While the undrafted Jamal Anderson, former NFL running back of the Atlanta Falcons introduced the dirty bird in 1998 to celebrate scoring a touchdown, this is not the inspiration for today’s blog. After reading the words of Leviticus 11:13 I was surprised to see that the eagle made God’s detestable list for birds. Sorting through which animals are considered clean and unclean to eat for Israel, the eagle is categorized as unclean. Despite this classification, I believe the eagle is more than a dirty bird.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFlci-M5pO4
On June 20th, 1782, the eagle became the national emblem of the United States of America. To honor this dirty bird, the great seal featuring the eagle was adopted, portrayed on the backs of gold coins, the silver dollar, half dollar and quarter. The rationale for this decision was based upon the eagle’s long life expectancy, mighty strength and effortless guiding through the sky. In addition, the eagle is a symbol of freedom, roaming over the vast spaces above mountain tops and hovering over the valleys below.
If you want to be accurate, the dirtiest birds are chickens and sea gulls based upon their hygiene habits. However, prior to modern technologies, individuals could not determine whether or not an animal was thoroughly cooked. Therefore, the book of Leviticus was written to warn Jews to forgo eating forbidden animals to prevent the contraction of aggressive bacteria and disease. Although the eagle is no longer on the endangered species list, the sight of one in nature often illicit a sense of pride. In God’s eyes, the eagle is more than a dirty bird, they are an image of hope, able to soar above the trials in life, Isaiah 40:30-31.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 