Exodus 19:1-8 On Eagles Wings

Intro: We have been watching Israel on a Pilgrimage – BackPackers on a Journey

  1. We have seen them Delivered from Egypt – but they are not only a people who have been delivered they are a people of DESTINY
  2. God was not just interested in Setting them free from Egypt – but He was committed to getting them to their Land of DESTINY
  3. Same is true for You & Me !!!!! We have been Set Free from the Bondage of Egypt / From this World / Chains Sin / Oppression Satan
    1. Set free by the Work of redemption on the Cross by our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ !!!!
  1. But Like Israel – we are not only a People who have been Delivered we are a People of DESTINY – HEAVEN !!!!

 

In John Ch. 14 Jesus said that He was going to Prepare a Place for us

  1. But Right He is Preparing us for that place

Preparing us for our DESTINY !!!!

B) Not only about getting Us out of Egypt / but Egypt out of Us !!!!

  1. That has been what we have seen w/ Israel – Preparing them for their Destiny –
  1. ( God has been Working in them – Showing Who He is / How they need to trust Him in every situation )
  1. Purpose of their Seven Campsites – Seven important Lessons about their God / His Promise / His power / His Provision / His Heart !!!!
  1. And through those seven Campsites we can glean some Great Insights concerning our relationship & walk w/ God ( Not review tonight)

Tonight we come to the last CAMPSITE / not the end of their journey

But the last place God was going to have them Camp

  1. After this – God would lead them to Kadesh Barnea / to the door way of the Promised land – send in Spies
  1. Because of the People unbelief – they would spend the next 40 yrs wandering aimlessly through the wilderness READ V.1,2
  1. So The Lord brings them to Mt. Sinai – Place they would camp for 11 months Num.10:1 ( Why so Long – 2 reasons )
  1. He was going to speak to them – ( 10 Commandments)

He had a Job for them to do – ( Build a TAB.)

  1. But why here ? Why did God Choose this Place ? Several reasons
  1. 1st to Fulfill His Promise that He made to Moses Ch.3:12 Burning Bush
  1. So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." About to be Fulfilled

D) Our God is a God who keeps His Promises !!!!!

 

2nd it was a Great Place in the Plains of the Sinai Peninsula

Alfred Edersheim. This was the best watered neighborhood in the Whole Peninsula where running streams are found in no less than 4 of the adjacent valleys BEST PLACE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

3rd – Speculation : Found in The Shape of the Mt.

  1. There in this Valley – Huge Mt. Mt. Sinai – ascending 7,363 feet at it’s highest point – actually looks like a Giant Pulpit – Shaped
  1. Which is interesting this is the Place that God would choose to speak to his People
  1. Biggest reasons found in the Meaning of the Names of this Place

Sinai = Thorn or Thorny –

A) Why is that Significant ? Well picture the Scene if you would – God is going to stand behind the Pulpit & Give the Law

  1. Guidelines for how His People were to Live – How life was to navigated in a Successful way !!!!
  1. And the Law is a Glorious Thing !!! Beautiful thing
  1. Sometimes I hear Christians put down the Law / talk about how they are Not into the Law – ask what Part don’t you like / not into

1) Worship God / NO OTHER GODS / MURDER / ADULTERY /

Psa.19 The Law of the Lord is PERFECT converting the Soul !!!!!

Psa.119: The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.

 

The law of God is Wonderful – the Problem is not w/ the Law the Problem is with us / We can’t Keep it / We don’t Keep it

  1. And this is where the thorny imagery comes in – the Law is like a Thorn / It’s Purpose is to Prick You
  2. Paul put it this way in Gal. 3:24 The Law was our School master to Bring us to Christ –
  3. See here is what Happens – We hear the law / we can agree w/ it see the Rightness in it – But we can’t Keep it –Law Reveals we are Sinners
  1. That Reality – Pricks at our Hearts – Makes me see that I need a Savior ( I need Help) Redeemer I need to be RESCUED

When I was playing Basketball in H.S. - ( Minority- White Shadow ) – My coach was asking me to do things I just couldn’t do – White mans disease

SLOW & I COULDN’T JUMP !!!

