May it please God to bless us
this morning as we consider his word. Let us turn to the book
of Deuteronomy, chapter 32, and reading verses 11 and 12. The
book of Deuteronomy, chapter 32, reading verses 11 and 12. As an eagle stirreth up her nest,
fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them,
beareth them on her wings, so the Lord alone did lead him,
and there was no strange God with him." This wonderful statement by Moses
to Israel just before he was to be taken up into glory We
are thankful that there is such an account as this, and how he
brings to their knowledge, Israel's knowledge, those blessings which
they have enjoyed in a spiritual way. And he speaks to them and
says, remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations. He desired that they would not
forget the way that the Lord had led them, Remember, it was
some 400 years now since Jacob had gone down into Egypt and
therefore Moses directs Israel really to Jacob. They would have
been familiar with him, they would have known that he came
down into Egypt with the 12 patriarchs, his 12 sons, or at least of course
we know that Joseph was already there. But nonetheless we have
this tracing out of God's goodness toward Israel and especially
pointing out Jacob. And so Moses speaks in this way,
for the Lord's portion is his people. And that's a great blessing
for us today. Because that's not just Israel
of old, it's all of his people. And I think if we are amongst
the family of God, the church of God, that we are numbered
amongst God's portion. The Lord's portion is his people. Jacob is a lot of his inheritance. And then he points out how Jacob
was, and he says he found him. Notice that Jacob didn't find
God. God found Jacob. And that's true
in our lives today. God finds us. God knows where
we are. He knows where we live, he knows every detail in our
lives and therefore God speaks about Jacob in this way. He found
him in a desert land and in a waste-hounding wilderness. He led him about,
he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. And
in reality, if we think about it carefully, the truth is that
all of God's people are located and found in a similar situation. Because to the spiritual person,
this world is just described here, a desert land and a waste
town in wilderness. Because naturally there's nothing
really spiritual. I know we're surrounded with
God's creation, which is good to observe and to see and to
thank God for. But nonetheless, this world is
not the rest of the people of God. We read in Hebrews, there
is a rest that remaineth to the people of God. And that of course
is an eternal rest in glory. And so Moses speaks in this way
of how Jacob was found in this situation, in a desert land and
in a waste handling wilderness. But God found him and God was
with him and God directed him. And so we read, he led him about,
he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. And how true it was. If you trace
back the life of Jacob, you can read in Genesis, and you will
see how God indeed was with him. He didn't always understand it,
but especially when you think of Jacob, when he heard his sons
come back from seeing Joseph in Egypt, and the demands that
Joseph had made with regard to Benjamin, and what was his reaction? His reaction was, all these things
are against me. They weren't. They were all working
together for his good. He couldn't see it. He didn't
know what was going to appear, what was going to happen. And
you know that's very true, isn't it, in our lives. Sometimes we
might say, look, all these things are against me. Everything seems
to be going wrong. Nothing seems to be going right.
It all seems against me. That's what Jacob felt. But that's where Jacob was wrong.
And that's where you and I can often be wrong in our assessment
of God's dealings with us. Never forget, God knows the end
from the beginning. You and I only know the beginning
and as far as we've got. We don't know the end. God knows
the end. And we can be sure of this, as
it was in Jacob's life, there was a good end. To the children
of God, there is a good end. Because it will be from passing
out of time into eternal bliss, to be with Jesus forever and
ever. And our journey through this
world is to prepare us for that change, to prepare us for that
inheritance which is incorruptible, and which is undefiled, and that
fadeth not away. And so we read here that the
Lord, he led him about, and he instructed him, and he kept him
as the apple of his eye. He was very precious to the Lord,
was Jacob, and so are all his people. And just to explain that,
If we are God's people, we are so precious that the Savior willingly
died to take away our sins. If you think of that and try
and analyze it, there can be nothing greater, can there? If
we felt that we loved someone so much and that we were willing
to die for them, Well that's what the Saviour did and so we
can be sure therefore that he kept him as the apple of his
eye and he does, you and me today, if we are amongst his people,
it's a very humbling thought, it's a very wonderful thought
to think that Almighty God, Almighty God instructs us and keeps us
as the apple of his eye. Well what a blessing it is to
come within the words of this verse, and to realize that yes,
by God's grace, we are numbered like Jacob. We are a companion
with Jacob. And one day by God's grace, we
shall go on to be where Jacob is. Well then, Moses gives a
little interpretation of this word. And the interpretation
is he uses the illustration of an eagle. Well, some of us may
have seen eagles, some of us perhaps haven't seen eagles,
but anyway, be that as it may, the fact is that the illustration
here is as an eagle stir it up a nest, fluttereth over her young,
spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings."
