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Exodus 19:4
Verse
Context
Israel at Mount Sinai
3Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, “This is what you are to tell the house of Jacob and explain to the sons of Israel:4‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.5Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.
Sermons
Leonard Ravenhill
B.H. ClendennenLeonard Ravenhill
Charles Anderson
Glenn Meldrum
Carter Conlon
Don CourvilleSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
How I bare you on eagles' wings - Mr. Bruce contends that the word נשר nesher does not mean the bird we term eagle; but a bird which the Arabs, from its kind and merciful disposition, call rachama, which is noted for its care of its young, and its carrying them upon its back. See his Travels, vol. vii., pl. 33. It is not unlikely that from this part of the sacred history the heathens borrowed their fable of the eagle being a bird sacred to Jupiter, and which was employed to carry the souls of departed heroes, kings, etc., into the celestial regions. The Romans have struck several medals with this device, which may be seen in different cabinets, among which are the following: one of Faustina, daughter of Antoninus Pius, on the reverse of which she is represented ascending to heaven on the back of an eagle; and another of Salonia, daughter of the Emperor Galienus, on the reverse of which she is represented on the back of an eagle, with a scepter in her hand, ascending to heaven. Jupiter himself is sometimes represented on the back of an eagle also, with his thunder in his hand, as on a medal of Licinus. This brings us nearer to the letter of the text, where it appears that the heathens confounded the figure made use of by the sacred penman, I bare you on eagles' wings, with the manifestation of God in thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai. And it might be in reference to all this that the Romans took the eagle for their ensign. See Scheuchzer, Fusellius, etc. Brought you unto myself - In this and the two following verses, we see the design of God in selecting a people for himself. 1. They were to obey his voice, Exo 19:5, to receive a revelation from him, and to act according to that revelation, and not according to their reason or fancy, in opposition to his declarations. 2. They were to obey his voice indeed, שמוע תשמעו shamoa tishmeu, in hearing they should hear; they should consult his testimonies, hear them whenever read or proclaimed, and obey them as soon as heard, affectionately and steadily. 3. They must keep his covenant - not only copy in their lives the ten commandments, but they must receive and preserve the grand agreement made between God and man by sacrifice, in reference to the incarnation and death of Christ; for from the foundation of the world the covenant of God ratified by sacrifices referred to this, and now the sacrificial system was to be more fully opened by the giving of the law. 4. They should then be God's peculiar treasure, סגלה segullah, his own patrimony, a people in whom he should have all right, and over whom he should have exclusive authority above all the people of the earth; for though all the inhabitants of the world were his by his right of creation and providence, yet these should be peculiarly his, as receiving his revelation and entering into his covenant. 5. They should be a kingdom of priests, Exo 19:6. Their state should be a theocracy; and as God should be the sole governor, being king in Jeshurun, so all his subjects should be priests, all worshippers, all sacrificers, every individual offering up the victim for himself. A beautiful representation of the Gospel dispensation, to which the Apostles Peter and John apply it, Pe1 2:5, Pe1 2:9; Rev 1:6; Rev 5:10, and Rev 20:6; under which dispensation every believing soul offers up for himself that Lamb of God which was slain for and which takes away the sin of the world, and through which alone a man can have access to God.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians,.... The plagues he brought upon them in Egypt, and the destruction of them at the Red sea; these things they were eyewitnesses of, and needed no other proof or evidence to convince and assure them of them, and therefore must be under obligation to attend to what he was about to recommend unto them, for which reason this is observed: and how I bare you on eagles' wings; that is, as on eagles' wings, the note of similitude being wanting, but to be supplied; for it cannot be thought that they were literally bore on eagles' wings; but as that creature is reported to be very affectionate to its young, and careful of it, and, as is said, only to one; for, having more, it will cast away all but one, and reserve that, which it carefully nourishes; and being swift of flight, and strong of wing, it will in a remarkable manner take its young upon it, and safely and swiftly convey it where it