PSALM 27:2 COMMENTARY Written and edited by Glenn Pease

2. When evil men advance against me

to devour my flesh,

when my enemies and my foes attack me,

they will stumble and fall.

1. David is able to look ahead to being attacked by evil men who are as vicious as

wild beasts coming to rip him apart, and like a lion seek to devour him. All of us

have this same potential future, for Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom

he may devour, and we are his potential victims. David was under attack most all of

his life, and God had protected him from all of them, and so he has full confidence

that God will not let him down in the future attacks. His victory record is as long as

his arm, and this has given him a strong positive feeling about the future. He has a

positive perspective about the future because of the record of the past. There is no

reason for God to change his protection of him, for he is devoted to God and doing

his will. You can have full assurance and confidence that God will not change if you

have not changed. If you are walking in his will and seeking to please him, there is

not reason to doubt that he will continue to be your savior from enemies.

1B. Spurgeon, "This verse records a past deliverance, and is an instance of the way

in which experience should be employed to reassure our faith in times of trial. Each

word is instructive. When the wicked. It is a hopeful sign for us when the wicked

hate us; if our foes were godly men it would be a sore sorrow, but as for the wicked

their hatred is better than their love. Even mine enemies and my foes. There were

many of them, they were of different sorts, but they were unanimous in mischief and

hearty in hatred. Came upon me --advanced to the attack, leaping upon the victim

like a lion upon its prey. To eat up my flesh, like cannibals they would make a full

end of the man, tear him limb from limb, and make a feast for their malice. The

enemies of our souls are not deficient in ferocity, they yield no quarter, and ought to

have none in return. See in what danger David was; in the grip and grasp of

numerous, powerful, and cruel enemies, and yet observe his perfect safety and their

utter discomfiture! They stumbled and fell. God's breath blew them off their legs.

There were stones in the way which they never reckoned upon, and over these they

made an ignominious tumble. This was literally true in the case of our Lord in

Gethsemane, when those who came to take him went backward and fell to the

ground; and herein he was a prophetic representative of all wrestling believers who,

rising from their knees shall, by the power of faith, throw their foes upon their

faces."

1C. "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my

flesh, they stumbled and fell. There is no such dainty dish to a malicious stomach, as

the flesh of an enemy; it goes down without chewing, and they swallow it up whole

like cormorants. But though malice have a ravenous stomach, yet she hath but slow

digestion; though her teeth be sharp, yet her feet are lame, at least apt to stumble;

and this made well for David, for when his enemies came upon him to eat up his

flesh, because they came upon the feet of malice, they stumbled and fell. A man may

stumble and yet not fall; but to stumble and fall withal, is the proper stumbling of

the wicked, and especially of the maliciously wicked; and such, it seems, was the

stumbling of David's enemies, because the enemies were such; and such I doubt not

shall be the stumbling of mine enemies, because mine are such; and of what then, of

whom now, should I be afraid?" Sir Richard Baker.

1D. "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my

flesh, they stumbled and fell. He describes his enemies by their malice and by their

ruin. 1. His enemies were cruel enemies, blood suckers, eaters of flesh. We call them

cannibals. As indeed men that have not grace, if they have greatness, and be

opposed, their greatness is inaccessible, one man is a devil to another. The Scripture

calls them "wolves, that leave nothing till morning." Zep 3:3. As the great fishes eat

up the little ones, so great men they make no more conscience of eating up other

men, than of eating bread; they make no more bones of overthrowing men and

undoing them, than of eating bread. "They eat up my people as they eat bread." Ps

14:4. 2. But not withstanding their cruelty, they were overthrown. Saith David,

When my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. For, indeed,

God's children, when they are delivered, it is usually with the confusion of their

enemies. God doth two things at once, because the special grievance of God's

children it is from inward and outward enemies. He seldom or never delivers them

but with the confusion of their enemies. This will be most apparent at the day of

judgment when Satan, and all that are led by his spirit, all the malignant church,

shall be sent to their own place, and the church shall be for ever free from all kind

of enemies. When the church is most free, then the enemies of the church are

nearest to destruction; like a pair of balances, when they are up at the one end, they

are down at the other. So when it is up with the church, down go the enemies."