Then the analogy, so the Lord alone did lead him and there
was no strange God with him. So surely we conclude from this
that this is the direction that God leads his people and God
directs his people and God looks after his people. just as an
eagle looks after her young. And we might think, and it is
perhaps true, that eagles are rather interesting birds. and interesting in what they're
able to do. They may be unique, I'm not sure,
but they're almost unique anyway in the way that they do deal
with their young. And what we know is that God
deals with all his people in a very precious and a very unique
way. And so here we have the picture
of an eagle stirring up her nest. Well, we can imagine that, can't
we? An eagle's nest is made often of thorny material, twigs with
thorns and that kind of thing. And if it's stirred up, we get
the picture, don't we, of thorns coming to the surface. So no
doubt, the young, usually not very many, two or three perhaps,
little eaglets, and being stirred up, so there they were settled
down, quite comfortably, now it's not so comfortable, and
they can't really find a comfortable place to settle down in. And
of course the analogy is to the people of God, because we live
in the world, and we are comfortable in the world, and we carry on
living in the world. in that comfortable environment,
so-called. It's not really comfortable,
but our mind tells us it is, until the time when God comes,
perhaps, and stirs up the nest. And then it's not so comfortable.
We find, perhaps, it's a difficult position then. We can't really
rest. We can't rest. What does God
do? Well, he points out a little
of what we are and things that we didn't realise we were. We
didn't realise that we were a sinner. We may have said, well, I know
I don't do everything right, but we may not have realised
what a real sinner, what a really bad sinner we were. You see,
when God stirs up our mind to be able to view condition before the all-seeing
eye of Almighty God, we will not then be able to settle down
in this a comfortable easy condition. We'll realize that we are a sinner
against God and then you see it won't be comfortable, it won't
be convenient for us. And there may be those pricks
which prick us, things which we just were used to doing. I'm
pleased to do. Now when we do them, there's
a prick in our conscience. Our conscience asks us the question,
should you be doing this? Or should you not? We didn't
have that prick before. We weren't worried about it.
We carried on doing things. You see, when the God comes and
stirs up the nest, our conscience then is moved by the Spirit of
God. And we realise things weren't
as they were. And it's not very comfortable.
It's not very comfortable. Perhaps we find even at night
we can't sleep very well perhaps. Because our mind, we keep waking
up and our mind's pricked by the things that we're doing.
And we wish perhaps we could stop doing them. And it's not
very easy to stop doing them. Because our old nature likes
doing them. And we find there's a conflict. And yet we can't
really settle down. We can't really find it comfortable
as we did. We don't really enjoy doing the
things that we used to do. God has come. You see, when God
begins his work, he doesn't stop. That work is continued. And you
and I might struggle against it. The Bible has an illustration
of that. It says, like an ox or a, who
is unaccustomed to the yoke. Yes, a yoke's put on an animal
to control it. Perhaps it's put on a horse sometimes
to break in a horse. And we know how they kick and
they struggle We don't see it so much do we now with animals,
but nonetheless, clearly it was so, and it still is in parts
of the world, where in order to bring them properly, to make
them able to work, they had to be broken in. And they don't
like it. That's just the same as you and
me today. We don't like being controlled. We don't like someone saying
you can't do that. But when it's God, that's speaking
to us, we might argue in our mind, but the reality is we won't
be able to say anything really against it because we will know
in our conscience that what God is saying is right. So we have this statement here,
as an eagle stirreth up her nest. Well perhaps we are familiar
with that in our own heart. know what that means. We've been
stirred up, not very comfortable, but indeed a great favour, because
God hasn't left us to just carry on in that ungodly situation
which would eventually lead to damnation. As an eagle stirreth
up her nest. And then we read this statement,
fluttereth over her young, Apparently an eagle then will
flutter over the nest flap her wings over the nest to show the
young birds What they must do If they are to get out of this
prickly situation They won't be able to stay in the nest They
won't be able to stay in that situation. They'll have to escape
from it and And so she illustrates to them how they will be able
to do that. She fluttereth over her young. Now we have the wonderful illustration,
of course, in the Word of God. That the Lord, perhaps, as it
were, comes to show us the way of salvation. The way of salvation. It's as
it were, there is the eagle fluttering over the nest. The Lord may come
to us and show us perhaps through his word the way of salvation. There we were in our sinful condition
and not knowing what to do and didn't really want to remain
there and yet didn't really want to get out of the nest. And yet
you see when the Lord comes, perhaps it's like that and he
flutters over us. He shows us what must occur if
we are to get out of the nest. Out of the nest, not to rely
on ourselves. As an eagle stirreth up her nest,
fluttereth over her young, and spreadeth abroad her wings. Well, an eagle has very broad
wings. And no doubt there was encouragement
here to the young, because we read, spreadeth abroad her wings,
taketh them, and beareth them on her wings. Now apparently
what happens is the young eaglets, they eventually decide it's not
very comfortable in there and they scramble up the side of
the nest and get to the edge and then try to fly off. And often they're not very successful.
