Caulfield Evangelical Methodist Church
- Weekly Pastoral Message -

Weekly Pastoral Message prepared by Rev. Murray Adamthwaite
for Sunday 16th November 1997

From the Pastor: Curious Comparisons VII

"Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young ... He carried them on his pinions. So the Lord alone led him." Deuteronomy 32:11-12 In nearly every country of the world some variety of eagle is found. Sometimes it serves as that country's emblem, as in the standard of ancient Rome, or on the coat of arms of the United States. Several species of eagle occur in the Near East, and in Biblical times such birds of prey proliferated in the region, more so than today. While there are many references to eagles in the Bible some of them denote vultures, because the Hebrew word seems to be a general word for birds of prey. However, the reference in the above text is certainly to the eagle. Two aspects of the eagle come to the fore in the above text: (i) The eagle is monogamous. It stays with the same mate in the same nest throughout its life. So the Lord faithfully led Israel as a husband to a wife and will faithfully lead us who believe in His Gospel to be with Him forever. (ii) While certain ornithologists dispute this, there is a firm view that some species of eagle stir up their young, and cast them down from the nest on its rocky crag, only to swoop down and catch them on the wings as they fall through the air. So too our Lord is concerned that we develop our own spiritual wings, yet He will never let us fall to destruction. What He has done for others, He'll do for you. Put your faith in His promises.