God gives both facts and metaphors to make our trust complete
By Dean Collins
Many of you are simply “all about the facts.” If you are old enough to have watched Dragnet you live by Detective Joe Friday’s mantra repeated in every episode. Whenever someone was explaining what they saw and began to speculate about the crime under investigation, Joe would say, “Just the facts, Ma’am .“ Some, like Joe, just want the data, the evidence, the proof. How someone feels is irrelevant and unnecessary.
And then there are those who prefer words and images because they motivate and stir the heart to action. They will concede that facts are helpful, but they need inspiration just to live. Words and stories stir hearts and minds, and then work follows inspiration.
The truth is that we need both. It seems the Holy Spirit was well aware of the range of human temperament, because the inspired words of Scripture contain many facts along with hundreds of stories. Many verses contain metaphors. The Bible uses legal terms, parables, and even poetry to help us on our journey.
A powerful mix
We see a powerful mix of fact with metaphor as we read the account of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. About two months into their journey, the people of Israel arrived and camped in the wilderness within view of Mt Sinai. Moses approached the mountain, and God gave him a message for the people:
“You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.…”
God drew his children’s attention by reminding them they had seen what he did, and now was the time to remember. In other words, look back at the facts. This moment was not about the future Promised Land’s abundance. This moment was a review of promises God had already kept, along with experiences they would have never believed had they not witnessed them personally. It’s one thing to hear someone say, “God always keeps his promises. You know he won’t abandon or forsake you.” When we are struggling or grieving or in the middle of the unknown, the promises will help. However, a good review of past facts may help you trust the future promises!
Then God continued with a metaphor: “I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. “ What was the point of those two months when God had carried them along on the journey? Moses spoke God’s message about remembering what God had done, and then the metaphor of being carried on an eagle’s wings hit home.
When you watch an eagle soar it appears effortless. Yes, eagles flap their wings at times, but they also catch the wind and seem to float without effort. When the children of Israel remembered what God had done in the last several weeks, they had to admit the metaphor was apt. God had carried their burden on his wings and delivered the people to this mountain where he would remind them of promises kept and offer a covenant that required them to keep promises to him.
Treasured possession, new relationship
God told his children they would be his treasured possession among all people. And he could deliver on his promises because he was creator and sustainer of the whole earth. God claimed not just kingship over Egypt and of his people’s future home but of all places and all people.
God finished his powerful message with a promise to his children in the wilderness that should sound familiar to us, his people now:
”You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
The apostle Peter said the very same thing about you and me. God’s promises were kept for Israel and carried forward to us in Christ. As people who have chosen to trust Jesus, we have been called into this amazing new relationship with God.
Living stones, holy priesthood, chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation. These are glorious and powerful declarations from the apostle to picture who we are in Christ. Because of Jesus we are a part of the royal family and, as royalty, we are to speak of all of the excellencies of our King. We are to proclaim both who he is and what he has done in our lives.
As those who have felt the mercy of God and experienced forgiveness and grace, as a people filled with love so great it’s hard to comprehend, we are now God’s ambassadors of good news. We can never accomplish this or become successful in living this kingdom life until we look beyond worldly goals. Our aim is to glorify God in everything. And when we do that we will experience what the children of Israel experienced and what Isaiah the prophet promised as well. We will be carried on the wings of God, soaring like eagles.
Review and rejoice
If you doubt this, then go back and review the facts. Name the times God rescued you, provided for you, got you through the dark place, delivered you from temptation, filled your heart that was broken by loss, and allowed you to sleep and wake up every day of your life. And based on the facts, then grab the metaphor and experience the most amazing ride of your life. Only the chosen people of God get to experience strength renewed and rest complete as they soar on the wings of eagles.
Your time with God’s Word
Exodus 19:4-6; Isaiah 40:28-31; 1 Peter 2:5, 9-11 ESV
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Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash
