| THE LION Prov. 28:1 |
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| The lion is mentioned more times in the bible than any other animal. There are 154 references to the lion and the overwhelming conclusion that one must come to in the study thereof is that the lion is a type of power! See the examples of 2 Sam. 23:20 and Rev. 9:8 & 17. Isaiah had a vision of impending judgment upon Israel and used the lion as a picture of the assult. See Isa. 5:26-30 It is important to note that the imagery of the power of the lion is applied three ways in scripture. 1) Of the Lord Jesus in His majesty and power 2) Of Satan in his power to assault men 3) Of men as they are either directly empowered by God or are permitted to have power to accomplish the purposes of God. Remember these as we note: I. The Capability of the Lion The male lion can grow to be as tall as four feet and up to ten feet in length. He can grow to represent as much as 500 pounds of raw brute strength. His front legs are tremendously strong and equipped with huge claws kept sharp by constant use. He can kill a fair sized animal with a single blow and break the neck of a large animal with ihs aweful jaws. He is a truly awesome creature. In this regard, the bible represents Satan. (1 Peter 5:8) No man in and of himself is any match for the devil. That is why God wrns in the next verse, "whom resist stedfast in the faith." The only way to defeat the devil and those empowered by him is by the power of God. (1 John 4:4) In this regard, the bible represents the Lord Jesus. (Rev. 5:1-5) Our Lord is the lion of the tribe of Judah and as such He said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matt. 28:18) In this regard, the bible represents the servants of God. Prov. 28:1 declares, "the righteous are bold as a lion." Whence is our boldness, yeah our power? Phil. 4:13. Note Balaam's testimony of the children of God in Num. 23:23, 24. II. The Cunning of the Lion Ps. 17:12 speaks of the fact that the lion stalks his prey and lies in wait to take it. Also Ps. 10:9. So it is with the wicked one. (Eph. 6:11 and 2 Tim. 2:26) Though Satan before his fall was described as being "perfect in wisdom" and is now wise to do evil, he has never approached the wisdom of God. That precious wisdom of God is ours to draw upon. (James 1:5-7) As the lion knows his prey, knows its habits and feeding places, so mush we be aware of the devil and not be "ignorant of his devices." So must we understand the men to whom we minister the Word of God. (Matt. 10:16) As the lion of ten works in harmony with other lions in the hunt, so must we learn to co-operate with others of like precious faith to get the job done for God. This is wisdom, cunning. III. The Courage of the Lion God has no fears! The devil fears none but God and those who trust God. The saints need not be filled with fears. (2 Tim. 1:7 and Isa. 26:3) IV. The Carriage of the Lion The lion is not only noted as the king of the beasts because of his great strength, fearlessness, and invincibility, but also for his appearance. His great mane growing about his neck gives him a regal bearing. Unless in the process of stalking prey he lifts his head high and roars defiantly to all comers. (Prov. 30:30) Our Lord, the lion of the tribe of Judah is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. While God would not have us to be proud and arrogant, we have no reason to cast our eyes to the floor. We are children of the King. We represent a holy, almighty and triumphant King. As ambassadors for Christ and a kingdom of priests it hehooves us to live our Christian lives with the dignity becoming our blessed position. We have no reason to be ashamed before this wicked world. |
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