Scripture Sunday: The Eagle and The Father of The Kingdom

Ezekiel 17:22-24
22 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. 24 All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.
​“‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’”
Mark 4:30-32
30 He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

The daddy mockingjay usually squawks at the dog, cat, or passerby getting too close to his nest. But this time, the squawking sounded more panicked, and it didn’t stop. I looked around and found his baby injured on the ground. I felt helpless as I watched the scene—this cannot be the way God meant for the world to be. I prayed for a way to help this vulnerable baby.

I thought of Jesus’ teachings about the birds, how not one falls to the ground without the Father knowing (Matt 10:29), and how the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that, when planted, is the smallest of all seeds but then has large branches where the birds can nest in safety (Mark 4:30-32). I thought of God watching me watch the bird, knowing it had fallen even before I noticed. God also desires a place of safety for all God’s creatures.

Trees in the Bible symbolize many different things. In the Garden of Eden, there were multiple trees, and two special ones: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. We learn from Revelation that we will eat from the tree of life in eternity with God. Another tree that appears is the large tree from Ezekiel that represents the Kingdom, often called the world tree or the cosmic tree. Almost every ancient nation has a story about the cosmic tree, a place that represents their community. The top branches are where the eagles dwell, representing the connection of the spiritual to the earthly; the middle is where the other birds and beasts live, symbolizing all of Creation; and the roots are the connection to the underworld where the snake lives.

In Ezekiel 17, we learn of these trees and how the eagles (Egypt and Babylon) have moved around the vine (Jerusalem), and it withered because of its (Jerusalem’s) infidelity to God. God then says that Godself will establish a new shoot that will grow into a cedar, where the birds will be safe and God is the ultimate King eagle who protects. The high and mighty will be brought down, and the lowly will be exalted, where the dead will be brought to life and the serpent is not present. This tree is the Kingdom of God, as Jesus announced at His coming. The smallest of seeds, the lowly seed, produces the large tree for protection.

God used the known constructs of the people to reveal new truths about the Kingdom. We meet God as an eagle in this passage, who is in control, who protects the tree, and brings new life. God is not only comfortable being identified with Creation as a human in Jesus, but God is also comfortable being identified with Creation as an eagle. God comes into the created world and gives dignity to physical creation, admiring the created world and order. 

 As shown in Mark and Matthew, God uses the known construct of Father to reveal new truths about the Kingdom. We share the connection to God as God’s children, like Jesus, and we get to be heirs of the Kingdom. God as Father means that God has a Son who will redeem all of Creation.
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As I prayed for the baby bird and the daddy bird, I realized I was the answer to my own prayer, and I needed to help the bird. I was reminded of God as an eagle who protects all the birds and brings new life. I thought of God as Father who cares for all of Creation, and I thought of the honor of being a child of God, able to help bring the coming of the Kingdom one lowly action at a time.

​Caroline Hiler is a Seminary Intern at Creation Justice Ministries.