Plenty of times I felt Like I needed a Rescued

But that is the Purpose of the Law is to show us that we can’t make it

  1. That is the Purpose of the Law – Drive us to the place of realizing we are not Ok – ( We are in Trouble )
  2. Thorny thing – Pricks my heart & makes me feel – Uncomfortable

Guilty –

We had some big guys on our team – Willis Thomas – 6’7 bald headed Monster – Goatee – / Tony Neil – 6’6 - Lakers

Drive the Lane– Stuffed – Why do that ? Show us – You Little guys don’t Belong in here - Get the Ball to the Big Guys

C) Uncomfortable in the Paint !!! – Law Uncomfortable before God

So Sinai = THORNY – PRICKS

 

Now Mt. Sinai is also Known by another name in the Bible – Mt. Horeb

  1. Moses at Burning Bush – Horeb / Elijah still small voice – Horeb

    2. Same place important to understand

  2. What does Horeb Mean – Waste Land - Waste – that too is what the Law does it Waste me - Reveals that I am BANK RUPT
  1. I CANNOT LIVE UP TO its Standard – I am wasted – Nothing left – None righteous no not one !!!!!!

Now I fared much better in Baseball – One of best guys on my team / Better players in our League ( MET TEAM – AVERAGE / PRO’S HORRIBLE)

Law Reveals that I am Horrible – In light of the Pro – Jesus Who was perfect in every way – ( I didn’t measure up at all – His life magnifies my guilt )

  1. So when David declared = Psa. 19 The law of the Lord is PERFECT –converting the Soul –
    1. meant it brings me to the place of seeing my need to be Converted
  1. Brings Conversion – Through the Law that I realize my inability to please God – ( My need of a Savior A Pro to play for me) –
  1. Drives me to Grace

 

Notice it says that it was in the 3rd month – 3 is the number of Manifestations –

  1. Jehovah is going to give His People a wonderful manifestation of Himself !!!!
  2. They had seen His Judgements upon Egypt (Plagues) They Beheld His power displayed at the Red Sea /
  1. They witnessed His guiding hand ( fire & Cloud ) They had experienced His Mercies in Providing Manna & Water Miraculously
  1. But Now they were About to Behold His Exalted Majesty – as it would be Displayed in an Ominous way – Smoke Cloud
  1. This Mountain would Literally seem like it was on Fire !! ( Next wk)

D) But notice what the Lord says to Moses first – remind them of My heart for them ( God’s Holiness must always be seen in this light Such a Key v.3

FOCUS TONIGHT

3 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:

  1. 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself.

Before You give them the Requirements of How to Live or even how to approach me – Remind them of what I did for them / How I love them

  1. How I delivered them from Egypt / and how I How He bore them up on Eagles wings
  2. In the face of my Holiness I want them to see my Love !!!!!
  3. That is what we are doing when we come to the table tonight –God is Holy & just & He hates sin / Sinners must be Punished
  1. If He is a Just God – He cannot wink at Sin / over look it / it must be dealt w/
  1. Now we are all Sinners / all Guilty / all Fallen Short / But God sent a Pro His son Jesus who perfectly Kept the Law
  1. He willingly went to the Cross / Bore our Punishment / I recently heard it put this way

The Reason Jesus had to live a perfect life was so that His perfect life could be Credited to Your account / The Father treated Jesus as if He had lived Your life so that He could treat you as if you lived His life

Your sins were put to His Account / so that His perfect life could be credited to your account ISN’T THAT INCREDIBLE

But here is what we struggle w/ - once we have been saved our tendency is to say – if God loves me so much – then why am I in this mess

  1. – why am I going through this tough time ? ( Ever wonder that )
  2. DEVOTIONS W/ KIDS MON. NITE Amy if God loves us – why does He do that ? 2 REASONS
    1. 1ST Whom the Lord loves He Chastens – spank you
  1. But another reason is to Stretch us & make us Grow – that is the Concept found here in the Phrase I bore you up on Eagles wings
  1. Turn to Duet. 32:9