pleases; of which See Gill on Deu 32:11. The eagle excels other birds both in its strength and in the size of its body; and especially its pectoral muscles, by which its wings are supported; are very strong, so that it can carry its young, and other things, on its back and wings; and some such thing nature itself seems to have required, as naturalists observe (d); and there are some histories, which, if true, greatly confirm and illustrate this. Aelianus (e) reports of Tilgamus, a Babylonian, and who afterwards was king of Babylon, and who seems to be the Tilgath Pilneser of the Scriptures, king of Assyria, that when a lad, being thrown down from the top of a tower, an eagle, which is a very quick sighted bird, saw him, and, before he came to the ground, flew under him, took him upon its back, and carried him into a garden, and gently let him down. So it is related of Aristomenes (f), that as he was casting headlong into a deep ditch by the Lacedemonians, where they used to throw condemned malefactors, an eagle flew under him, and bore him on its wings, and carried him to the bottom, without any hurt to any part of his body. Jarchi observes, that whereas other birds carry their young between their feet, for fear of those that fly above them, the eagle flying above all others, and so in no fear of them, carries its young upon its wings, judging it better that a dart should pierce that than its young. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase the words,"and I bore you on clouds, as on eagles' wings;''which covered, and protected, and sustained them, as the eagles' wings do its young; the former adds, from Pelusium, a city in Egypt, supposed by the Targumist to be the same with Rameses; where Jarchi observes the people of Israel were very swiftly gathered together as the place of their rendezvous, and were as safely brought from thence to the place where they now were. Thus the Lord showed an affectionate concern for Israel, took them under his care and protection, stood between them and the Egyptians in a pillar of cloud, and secured them from their arrows, and swiftly and safely removed them from the land of Egypt to the place where they now were, distinguishing them from all other nations, having chosen them to be a special people to himself: and brought you unto myself: to the mountain of God, where he had appeared to Moses, and given this as a sign and token of the truth of his mission, that he and Israel, when brought out of Egypt by him, should serve him on this mount; and now they were brought thither, where he was about not only to grant his presence in a very singular manner, but to deliver his law unto them, and enter into a covenant with them, and establish and settle them as his people; so that they were a people near unto the Lord, taken into covenant, and indulged with communion with him, and made partakers of various distinguished blessings of his: both the above Targums are, "I brought you to the doctrine of my law", to receive it at this mount. (d) Scheuchzer. Physica Sacra, vol. 2. p. 186. (e) Hist. Animal. l. 12. c. 21. (f) Pausaniae Messenica, sive, l. 4. p. 250, 251.
Exodus 19:4
Israel at Mount Sinai
3Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, “This is what you are to tell the house of Jacob and explain to the sons of Israel:4‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.5Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Mounting Up With Eagles Wings - Part 1
By Leonard Ravenhill7.7K44:20OvercomingWaiting On GodStrength in GodEXO 19:4DEU 32:11JOB 39:27PSA 37:7PSA 103:5ISA 40:13ISA 40:22ISA 40:29MAT 11:28JHN 6:53Leonard Ravenhill emphasizes the power and majesty of God as depicted in Isaiah 40, particularly focusing on the promise that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength and soar like eagles. He contrasts the fleeting strength of youth with the enduring power of God, urging believers to embrace patience and trust in God's timing. Ravenhill illustrates how God, like an eagle, provides security and comfort to His people, encouraging them to rise above the challenges of a restless and impatient world. He calls for a deeper understanding of God's majesty and the importance of waiting on Him to experience true renewal and strength.
Holiness and Obedience
By B.H. Clendennen5.0K56:13ObedienceEXO 19:4In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of being a faithful steward of what God has given us. He highlights the need to function in our purpose and to walk in total freedom by surrendering ourselves to God. The preacher shares personal examples of how he has chosen to live in obedience to God's will, even when it goes against societal norms. He also addresses the danger of becoming legalistic and judgmental towards others who may not conform to certain outward standards. The sermon concludes with a reminder of the power of unity among believers and the blessings that come when we align our will with God's.