Richard Sibbes.

2. Barnes wrote, "To eat up my flesh - As if they would eat me up. That is, they

came upon me like vicious hungry lions. We are not to suppose that they literally

purposed to eat up his flesh, or that they were cannibals; but the comparison is one

that is drawn from the fierceness of wild beasts rushing on their prey." In Psalm

22:13 David said, "They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a

roaring lion."Again in Psalm 3:7 David saw his enemies like wild beasts with fangs

ready to take a chunk out of him. " Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou

hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the

ungodly." He is delighted that God has defanged his foes, and now they cannot bite

him. In Psa 57:4 he says,"My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that

are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their

tongue a sharp sword." The fact that David pictures his foes as vicious animals

rather than warriors indicates that their opposition to him was evil on the level of

the inhuman, and that they were directed by the Evil One. "Fierce armies are said

to roar, devour, and carry away nations like lions overtaking their prey. (Is 5:29;

15:9; Jer 2:15; 4:7; 5:6, 49:19; 50:44; Ezek 38:13; Joel 1:6). The kings of Assyria

and of Babylon were "lions" who scattered Israel like sheep (Jer 50:17). In St.

John's Revelation the fierceness of the locusts from the bottomless pit is displayed in

their lion-like teeth (Rev 9:8)."

2B. "The following description from the Psalms has been interpreted as comparing

the actions of both wicked men and the devil to a lion which "sits in the lurking

places of the villages; in the secret places he murders the innocent; his eyes are

secretly fixed on the helpless. He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; he lies in

wait to catch the poor; he catches the poor when he draws him into his net. So he

crouches, he lies low, that the helpless may fall by his strength. He has said in his

heart, 'God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see'" (Psa 10:8-11).

2C. It helps us understand the violent killing of those evil pagans that God judged so

severely by seeing that they were vicious allies of Satan, and so evil that they needed

to be eliminated for the sake of mankind’s future. We do not think of lions in

connection with Israel, but lions were numerous in those days, and they were

vicious, and that is why the wicked enemies were portrayed as lions, and why Satan

is as well. Lion, lions, and lioness are referred to 133 times in the Bible. Jesus is

called the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and in the Chronicles of Narnia the lion

represents Christ. There are whole books dealing with the lions of ancient Israel,

and numerous articles by archaeologists. The Apostle Paul even used the lion image

of those who sought to kill him and spoil his ministry. He said in II Tim. 4:17

"Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the

preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was

delivered out of the mouth of the lion."

3. Look at a few texts about lions just in Psalms and Proverbs.

Psalm 7:2 or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to

rescue me.

Psalm 10:9 like a lion in cover they lie in wait. They lie in wait to catch the helpless;

they catch the helpless and drag them off in their nets.

Psalm 17:12 They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in

cover.

Psalm 22:13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me.

Psalm 22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the

wild oxen.

Psalm 35:17 How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my

precious life from these lions.

Psalm 57:4 I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among man-eating

beasts, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

Psalm 58:6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; LORD, tear out the fangs of

those lions!

Psalm 91:13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion

and the serpent.

Psalm 104:21 The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.

Proverbs 20:2 A king's wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion; those who anger

him forfeit their lives.

Proverbs 26:13 A sluggard says, "There's a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming

the streets!"

Proverbs 28:15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a

helpless people.

4. Believe it or not, we could spend a great deal of time just studying what the Bible

has to say about lions. It was a part of the Biblical culture, but it is not a part of our

culture, and so we do not see the relevance of studying lions. We need to be

reminded that Jesus said we are to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth

of God, and lion is one of the words used in Scripture more than a good many other

words. Plus, Paul said, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching,

for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may

be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). If we believe Jesus

and Paul, then there has to be value in studying lions. Especially when we see the

following facts.