9 For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance.

  1. To say that the Lord’s Portion is His People – say it is His thing – God is saying that He is Into His People / The Body ( My Kids – No Hobbies)
  2. Continues – v.10 "He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.
  3. The Apple of His eye refers to His Pupil – which is an interesting analogy
  1. You see if you talk to an optometrist – The fasted reflex in your Body is the reflex that covers your Eye when Danger is heading its way
  1. Quicker than any reflex or response in your entire body – in fact they say that it responds at one one thousandth of a second
  1. So if bug coming / finger poke the reflex is so quick that it cover the Eye

 

So follow the Analogy : the Lord is saying that I care so much about you because you are the Apple of my eye

  1. That there is nothing that is going to come my way that will catch him off Guard
  2. When Danger comes – He is there !!! He is on it !!!! - Because we are the apple of His eye !!!
  3. But again – we ask well why am I in this predicament – then ?
  1. I have had a couple of bugs – catch my eye – or get caught in my eyelid my reflex muscle there must be a little Slow
  1. Ever feel that way about God? - He is slow in responding – what is up ?

 

The Next Phrase gives the answer

11 As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings,

12 So the LORD alone led him,

  1. Here is this idea that is seen again of the Lord bearing up His People on Eagles wings – seen throughout the Bible – what is this about
  2. A little confusing to us but would make perfect sense to these people camping in this region – Eagles were Prevalent
  1. Eagles have an interesting way of Nurturing & training their Young
  1. When a Moma Eagle – Builds it’s nest – on the side of a Cliff gather sticks – several sticks somewhat sharp pointing in towards the nest
  1. The little baby Eagle is born Moma brings it food / Breakfast lunch & Dinner
  1. And the Little Eaglet lives there in the comforts of the Nest until it gets so big that the Sticks begin to poke at it
  1. Suddenly that nest is not quite as comfortable as it once was – but there is a reason for that –
  1. The Moma doesn’t want that Little Eaglet to live in that Nest the Rest of his life
  1. Then the Moma Eagle does a Most Interesting thing She Stirs up the Nest – causing Little Baby to fall out
  1. Falling / Falling – wondering – what is up w/ my Mom – call & report her to CPS
  1. But as the Eaglet falls 100 ft or so – suddenly the Moma Eagle comes swooping down – catches him – bears him up on her wings –back to nest

 

The Eaglet is safe & Comfortable again – accept for the Pokes – And Then the Moma does it again / Over & Over

  1. Until – the Eaglet – spreads out his wings & catches a wind draft & begins to fly !!! – Soar
  2. This is the Reason why God does this at times – He stirs up the nest because He wants us to learn what it means to sore
  1. How to Fly –
  1. That is what the Lord was doing w/ Israel through the Previous stops – each situation – ( He was bearing them up / fall a little further )
  2. So that they would learn to do what Isaiah said : Isa. 40:31
  1. But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Now waiting on the Lord is different from waiting for the Lord – times wait – for – Acts 2 Pentecost – don’t do anything until … Promise

  1. But waiting on the Lord is actually an Active thing – walking in the truths that I know / Walking in the Promises that have been said
  2. God wanted them to keep walking / moving / on the Journey – Believing that He was going to do just what He said He would
  3. So the Lord says to Moses Remind them of my Love & How I bore them up on Eagles Wings ( On My Back )

 

The Lord would say the same thing tonight as we approach the table – Reminder of My love – How I bore You upon my Back – Calvary

  1. The Stripes I bore were for You – the Punishment I took was for You I took upon my shoulders the weight of your SIN!!!
  2. When you were Bankrupt & wasted – Plagued by the thorn of Guilt & there was nothing that You could do about it !!!
  1. I did for You what You couldn’t do for Yourself

 

  1. So we come & are waiting on the Lord by appropriating what He did for us at Calvary – as we remember the Cross

 

Rom.5: 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

C) Reminder of His Love : Rom.8: 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?