Mounting With Wings
By Leonard Ravenhill2.0K58:14Waiting On GodStrength in AdversityFreedomEXO 19:4DEU 32:11JOB 39:27PSA 37:7PSA 103:5ISA 40:29MAT 11:28JHN 6:53EPH 2:6REV 4:1Leonard Ravenhill emphasizes the power of waiting on the Lord, drawing from Isaiah 40:29-31, where God promises to renew the strength of those who trust in Him. He contrasts the majestic eagle, which soars high above the earth, with the impatience of modern society, urging believers to rise above their circumstances and live in the heavenly places God has prepared for them. Ravenhill illustrates how God, like an eagle, nurtures and strengthens His people, encouraging them to embrace their identity as children of God and to seek His presence for renewal and strength.
Israel's Communication
By Charles Anderson1.3K45:54IsraelEXO 19:4LEV 23:2NUM 10:2NUM 10:81CO 6:191CO 7:23HEB 10:25In this sermon, the speaker discusses the challenges faced by the Israelites during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. He emphasizes that the Israelites were not skilled warriors and were vulnerable to attacks from marauding tribes. Despite their weaknesses, the speaker highlights that the Israelites had a constant reminder of their pilgrim status and were not allowed to settle down along the way. The speaker also shares personal experiences and expresses gratitude for God's grace and support in difficult times.
Come Up
By Glenn Meldrum9111:08:48ExodusEXO 19:4EXO 20:18EXO 24:1EXO 33:11In this sermon, the speaker discusses various events and experiences related to the Exodus. He mentions a story about missionaries who risked their lives to bring the Gospel to a hostile tribe. The speaker also refers to a movie called "At the End of the Spear," which he claims inaccurately portrayed the missionaries' motives. Moving on to the book of Exodus, the speaker focuses on Exodus 19 and highlights God's purpose for the Exodus, which was to make the Israelites His treasured possession and a holy nation. The sermon concludes with a personal account of a powerful spiritual experience where people were convicted of their sins and experienced a sense of God's presence.
The Glory of the Latter House
By Carter Conlon77750:54Last DaysEXO 19:4HAG 2:4In this sermon, the speaker addresses the common misconception that simply studying, praying, and doing more will lead to a life of glory and ambassadorship for God. He uses the example of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, who had an intimate relationship with Jesus but still struggled to live out their faith. The speaker emphasizes that God's presence remains with us, even in our failures and shortcomings. He also highlights the need for true faith and conversion, as well as the consequences of lacking in these areas, such as a lack of fruitfulness and a spiritual drought. The speaker encourages believers to be strong, for God is with them, and to continue working for His glory.
On Eagles' Wings Pt 51
By Don Courville32830:14Radio ShowEXO 19:4PSA 17:8PSA 91:4ISA 40:31MAT 6:33ACT 2:38ROM 8:13In this sermon, the speaker shares a powerful testimony of a revival that took place in a town. Despite the initial lack of attendance at the planned evangelistic outreach, God moved in a miraculous way. The speaker emphasizes that when God moves, He doesn't play games and that it may be a wake-up call for churches to examine their spiritual condition. The revival resulted in the salvation of three young people, who were considered the worst in the community, and their transformation was evident through their baptism and joy in Jesus. The speaker encourages believers to have a heart for evangelism and to be open to God's orchestration in their lives and churches.
Wait on the Lord, Part 2
By Leonard Ravenhill7917:04Waiting On The LordSpiritual RenewalWaiting On GodEXO 19:4JOB 1:8PSA 103:5ISA 40:31MAT 6:33ROM 8:372CO 12:9EPH 2:6PHP 4:131PE 5:7Leonard Ravenhill emphasizes the importance of waiting on the Lord, using the analogy of eagles nurturing their young to illustrate God's care and the necessity of spiritual growth. He discusses how eagles must sometimes be pushed out of their comfort zones to learn to fly, paralleling this with the trials faced by Job, which serve to strengthen faith. Ravenhill encourages believers to rise above worldly distractions and live in the heavenly places, drawing strength from God to renew their spirits and fulfill their divine potential. He reminds the congregation that true strength comes from reliance on God rather than earthly possessions or status.