SIX WORDS ARE USED IN THE BIBLE ABOUT LIONS:

1. GOR, a young or baby lion.

2. KEPHIR, a fast and strong shaggy haired animal.

3. ARI, one cruel to it's enemy, A PULLER INTO PIECES.

4. SHAHAL, a roarer, --- A MATURE LION.

5. LAISH, the tribe of Dan received it's name here --- strong, brave, ferrous, strong.

6. LABI, to be loud, to roar, to strike fear.

5A1. We could, for example, study Daniel in the lions den, which is one of the most

often told stories of the Bible, and one of the most preached texts of the Bible. But

that would take us too far astray from David's message here. All we need to know is

that God has control over lions, and he kept their mouth shut so they would not

make Daniel their dinner. Then we also have Samson who met a roaring lion and

with his bare hands tore the lion apart. This was a real switch, for everywhere else

in Scripture the lions are tearing the men apart. Then you have Solomon who was

obsessed with lions. He made them the symbol of his kingdom, and we read about it

in I Kings 10:18-20 where it deals with the splendor of Solomons palace. It says,

"Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. 19

The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat

were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 20 Twelve lions stood on

the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for

any other kingdom." Solomon was surrounded with 14 lions overlaid with gold.

Many monarchs have had lions along side their thrones and out in front, but none,

as far as we know, have ever had 14 of them as a part of their throne. These have

never been found, but in the book The Archaeology of Ancient Israel by Amnon

Ben-Tor, R. Greenberg, he says, "The largest item of sculpture discovered so far in

Canaan is the lion."God's people stood in awe of the lion, and all it represented in

terms of power, dignity and beauty.

5A2. In Solomon's temple, bronze carts were designed with lions and palm trees

upon them (1 Ki 7:27-37). A beautiful image of the resurrection of Israel was found

in Ezekial's vision of the walls of the millennial temple which were covered from top

to bottom with palm trees along with cherubs who had two faces: one of a lion and

one of a man (Ezek 41:18-19). "And it was made with cherubims and palm trees, so

that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two

faces; 19 So that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the

face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: it was made through all

the house round about."

5B. Tim O'hearn wrote, "Almost as often as a lion is used to describe evil, it is used

to describe God. Isaiah 31:4 says God will defend His people like a lion over his

prey, facing down a mob of shepherds (or is that a flock of shepherds?). "Like as the

lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called

forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise

of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the

hill thereof." Jeremiah 4:5-8 pictures God going out to destroy nations like a lion

making the wild country desolate." This is a good place to deal with the need to

beware of presumption. Satan tried to get Jesus to jump off the temple and prove he

was protected as the Psalm said about not letting him be hurt. Jesus said "Thou

shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Tempting God is claiming a promise that does

not apply to you, and the Bible is full of them that apply only to the people they are

addressed to. It is presumption to act on them without special revelation that they

apply to you. In Luke 10:19 Jesus said, "I have given you authority to trample on

snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will

harm you." Why is it presumption to claim this promise? It is because it was given

to seventy two specific men on a very specific mission, and it was fully completed,

and that promise cannot be claimed ever again unless God conveys it directly to

another person, and even then it would be suspecious, and so doubted by anyone

told of it.

5C."A man in Ukraine set out to prove that the Lord would protect him when he

clambered into the lion enclosure at a Kiev zoo Sunday, The St Petersburg Times

reports. An official at the zoo said: "The man shouted 'God will save me, if he

exists', lowered himself by a rope into the enclosure, took his shoes off and went up

to the lions." The man got his answer when an affronted lioness grabbed him by the

throat and killed him in front of horrified visitors. The official helpfully explained:

"A lioness went straight for him, knocked him down and severed his carotid

artery." Presumption is Satan's counterfeit faith. He persuades us that it is being a

person of great faith to take risky leaps based on God's promises when we have not

fulfilled the conditions of those promises.