and they seem to be flying down, and often eagles' nests are quite
high up, so it's a long way down. And as perhaps they begin to
fall, the eagle then flies underneath them, and spreads through her
wings, and a little bird can lie on those wings. And there
are two things. First of all, there is safety
there. safety there. And secondly, the
mother then will show how to fly. She no doubt flies gently
back to the nest so that the little bird can then try again. Now we have a very kind and gracious
God. You know the word of God tells
us in the next chapter, it speaks a very beautiful word in the
27th verse We're told the eternal God is our refuge and underneath
are the everlasting arms. God is underneath. God is with
his people. He is eternal. He's always there. We will never find a time when
there is no God. God is always there to hear and
to answer our prayers, the eternal God. is thy refuge, and underneath
are the everlasting arms. And he shall thrust out the enemy
from before thee, and shall say, Destroy them. Well then, to think
of this position here, that there is safety on those wings of the
eagle, and the eagle bears them on her wings. What do we see
there? Well, surely we see this wonderful
picture, don't we? Safety in Christ. What a wonderful thought, isn't
it? To think as you and I are guilty of all our sin, and as
it were we struggle to get out of that situation, then we find
ourselves sinking. Sinking. We're not able to save
ourselves. We sink down and the Lord comes
and saves us. The Lord comes and spreads out
his arms and carries us in his arms. What a blessing there is
to know that wonderful, wonderful safety. Safety is of the Lord
and Exodus gives us a little picture of this as well in the
19th chapter of Exodus. We read what he says. And again
Moses speaking, you have seen what I did unto the Egyptians
and how I bear you on eagles' wings and brought you unto myself. Born on eagles' wings and brought
unto myself. And if we have the picture there
we can see the wonderful favour of the Lord Jesus Christ who
does indeed bring us safely home to glory, to be with the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Lord comes and the Lord
does that for us, just like bearing us on eagles' wings. It's a good
illustration, isn't it, for us to recognise, to think that yes,
we have such a great and glorious Saviour. What does he say? Casting
all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. How gracious
is our God. How wonderful it is to realize
we have such a God. He is so kind and gracious to
us. He knows perhaps how timid we are. He knows how fearful
we are. And that's why He says, casting
all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. Yeah, we shall
not fail. We shall not fall into oblivion. We shall fall into the arms of
Christ. And what a place of safety that
is. And so as Moses carries on this
illustration, he speaks in this way, and he says, so the Lord
alone did lead him. And there was no strange God
with him. therefore in our lives today
to have that wonderful realisation that God is leading us. God has stirred up the nest,
we've come over the edge as it were and we've fallen down. The Lord has held us up. The
Lord holds us up and we shall be safe. Safety is of the Lord. no safety in ourselves, not strong
enough. But the Lord, you see, gives
us this great blessing. And so we prove the Lord alone
did lead him. The eagle was the only one that
could save and deliver and take care of her offspring. And it's
the same really in our spiritual life. It's only Almighty God
that can take care of us. and that can lead us. And to
think the blessing is the Lord alone did lead him. To have the evidence in our lives,
Almighty God alone is leading us. Yes, we're not leading ourselves. God is leading us alone. You know, in Isaiah's prophecy,
who of course spoke very beautifully of Almighty God and the power
of God. He tells us in the 40th chapter and in the
last verse, those who are being led and waiting upon the Lord,
he says, but they that wait upon the Lord, he's speaking previously
about the youths fainting and being weary, the young men shall
utterly fall Yes, you think of a young man, plenty of strength,
but utterly full. 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. We know the strength of an eagle.
