“The Most Difficult Flight in History:”

2011 (Pentecost 4 A)

Exodus 19:2-8

“The Most Difficult Flight in History:”

We just sang that beautiful hymn, “On Eagles’ Wings” (CW 440) and we’re about to examine a text where God says He has carried His people - on Eagles’ wings - and brought them to Himself.  God knows how to communicate to His people in a way they can understand - Hebrew is a language that is built around using pictures to illustrate thoughts / concepts / and truths.  It works for math nerds in a phd classroom . . . . and it works to communicate with children in a mainly illiterate and agrarian society in the Middle East  . . . . and this beautiful picture hits home with us too:  God swoops down and rescues His people from this world of sin, bondage, pain, and death - He (by His power) rescues us and swoops us high in the air above and beyond all danger.  No one is a threat to the mighty Eagle - and, with confident, powerful, and outstretched wings He SOARS - flying His people safely home. 

It’s a beautiful / peaceful / serene picture used often in the Old Testament - but . . . . it also wound up being the most difficult flight in history.  There’s a reason for that - and we’ll consider it as we examine the lesson before us today.   Verse 2 sets the scene for us in Exodus 19:

2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

It has just been a few months since the Israelite people left Egypt and now they had come to the foot of Mount Sinai - a very special place - out in the desert wilderness.  The memories of everything that had taken place were still fresh in their minds:

They were SLAVES in Egypt for hundreds of years - powerless / abused / trapped.   It was hopeless, until the Lord swept in with His mighty power and struck down the arrogant Egyptians with plague after plague - pounding their entire society . . . picking up the Israelites as if on the wings of an Eagle and rescuing them from their tormentors.    As they flew away, the people looked back and screamed in terror as the mighty army closed in behind them and - the Red Sea stood directly in front of them.  But, the Lord carried them across safely while the whole army of the world’s greatest superpower was utterly destroyed.  The people sang, danced and rejoiced - until, that is, they seemed to be heading straight for a rock face!  No food.  No water . . . . a dead end!   They cried out AGAIN - but God swept them up, and over, and around every obstacle that stood in their way . . . . and, brought them here, to the foot of Mount Sinai. 

Here the Lord would give his people laws - LAWS about morality (right and wrong) / about the civil government of this new, independent and FREE nation / about the worship lives of a people who would stand out as different - understanding the standards of God and knowing about repentance, faith, and atonement for sin.  The Lord was preparing them to be the nation where the Saviour of the world would come. 

It was time for God to give His LAWS to the people there at Mount Sinai - and - He began by reminding them of the powerful, gracious, saving LOVE He had already shown them up unto this point: Exodus 19:3-8

  3 Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

 7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.

In a sense, all the Laws that God would proceed to give them were like feathers on the mighty wings of that Eagle.   If the people would HANG ON to them (literally: guard them - consider them precious, cherish them, keep them and obey them) . . . then they would be just fine, and the Lord would continue to carry His special people on their incredible journey.

So - what makes this flight so difficult?  God had done (and was doing) ALL the work - it should have been a fun, easy and exciting flight - not a difficult one.  Well, here’s the problem: people kept FALLING OFF the wings of the Eagle.  And, not just a few of them, lots of them.  How did this happen?
People jumped right off!  Willingly - they ran after other gods and clang to them instead.  It didn’t take long.  Moses came down from the mountain after 40 days with the 10 commandments written on tablets of stone - and, there he saw all the people . . . . worshipping a hunk of gold - fashioned in the shape of a calf, and saying this thing is what had led them out of Egypt!  They jumped right off the wings of the Eagle who had rescued them. 
Others eventually just slid right off from simple laziness.  It can be challenging and time consuming to learn and keep the commandments of God, and, to pass them along to your children and grandchildren.  Other things come up.  They just didn’t CARE that much . . . . and . . . . they slid off and fell away. 
Others got pulled off by temptations.  Sexual immorality, greed, and forbidden pleasures from the nations around them caught their eyes.  The commands of God said, “Don’t go there!”  So, they let go of them in order to “go there” and experience those forbidden pleasures.  And, so, they got pulled off the wings of the Eagle. 

Read through the Old Testament and you’ll see why this was the most difficult flight in history - people kept turning their backs on God and ignoring His words and commands.  Then the Lord - in love - would rebuke them, and send them the prophets, and allow them to be tormented - to bring them to repentance and get them back where they belong!  But, by the time Jesus came, only a small remnant of the people were still there, with the Lord, clinging to His words and commands, and trusting Him. 

The Lord came down to earth in the form of a baby boy - born to a virgin in Bethlehem.  From there He would carry out the rescue mission He had promised since Adam and Eve fell into sin.  He would pay for their sin (and ours) with His very own blood.  He would make it possible for sinners to be saved and brought back to God - all by His efforts and by His death and resurrection.  Then, as Jesus ascended back up to the sky and the Spirit of God descended upon His people - the New Testament Church took off again - as an Eagle soaring back up into the sky. 

It flew with people from all different nations who were rescued from this world of slavery to sin.  People once kept in bondage to the Pharaoh of despair, materialism, and meaninglessness.  People beaten and tortured by the slave master of discontentment / shame / wickedness / loneliness.  People swept up and rescued by Christ’s love - forgiven, redeemed, brought to faith, and taken on a glorious journey home.  The Eagle has taken flight once again - but, it’s still the most difficult flight in history - for the same reason: because people haven’t changed since OT times.  They are still just as foolish and weak as they were back then.
People jump off the wings.  They jump because they want to get their hands on GOLD.  They don’t care what shape it’s in; they just want it.  They will offer their LIVES to serve money and wealth / trusting it above all else / loving it more than anything.  Just like the Israelites they forget about the Lord who loves them and rescued them. 
When it comes to laziness - since the time of Moses we’ve gotten a lot worse, not better.  It’s too hard to come to church.  It’s too boring.  The music isn’t cool.  There’s nothing for my age group.  I don’t get enough out of it.  I don’t have the time to study God’s Word.  I just want to have fun and be entertained all the time - ESPECIALLY on weekends!  So . . . They just slip right off and don’t even notice that they are no longer with God. 
Temptations are WORSE now too - sexual immorality / greed / forbidden pleasures surround us like at no other point in history.  The enticing lies of the devil pull people off the wings of the Eagle in droves.  The decline Christianity has seen in the last generation in this part of the world is simply staggering.

So - I hope you realize how blessed you are, and what a gracious miracle it truly is that you are still on the wings of that Eagle!   I hope we are all still humbled, honored, and overwhelmed that - of all the people on this earth - we are still being carried (by grace and through faith) as on the wings of an Eagle. 

What now?  Our modern minds might think, “We need duct tape! - Wrap it around us and around that wing so we don’t fall off!  We need a 5 point harness with guardrails so we don’t fall off - lock us in Lord!”  But, He doesn’t work that way.  He’s not going to handcuff us to his wings.  He doesn’t want slaves - he wants people who cling to him willingly and freely.   So . . . He gives us the same encouragement He gave His people 3,500 years ago: Hang on!  The words and commands and promises of God are the feathers He has given us to treasure / to guard / to protect / to follow.  Hang on to them - and He will bring us home.