5D. God commded Israel to go up and take the land. They refused to do it, and he

became angry at them and said he would not go with them. Later they repented and

said they would go after all, but failed to get a renewed word from God to go. They

just presumed he would be with them And the result we read in Deut 1:41-45 (NIV)

Then you replied, "We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, as the

Lord our God commanded us." So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it

easy to go up into the hill country. But the Lord said to me, "Tell them, 'Do not go

up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.'"

So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord's command

and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country. The Amorites who

lived in those hills came out against you; they chased you like a swarm of bees and

beat you down from Seir all the way to Hormah. You came back and wept before

the Lord, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you."

They claimed a promise, but out of time with the will of God, and they suffered from

the folly of presumption.

5E. New Testament saints are warned about being presumptuous in James 4:13-16.

"Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,

and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not

know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a

little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we

will live and also do this or that.’ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such

boasting is evil." We need to pray the prayer of David, ""Keep back thy servant

also from presumptuous sins."—Psalm 19:13.

6. It is of interest to us as Christians that the Bible portrays both Jesus and Satan as

lions, and rightly so, for there is no other animal that can rightly portray these two

greatest opponents in the universe. Here are the two texts where both are portrayed

as lions.

1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a

roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Revelation 5:5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the

tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and

its seven seals."

7. There is a lesson here, for it means that the same thing can be either good or bad

depending on which aspect of it is being considered. That is what paradox is all

about, and why the same thing can be seen as so radically different because of the

way it is looked at. The same thing can be seen from more than one perspective. Can

the same river be called narrow and wide? Yes, if it is seen from different

perspectives, for it can be narrow at one point, but quite wide a mile down. Opposite

things can be true of the same thing. Just because something is true does not means

that its opposite cannot also be true. It is meaningless to argue over whether the lion

is good or bad, for there are many texts that support both. It all depends on the

perspective from which you see it. If you are looking at its eating habits it is bad, but

if you are looking at its dignity and boldness it is good. Proverbs 28:1 says, "The

wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion." We have a

tremendous lesson to learn from this verse about being bold. In Psalm 138:3 David

was delighted that God heard his prayer, and he wrote, "When I called, you

answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted." David became famous because

of his boldness that enabled him to face and defeat Goliath, and the lion, and the

many enemies that he had to encounter on the battlefield. The heroes of history

became such because they were given the gift of boldness.

7B. The boldness of David in fighting against the enemies of God is the very thing

the New Testament Christians needed, and so we read in Acts 4:23-31, "On their

release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief

priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices

together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and

the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit

through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

" 'Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

26The kings of the earth take their stand

and the rulers gather together

against the Lord

and against his Anointed One. 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together

with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy

servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had

decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable

your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to

heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy

servant Jesus." 31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

7C. With lion-like boldness they turned the world upside down, and made

Christianity a world wide faith. Kent Philpott wrote, "The church prayed for

boldness; they received boldness. As a result, the Gospel was proclaimed fearlessly.

The Holy Spirit did it. It was exactly as Jesus had taught them not long before —

‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my

witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’

(Acts 1:8). It is the work of the Holy Spirit to make us bold to proclaim the gospel of

Jesus Christ. Boldness sees the condition of those who are lost and cares enough to

proclaim Jesus Christ as the Saviour of sinners — that the lost might find shelter

beneath his wings. This Spirit-given boldness is not arrogant. It is compassionate,

frank, courageous, plain, fearless, and confident. We who know Christ (whether

preachers or ordinary Christians) must depend on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If

we ask for the Holy Spirit to make us bold in our work and witness he will do so!

7D. Victor Shepherd gives us some deep insight on the place boldness plays in the

life of the Christian. He writes, "What single word says the most about the Christian

life? I imagine that most people would say “love”. Others would say “faith”. A few

might say “discipleship”. In the book of Acts, however, the single word that is used

most frequently to speak of the Christian life is “boldness”. Christians are bold.