Safety there, wasn't there? What a blessing it is here. And
the illustration is, they that wait upon the Lord shall be like
that. If our nest has been stirred
up, and we've, as it were, gone over the edge, and we're waiting
upon the Lord, we're not looking to ourselves. We're praying to
God that he will be gracious to us, and that he will come
and deliver us, and support us, and help us in our every time
of need. Our confidence is in God. You
know, little Eaglet's confidence is in her mother. Yes, no confidence
outside of that. And it's good for you and me
if our confidence is in our God. When the apostle wrote to the
Romans, he said, what shall we then say to these things? If
God before us, who can be against us? If our trust, if our hope
is in the Lord, then you see, if God is on our side, who can
be against us? Sometimes we may think, It is
against us, just like Jacob did. All these things were against
me. No, they weren't. It may be so in our lives, to
think that things appear to be against us, in our circumstances,
in our health, in our families and everything may appear to
be against us. Remember what the Word of God tells us so beautifully. As the Apostle Paul said, and
don't forget the Apostle had much opposition, and he said
this, that all things work together for good, to those who love God
and to those who are called according to his purpose. And the blessing
is, if the Lord has come and delivered our soul, it's because
of his love toward us and therefore there will be that response of
our love towards him. And if there is that evidence
of that love, then there will be that eternal safety and that
eternal blessing. So the Lord alone did lead him. And where did he lead him? Well,
he led him to the Saviour. My friends, where are we being
led? Where are we being led today?
Are we being led to the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we see in him something that
we never saw before? When we were all comfortable
in the nest as it were, living our life to ourselves. And now
by the grace of God, we're able to live our life unto the Lord. And he then reveals himself unto
us as he does not unto the world. And he reveals to us his great
salvation. It's a wonderful word, salvation. It is a great salvation. And to realize that you and I
possess that salvation, that means that our souls have been
saved. That Christ has died for us.
Yes, that we're being carried, we're being taken care of, we're
not being left to ourselves, But in this way, the Lord is
instructing us. Yes, he instructs us. As we read
previously, he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him
as the apple of his eye. The Lord does instruct us. He doesn't leave us just to carry
on aimlessly in this world. He instructs us. And the instruction
is to show to us the preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
value of that shed blood. Without shedding of blood, there
is no forgiveness, there's no remission. And to have the evidence
that you and I are under that blood, to have the evidence that
the blessed Saviour died upon Calvary's cross to atone for
all our sins, oh what wonderful instruction this is. What wonderful
teaching it is to reveal to us what we are, what we are by nature,
our terrible sinful condition, and how glorious and holy and
perfect is the Only Begotten Son of God, and how wonderful
to realise that He came in this world to die, to atone for my
sins. All this blessed instruction
from Almighty God, He led him about. He instructed him. Remember this is typical of the
Church of God. And bless God today, if you and
I in measure can trace out our spiritual life as being looked
after by Almighty God in a similar way that the eagle looks after
her young. And to then come to that conclusion,
Yes, the Lord alone is leading me. Because God will have all
the honour and glory. And in order to do that, you
and I will realise it's God alone. It's of His mercy. It's of His
grace. It's of His love to me who am
such an unworthy sinner. To God alone. What will be the
reaction? I believe the reaction will be
this. To God be the glory. Great things
He hath done. And He has. He's redeemed your
soul and my soul. What great things He's done. Greater things than anything
that this world can bring to us. The wonder of salvation. The wonder to realize that God
has watched over us. And He is leading us. He alone
is leading us. And there was no strange God
with him. And you can read on, as we read
together this morning, how God does lead his people, how he
blesses them, how he feeds them with spiritual food, and therefore
they are blessed indeed. And they rejoice in Christ their
Savior. The man of God, Moses, says,
rejoice, O ye nations, with his people. a blessing today if you
and I can rejoice in our heart with the wonderful evidence that
we have an interest in that eternal life which will never be taken
away from us and that we have the experience in measure of
what Jacob did as Moses described it to us here He found him in
a desert land, in the waste-hounding wilderness. He led him about,
he instructed him. He kept him as the apple of his
eye, as an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her
young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on
her wings. So the Lord alone did lead him,
and there was no strange God with him. Amen.