Deuteronomy 32:11
By Chuck Smith0Spiritual GrowthGod's ProtectionEXO 19:4DEU 32:11PSA 91:4PSA 103:13ISA 40:31ISA 46:4MAT 23:37JHN 3:3ROM 8:151PE 2:9Chuck Smith explores the metaphor of an eagle in Deuteronomy 32:11 to illustrate God's nurturing and protective nature. He emphasizes how God, like a mother eagle, stirs up the nest to encourage growth and independence in His children, revealing His parental love and strength. The sermon highlights that disturbances in our lives can be God's way of preventing complacency and leading us to greater heights. Smith reassures that even in times of confusion, God's love remains constant, guiding us as we learn to spread our wings and embrace our purpose.
Exodus 20:20
By Chuck Smith0Grace through ChristThe LawEXO 19:4EXO 20:3MAT 5:21MAT 5:27JHN 1:17ROM 3:23ROM 7:12GAL 3:24EPH 2:8HEB 10:1Chuck Smith discusses the significance of the Law given to the Israelites, emphasizing that it was a response to their commitment to obey God. He outlines the Ten Commandments as guidelines for a blessed life and highlights the purpose of the Law, which is to lead people to righteousness and prevent sin. Smith also addresses the shortcomings of humanity in adhering to the Law and the misinterpretations that have arisen over time, ultimately pointing to the need for grace through Christ to fulfill the Law's intent.
Himself
By Charles E. Cowman0EXO 19:4Charles E. Cowman preaches about the journey of being brought into a large place by God, symbolizing His infinite being where all life converges. Through humility and surrender, like David, we are led to God Himself, the ultimate destination. Just as the Israelites were carried on eagle's wings to God, we are called to full surrender, even in times of sorrow, disappointment, and loss, as God draws us closer to Himself, where true bliss is found.
- Adam Clarke
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
How I bare you on eagles' wings - Mr. Bruce contends that the word נשר nesher does not mean the bird we term eagle; but a bird which the Arabs, from its kind and merciful disposition, call rachama, which is noted for its care of its young, and its carrying them upon its back. See his Travels, vol. vii., pl. 33. It is not unlikely that from this part of the sacred history the heathens borrowed their fable of the eagle being a bird sacred to Jupiter, and which was employed to carry the souls of departed heroes, kings, etc., into the celestial regions. The Romans have struck several medals with this device, which may be seen in different cabinets, among which are the following: one of Faustina, daughter of Antoninus Pius, on the reverse of which she is represented ascending to heaven on the back of an eagle; and another of Salonia, daughter of the Emperor Galienus, on the reverse of which she is represented on the back of an eagle, with a scepter in her hand, ascending to heaven. Jupiter himself is sometimes represented on the back of an eagle also, with his thunder in his hand, as on a medal of Licinus. This brings us nearer to the letter of the text, where it appears that the heathens confounded the figure made use of by the sacred penman, I bare you on eagles' wings, with the manifestation of God in thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai. And it might be in reference to all this that the Romans took the eagle for their ensign. See Scheuchzer, Fusellius, etc. Brought you unto myself - In this and the two following verses, we see the design of God in selecting a people for himself. 1. They were to obey his voice, Exo 19:5, to receive a revelation from him, and to act according to that revelation, and not according to their reason or fancy, in opposition to his declarations. 2. They were to obey his voice indeed, שמוע תשמעו shamoa tishmeu, in hearing they should hear; they should consult his testimonies, hear them whenever read or proclaimed, and obey them as soon as heard, affectionately and steadily. 3. They must keep his covenant - not only copy in their lives the ten commandments, but they must receive and preserve the grand agreement made between God and man by sacrifice, in reference to the incarnation and death of Christ; for from the foundation of the world the covenant of God ratified by sacrifices referred to this, and now the sacrificial system was to be more fully opened by the giving of the law. 4. They should then be God's peculiar treasure, סגלה segullah, his own patrimony, a people in whom he should have all right, and over whom he should have exclusive authority above all the people of the earth; for though all the inhabitants of the world were his by his right of creation and providence, yet these should be peculiarly his, as receiving his revelation and entering into his covenant. 