They speak boldly. They act boldly. Actually the one Greek word PARRHESIA is

translated by many different English words in scripture: boldness, forthrightness,

frankness, confidence, plainness, outspokenness. The one Greek word admits, even

requires, so many different translations in that it resembles shot silk. Shot silk is a

textile that is dyed a particular colour; blue, for instance. As light falls on blue shot

silk from different angles; as the angle of vision on the part of the viewer changes,

the blue colour takes on slightly different hues: blue-shiny, blue-flat, blue-grey,

blue-black. It is still blue, but because of the shot silk it is always a variegated blue,

a blue with constantly changing nuances depending on the angle at which light falls

on it as well as on the angle from which the viewer views it.

7D2. So it is with the word “bold”. Bold, yes, but not in the sense of cheeky; bold,

but not in the sense of pushy or nervy or smart-alecky. The latter kind of boldness

only puts people off. There is nothing to commend a boldness that is little more

than rudeness. In the book of Acts the apostles are said over and over to speak and

act boldly, frankly, openly. A dozen different English words are used in any

translation of the bible to translate the one Greek word (PARRHESIA) that

describes the public demeanour of Christians. There is a forwardness about them

that isn’t cheeky, a directness that isn’t discourteous, a forthrightness that isn’t

insensitive, an outspokenness that isn’t saucy, a bluntness that isn’t brutal, a

plainness that isn’t brazen, a confidence that isn’t cocky. This characterizes

Christians, says Luke, even as it first characterized him who is the Christians’

Lord." Our Lord is the lion of Judah, and we are to be like him, and thus be lion-

like in boldness.

7E. In 1Thessalonians 2:1–2 Paul describes what happened when he came from

Philippi to Thessalonica, and lived and ministered among the Thessalonians: "For

you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but after we

had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the

boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition."

Christian boldness is being willing to stick your neck out for Christ, and be a

witness for him even when it means people will oppose you. This has to be done with

wisdom and tact, however, and not with boldness alone. I have a close friend who

was converted from a terrible life of sin and folly, and he was so full of enthusiasm

to witness for Christ that he bugged people on the job. He got too many complaints,

and was almost fired and had to learn to control himself of lose his job. Boldness

needs to be guided by wisdom so that one does not become a nuisance and a

hindrance to others, especially on the job. I led a man to Christ many years ago

when I worked in a factory, but we were cleaning printing presses after the work

day was done, and we were alone in the factory. I witnessed a lot to my boss too, but

it was his choice, and so I was not doing anything that robbed the company of time,

because we worked as we talked. I have been too timid at times in life to speak up

for Christ, and I have been bold to do so, and that is probably the typical story.

That is why we all need to pray for God to give us the boldness of the lion to not

back away when the opportunity comes to give a roar for our Lord.

7F. The key to being bold is escaping from self centeredness where we worry about

what others will think of us. Paul says, "we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who

examines our hearts." and "nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or

from others." When you don't care about what others think of you, but about what

they think of Christ, then you can be free from those fears that hold you back from

being bold for Christ. There is an epitath on a tomb in the Westminster Abbey that

reads, "He feared man so little because he feared God so much." Some people are

only bold when they have nothing to lose. Such was the boldness of the man in this

story. "Their was a condemned man on death row who was asked what he would

like for his last meal before execution. The menu was - Lobster, Filet Mignon, Beef

Wellington, Caviar or Shrimp. The prisoner replied - “I’d like a bowl of

mushrooms.” The warden was surprised, “Why a bowl of mushrooms?” The

prisoner replied, “I’ve always been afraid I’d die eating them…..” Christian

boldness is being willing to be a witness for Christ even when it costs you to lose

favor in the eyes of others, because your desire is to have the favor of God rather

than the favor of men.

