10. The Eagle – Bird of Strength

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles”

(Isaiah 40:31)

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The Bible has quite a lot to say about the eagle. The first mention is in the book of Exodus. Shortly after the Israelites left Egypt God reminded them just what had taken place. “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself” (Exod.19:4).

The deliverance of Israel from her cruel captivity was a work of God’s mighty providence. The people, men, women and children, were taken out of Egypt and through the Red sea as if each one of them was carried upon the wings of a great eagle!

This is a picture of the salvation of the church. God’s people are brought out of their slavery in sin by a work of God’s mighty grace. Grace is the favour of God which is shown to sinners in the Lord Jesus Christ. Each believer is picked up, borne aloft and brought home to heaven by God upon the eagles’ wings of free and sovereign grace!

We may see this majestic bird in our own land. The golden eagle is often seen flying high above the mountain peaks in the Scottish Highlands. It has great wings which may stretch seven feet from tip to tip. The wings of the rarer sea eagle are even longer.

When they are converted the Lord’s people become like eagles in a way. God’s grace enters their hearts and they get a spiritual life and strength which they knew nothing of before. They hear the voice of Christ and they rise up and follow him. United to Jesus by faith they begin to ‘fly’ like the eagle. How are they like this bird?

The eagle’s flight is a powerful flight. When its sharp claws seize its prey, often a hare and sometimes a weak lamb, the eagle is able to fly off with its load. Such is its strength that it can carry its prey right up to its nest high in a pine tree or on a mountainside.

When we become Christians we lose the old burden we have been carrying. We have sinned since our birth and the load has got heavier and heavier. We cannot do what God requires. You and I have many sins, but they will all be pardoned for the sake of Jesus if we truly repent of them. The Bible says, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom.5:20).

God’s grace enables the Christian to bear afflictions. Walking with Christ the believer gets a new, different burden. The Bible calls it his “cross.” It is anything that the believer suffers as he is faithful to his Lord. We must take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). But how will we carry such a weight? Here is the answer: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2Cor.12:9). Does not Jesus say, “my burden is light” (Matt.11:30)?

The eagle’s flight is an upward flight. The eagle is known for its seemingly effortless, soaring progress in the skies. It flies “toward heaven” (Prov.23:5). It also has a sharp sight: “her eyes behold afar off” (Job 39:29). The eagle is able to look into the sun as it goes higher and higher.

God’s grace enables the Christian to overcome sin in his life. This is our daily battle. The Word of God says: “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb.12:1,2). By grace the Christian is made holy and he gets nearer and nearer to God.

Is your eye upon Christ? He is the “Sun of righteousness” who shines from heaven in the gospel and gives blessings to sinners who look to him in faith (Mal.4:2). Look to him for strength to resist the devil and to keep you always in the paths of righteousness.

The eagle’s flight is an enduring flight. Like other birds the eagle ‘moults’ on occasion. Old feathers which may be damaged and hinder its flight are got rid of and new feathers grow in their place. In this way the eagle’s youth is renewed (Psa.103:5). It is able to continue flying to the end of its days.

God’s grace enables the Christian to persevere. All the way from our new birth to our death we must be “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1Pet.1:5). We need to “wait upon the Lord” and receive fresh supplies of grace. We should read our Bibles, pray, meet with other believers and hear the gospel preached. Are we doing these things?

There is another wonderful thing about the eagle. As it rears its young it teaches them to fly. When the time comes for the young birds to leave the nest it supports them for a while with its own wings as they make their first attempts at flight, until they are able to fly for themselves.

This is just what godly parents do with their children. They train them up in the way they should go (Prov.22:6). They teach them to live by a personal faith in the Lord Jesus. Have you learned this?