Eagles' Wings

Then Moses went up to God; the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.” ~ Exodus 19:3-6
You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day.
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.

 And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand. ~ Michael Joncas, "On Eagles' Wings"

  
Here is yet another reminder of the breadth of God's saving love. The Israelites are God's treasures possession, and God promises to make them a holy nation.
But the whole earth, God reminds them, is mine.
Being a holy nation, a priestly kingdom doesn't translate to exclusivity of love.  The whole world is mine, says, God.  This is another fair reminder of God's love for the outsider, not simply the insider.

 This passage also can't help but remind us of the beloved hymn by Michael Joncas. You've heard it very likely at many a funeral or memorial service.

 When my grandmother died several years ago, this hymn felt especially poignant to me. Especially the verse I highlighted.
My grandmother had a sometimes challenging relationship with God. The last time I visited her before she died, she confided to me that she wasn't sure God would want her with him. She hung on at the end out of a kind of terror about God and her relationship with God. Grief and great loss in her life had left her unsure and depressed.
I told her then what I knew for certain. That God loved her.  That was really all I could say that she was ready to hear.
She was God's.  Those who worry and fear are God's.  Those who are depressed and sad and grieving are God's.  Those who are part of a holy nation and those who are not, are God's.
God's love for her bore her up even when she didn't realize it just as it bears us up when we least expect it and when we need it most.

God of infinite love, bear us up when we just don't think we can stand it anymore.  Bear us up when we fail and fall and when our legs just give out from under us.  Amen.

Thoughts for engagement:

- When are times God has born you up?
- This image of eagles' wings in scripture has appeared in other places. Can you find them? Are there similarities to how they are used?
- What would you say to my grandmother or someone else who was afraid at the end of their life that God did not want them?




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