8. Joe Flower give us this insight on the cleverness of the lions. "When lions hunt

antelopes, the pride's dominant male stays where he is, while the female lions -- the

real hunters, swifter than the male -- sneak around to the far side of the herd, fan

out in a wide semi-circle, and lie down in the grass. The dominant male, bigger but

slower, really incapable of catching the antelope by himself, takes on the job of

suddenly leaping up and roaring at the antelope. He's good at it. The antelope bolt

from him -- and run straight into the trap laid by the waiting females. For the

antelope, salvation would lie in running toward the roar, in deliberately picking out

the thing that is most terrifying, and moving toward the source of the fear. No

antelope has ever been known to do that. Very few humans can, either -- but they

are the only ones who can learn to deal with the change that they fear." What he is

saying is that if you are going to be as bold as a lion, which is God's will for you,

then you have to run toward what frightens you rather than away from it. In other

words face your fears and confront them face to face. It is a paradox, for nature tells

us to run from fear, but God says be bold and run toward the roar. We are not

talking about literal lions, of course, if I hear the roar of a lion anywhere near, you

can count on it I am going the other way fast. But if I am wise, as the Proverbs of

God want me to be, I will boldly face my fears and conquor them.

9. I have heard the roar of the lions many times, however, and never ran. My

second year at Bethel we lived in the married couples dorm, and though we were a

half a mile away from Como Park, we could often hear the lions roar, and every

once in awhile we would go over to see them, and so I have run toward the roar, but

keep your applause to a minimum, please. But let me share a paradox to comfort

those of you who feel more cowardly than bold when it comes to running toward the

roar. Amos 3: 8 says, "The lion has roared-who will not fear?" This paradox we will

explore more when we study fear, but the point is, Scripture recognizes that fear is a

valid emotion when facing danger. Over and over the Bible says fear not, and yet it

also say you cannot help but be fearful when you hear the mighty roar of the man

eating beast, the lion. So we face the paradox, do we run from the roar, or to the

roar. They are opposites, and yet both can be shown to be the right thing to do.

Several authorities confirm that the roar of the lion has been heard for as much as

five miles away.

10. But for now lets look at the need to be bold as the lion. Proverbs 30:30 says, "A

lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any." They are the

king of the beasts, and so they boldly stand up to any challenge to their authority

and power. This does not mean that Christians are to become a bunch of arrogant

dictators who manipulate others through fear. It means that we are to be bold and

not let the opponents of Christianity to go unchallenged. We are called to be

warriors who will fight the good fight of faith for Christ. Don't back down or turn

away from a conflict where the name of Christ is slandered. Be bold to debate any

who challenge your faith in him. Be bold with Paul saying, ""I can do all things

through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13) Fear leads to flight, but

boldness leads to fight. Fighting for the faith has nothing to do with injuring anyone

like a lion would, but it means fighting for the truth of God's Word.

11. John Piper preached a message from Phil. 1:27-8 and said, "Lead a life worthy

of the gospel," Paul said. Let your life be an advertisement for how valuable the

gospel is. And then Paul said that one of the effects that the gospel has on the life of

those who believe it is fearlessness. "Lead a life worthy of the gospel so that when I

come I may find that you stand firm, unafraid of any of your opponents." In other

words, one of the ways that our lives show the worth of the gospel is when the gospel

makes us bold and courageous and unafraid." He is saying that just as lions do not

face other animals, however vicious and strong, so believers are not to back down,

but stand with courage before all opponents of the faith. The history of Christian

heroism illustrates how boldness has been a major factor in the progress of the

church in reaching the world. A study of boldness could take us on a journey

through great chapters of history, biography, missions, and martyrdom, but we

have to cut the journey short. We end with this verse Romans 16:20 The God of

peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with

you." What a paradox-he is a God of peace, but he will crush his opponent, for there

can be no peace until he his crushed.

12. We do want to focus for awhile, however, on the greatest lion in the Bible, and

that is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Revelation 5:5 "Then one of the elders said to

me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has

triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Jesus and the lion have

some characteristics in common.

