The eagle represents those who forget God. Perhaps Adam saw the lone eagle on high, looking down on all and thought to himself, "That bird thinks he is a god".  When we forget God, we sometimes think we can make our own rules.

 

King Nebuchadnezzar forgot God and thought he built his kingdom all by himself.  His hair became like eagle's feathers and his nails like eagle's claws. <ref>{{bgw| Da 4:33 }} The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ [feathers], and his nails like birds’ [claws].</ref>  

The ossifrage eats almost only bones. It would have been quite a sight for Adam to see one tear his food apart and break the bones . He named the ossifrage 'divide'. We should avoid those things which simply cause division and with doctrines different from the Bible. <ref>{{bgw| Ro 16:17 }} Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.</ref>

Kites have the ability to ride the wind in an almost endless search. Did it look to Adam as if they were futile in their search? "Where?" is a question of the heathen <ref>{{bgw| Ps 115:2}} Wherefore should the heathen say, Where [is] now their God?</ref> and the flesh <ref>{{bgw| Ps 42:3}} My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where [is] thy God?</ref>. The kite represents the doubters. <ref>{{bgw| 2Pe 3:4 }} And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation. </ref> It is OK to doubt if you are willing to learn. But one who chooses to doubt and doesn't want to learn is called a "scoffer".

There are laws prohibiting mixing.  The seem silly: you can't mix seed in the field or the types of cloth you wear. They are part of the play or parable of the law to teach that we cannot mix law and grace, holiness and love, but must wait until we see it properly mixed on the cross. God is Holy <ref>{{bgw| 1Pe 1:16 }} Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.</ref> and he is Love <ref>{{bgw| 1Jo 4:8 }} He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.</ref>. Since no man has seen the Father except the Son <ref>{{bgw| Joh 1:18 }} No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].</ref>, no one can adequately explain God but the Son.  

'Owl' means 'why' and 'shovel. The shovel is used in the temple to move ashes from the altar. The ashes of burnt offerings represent Christ's total devotion to his Father. Christ laid down his own life. The scoffer does not understand 'Why', nor does he want to. <ref>{{bgw| 1Co 1:18 }} For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. </ref>

 

When you make your own rules, you are doing only what God can do. He tells us what is right and wrong. If you do it, you are pretending to be God. Since there is  only one God, you can't know him if you think you are God. Do you think your dad would like it if you always told him he wasn't your dad and you didn't have to follow his rules? If you love your dad, you do what he says. <ref>{{bgw| Joh 14:15 }} If ye love me, keep my commandments.</ref>

Perhaps Adam saw the Night Hawk hunting when he gave him the name 'must do violence'. God hates those who love to do violence <ref>{{bgw| Ps 11:5 }} The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.</ref>. The night hawk is a symbol of those. If you just like to fight, ask God to help you love instead.

Those who are spiritually dying are not a good source for spiritual teaching. Jesus used the word 'dead' to refer to those who are spiritually dead <ref>{{bgw| Mt 8:22 }} But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.</ref> The person who does more and more bad things is wasting away and we should not learn from them.

There are many instances in the riddles where referring to the death of Christ is a 'bad' thing, where referring to his resurrection is the 'good' thing. An example is that of the 'shibboleth' <ref>{{bgw| Jud 12:6 }} Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce [it] right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.</ref> Those who referred to a single grain 'sibboleth' (the death of Christ), were put to death, but those who referred to a whole ear or stream 'shibboleth' (the resurrection and fruitfulness of Christ), lived. The word 'hawk' refers to Christ's death.

We should not learn from the teachers that only speak of the death of Christ, but from those who speak of his resurrection. Long ago many people died on crosses, but only Jesus rose from the dead.

'Owl' means 'cup'. The cup symbolizes the will of God for the cross which has great things and terrible things. It was a great day because God chose to forgive men and dwell with us. But it was a terrible day because Christ, God in flesh, suffered and died at the hands of the men he came to save. <ref>{{bgw| Joe 2:31 }} The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.</ref>

The cup is a mixture of judgement and love; it is unclean as other mixtures. We are not to mix them. Only Christ could express them in unity.

The cormorant is an aquatic bird. It has webbed feet and swims under the water. It eats the fish which are swimming in the water, like the abominable lobster. When it dives into the water it looks like it has been cast out of the heavens. Adam named the cormorant 'cast out'.

'Darkness' is a positive from God's view, or a negative from our view. God expresses love and mercy symbolized by darkness; if we are in sin, and haven't been destroyed, we are receiving his mercy. We say that being in darkness is being in sin and presuming upon God's mercy; it looks like evil.

The swan, as a large bird, is not subject to being killed in large numbers by natural predators. Their numbers can swell until they are destructive to an environment. Those who are destructive should not be a source for our learning. <ref>{{bgw| Joh 10:10 }} The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.</ref>.

 

Sometimes people like to break things just to break them. They are like the swans, and we should avoid them.

Perhaps Adam watched a pelican scoop up his meal, and then vomit up the shell and rocks. He named it 'vomit after'. That's gross.

Vomit, like spit, is a symbol of rejection. <ref>{{bgw| Job 20:15 }} He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.</ref> Those who reject the word should not be teachers of the word. <ref>{{bgw| Pr 26:11 }} As a dog returneth to his vomit, [so] a fool returneth to his folly.</ref> The pelican represents those who reject the word of God.