March 2 - The Woman and the Child (pt. 3)

March 2 – The Woman and the Child (Pt. 3)
Revelation 12:13-17

“When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring – those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

The next time we see the woman is in Rev. 12:13. The dragon has been hurled to earth and is pursuing her. The persecution of Israel is here. But, WHOOSH! A great eagle swept her away to a place prepared for her in the desert, out of the serpent’s reach.

Exodus 19:4 says, “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”

Deuteronomy 32:10-11, “In a desert land he found him (Jacob – renamed Israel), in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.”

In two OT instances we see God protecting Israel with an eagle.

The serpent continues to try to destroy Israel by spewing water – but the earth helps by opening its mouth and swallowing the river. This makes me think of how Satan used Pharaoh’s army to pursue the Israelites after allowing them to leave Egypt. The Red Sea is dead ahead and they’re trapped. What would they do? Well, God changed the order of nature and separated those waters for His children to pass through. The earth is a tool of God’s hands and when His children face impossible odds, He will use whatever tool is necessary to help them defeat Satan’s plans.

One last thing. The dragon (Satan) was enraged at the woman (Israel) and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring. Folks … that’s us. The church of Jesus Christ. Whether we are Jewish or Christian, we have come from Israel. Our faith rests in Jesus Christ, the child of Israel. It’s pretty profound.