciate the task. 3. If the nest is blown down, the eagle will start the task over again. 4. Once completed, the eagle sits on the lip of that perch and guards his territory. 5. Eagles are very protective of their domain. Some eagles guard as much as 22,000 square acres of land. When they see an enemy or prey, they mount up and fly swiftly to deal with it. 6. We, Christians, are in our perch right now. This church is our nest, but we must ever survey the surrounding territory and be ready to leave our nest swiftly to rescue the prey! III. The eagle is strong. Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. A. Eagle handlers wear a special glove when they allow an eagle to land on their arm. 1. I thought it was because of the sharpness of the eagles talons and that might be part of the reason but not all. 2. Even though the eagle only weighs 20-30 pounds, he is amazingly strong. 3. If the eagle chooses to use his strength on the arm of his keeper, he could crush every bone in the keepers arm. 4. Those gloves are steel lined to keep that from happening. B. The eagle is strong enough to pick up its own weight and soar back into the sky. 1. One report tells of an 22 pound eagle picking up a kangaroo which weighed over 100 pounds and carrying it for over a mile. 2. That eagle was carrying 5 times his weight – maybe not remaining air born the entire mile – but he still managed! C. Why is the eagle so strong? 1. He would have to be in order for him to dwell on high! 2. Even a five pound rabbit would be difficult for the average bird to carry for a mile. Consider that the eagle may carry his prey up a mountain a mile or more! 3. If you are going to dwell on high, you must have the strength necessary to sustain yourself. D. Christians have the strength necessary to dwell on high! 1. We have what it takes to pray. 2. We have what it takes to resist. 3. We have what it takes serve. 4. We have what it takes to endure. 5. We have everything necessary to dwell up high! Many years ago, I heard the story of the eaglets egg and the prairie chicken. Somehow, the eagle lost her egg and the prairie chicken found it. Thinking it to be her own, she hatched it. From the first, things were noticeably different. The new arrivals feathers, his feet, and every other part of his being was different from his adoptive family. But even more than the external features, the heart of this ugly duckling was also different. He didnt care much for worms, or dirt, or clucking. However, the young eagle did these things because everyone else was doing them. In the evening, he would sit on a rock and see things high over head that his siblings could not see. He would see a hawk, or falcon, or an eagle and would admire their flying ability – wishing he could fly too. But because he never knew that he could, he never flew. So it is in the lives of many Christians. They sit earthbound, digging in the dirt of this world and eating its worms, never realizing that they were designed for better thingsthings that are far more lofty and heavenly. Some sit and wish for the better life. They know it is out there. They long to have it, but they do not know that it is already theirs! All they must do is reach out and take it. By the metaphor of the eagle, God tell us that we are to be more! He wants us to fly higher, be stronger, see more clearly, and love more dearly than any other! Friend, I hope you see that the eagle is not just a bird and the Christian is not just a person. Both have been fashioned by the Creator to serve Him in a unique way. Now which are you? the chicken or the eagle?