5. They should be a kingdom of priests, Exo 19:6. Their state should be a theocracy; and as God should be the sole governor, being king in Jeshurun, so all his subjects should be priests, all worshippers, all sacrificers, every individual offering up the victim for himself. A beautiful representation of the Gospel dispensation, to which the Apostles Peter and John apply it, Pe1 2:5, Pe1 2:9; Rev 1:6; Rev 5:10, and Rev 20:6; under which dispensation every believing soul offers up for himself that Lamb of God which was slain for and which takes away the sin of the world, and through which alone a man can have access to God.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians,.... The plagues he brought upon them in Egypt, and the destruction of them at the Red sea; these things they were eyewitnesses of, and needed no other proof or evidence to convince and assure them of them, and therefore must be under obligation to attend to what he was about to recommend unto them, for which reason this is observed: and how I bare you on eagles' wings; that is, as on eagles' wings, the note of similitude being wanting, but to be supplied; for it cannot be thought that they were literally bore on eagles' wings; but as that creature is reported to be very affectionate to its young, and careful of it, and, as is said, only to one; for, having more, it will cast away all but one, and reserve that, which it carefully nourishes; and being swift of flight, and strong of wing, it will in a remarkable manner take its young upon it, and safely and swiftly convey it where it pleases; of which See Gill on Deu 32:11. The eagle excels other birds both in its strength and in the size of its body; and especially its pectoral muscles, by which its wings are supported; are very strong, so that it can carry its young, and other things, on its back and wings; and some such thing nature itself seems to have required, as naturalists observe (d); and there are some histories, which, if true, greatly confirm and illustrate this. Aelianus (e) reports of Tilgamus, a Babylonian, and who afterwards was king of Babylon, and who seems to be the Tilgath Pilneser of the Scriptures, king of Assyria, that when a lad, being thrown down from the top of a tower, an eagle, which is a very quick sighted bird, saw him, and, before he came to the ground, flew under him, took him upon its back, and carried him into a garden, and gently let him down. So it is related of Aristomenes (f), that as he was casting headlong into a deep ditch by the Lacedemonians, where they used to throw condemned malefactors, an eagle flew under him, and bore him on its wings, and carried him to the bottom, without any hurt to any part of his body. Jarchi observes, that whereas other birds carry their young between their feet, for fear of those that fly above them, the eagle flying above all others, and so in no fear of them, carries its young upon its wings, judging it better that a dart should pierce that than its young. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase the words,"and I bore you on clouds, as on eagles' wings;''which covered, and protected, and sustained them, as the eagles' wings do its young; the former adds, from Pelusium, a city in Egypt, supposed by the Targumist to be the same with Rameses; where Jarchi observes the people of Israel were very swiftly gathered together as the place of their rendezvous, and were as safely brought from thence to the place where they now were. Thus the Lord showed an affectionate concern for Israel, took them under his care and protection, stood between them and the Egyptians in a pillar of cloud, and secured them from their arrows, and swiftly and safely removed them from the land of Egypt to the place where they now were, distinguishing them from all other nations, having chosen them to be a special people to himself: and brought you unto myself: to the mountain of God, where he had appeared to Moses, and given this as a sign and token of the truth of his mission, that he and Israel, when brought out of Egypt by him, should serve him on this mount; and now they were brought thither, where he was about not only to grant his presence in a very singular manner, but to deliver his law unto them, and enter into a covenant with them, and establish and settle them as his people; so that they were a people near unto the Lord, taken into covenant, and indulged with communion with him, and made partakers of various distinguished blessings of his: both the above Targums are, "I brought you to the doctrine of my law", to receive it at this mount. (d) Scheuchzer. Physica Sacra, vol. 2. p. 186. (e) Hist. Animal. l. 12. c. 21. (f) Pausaniae Messenica, sive, l. 4. p. 250, 251.