A. Strength Prov. 30:30 says the lion is the strongest of beasts. When God wants to

say men are strong, he compares their strength to that of the lion. "Lions are built

for strength. They have been observed dragging 600 pound animals that they have

killed considerable distances. The strength of a lion has long been the standard by

which to judge real strength. David needed soldiers who were strong, for his forces

were far fewer than those of many of his enemies, and so he had men described like

this in I Chron. 12:8, "And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David

into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that

could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were

as swift as the roes upon the mountains.." "The highest compliment which biblical

writers could give was to indicate that a person had the face or heart of a lion. Ari,

the most common term for lion, means "the strong one." In Isaiah 29:1 Jerusalem is

called "Ariel," implying that the capital of the Jewish nation is "the strong [lion-

like] city of God." "Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in

their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger

than lions." (2 Sam. 1:23)

A2. Admiration for the lion's masculine strength and courage caused it to be the

insignia of the Roman legions. Supposedly, the king of beasts would be wise and

just, possessing spiritual powers equal to his physical attributes. For this reason, the

Pharaohs of Egypt were sometimes pictured as lions and English kings adopted the

lion as their emblem. Many rulers including Alexander the Great were depicted

wearing lion's heads on the coins minted during their reigns. "A great philosopher

and lion-lover, Dr. Paul Eck, once told me this about lions. “Why is the lion king?

Because he has no fear. He's got power and he knows it. No one has to tell him; he

was born with it. That's why God put lions on earth -- to show people where power

comes from.” Jesus said that he had all power in heaven and on earth. There is no

one who can compare to Jesus in power, for it is his power that made all things, and

by his power all is sustained. As the Lion of the Tribe of Judah he is the power that

judges the world. He alone has the strength and authority to do that. Judah was the

key tribe in Israel, and Jesus was of that tribe, and as the lion it means he is the

King of God's people.

A3. "The tribes of Judah, Gad, and Dan are favorably described as lions because of

their strength, courage, and fierceness in battle especially when taking the Promised

Land from the Canaanites (Gen 49:9; Deu 33:20; 33:22). When Balak hires Balaam

to curse the Israelites in the wilderness, Balaam instead blesses Israel and

prophesies its conquest of the Promised Land, saying, "Look, a people rises like a

lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion; it shall not lie down until it devours the prey,

and drinks the blood of the slain" (Num 23:24; see also Num 23:27). During the

period of the Maccabees, the remnant of Jacob is described as a conquering lion

among the nations (Micah 5:8-9)."

B. Roar. The voice of God is compared to the roar of the lion, and the Father and

the Son are one in the role they portray in the Old Testament. "The lion hath

roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?"

(Amos 3:8) "They shall walk after the Lord: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall

roar, then the children shall tremble from the west." (Hos. 11:10) (See also Rev.

10:3) Joel 3:16 The LORD roars from Zion And utters His voice from Jerusalem,

And the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His people

And a stronghold to the sons of Israel. Amos 1:2 He said, "The LORD roars from

Zion And from Jerusalem He utters His voice; And the shepherds' pasture grounds

mourn, And the summit of Carmel dries up." Isa. 31:4 "For thus hath the LORD

spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a

multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their

voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come

down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof." Isa. 42:13, "The LORD shall

go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry,

yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies." Jer. 25:30, "Therefore prophesy

thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on

high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his

habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the

inhabitants of the earth." The roar of the lion throws fear into the other animals,

and they flee. So the roar of the Lord causes his foes to tremble and flee, for it

represents his ferocious anger, which is expressing his wrath.

C. Boldness. To be lion-hearted is to be bold and coragous. Richard I of England

was called Richard the Lion-hearted because of his leading the third Crusade with

such boldness and courage. This is a vast topic, and so I will sum it up with one

paragraph by Dr. Mark Mueller, "When I think of Jesus, a smile comes to my face

because He is a man who is bold. Webster’s Dictionary defines being bold as moving

forward to meet danger. It is exhibiting a daring audaciousness. Jesus is such a man.

Jesus is a man who has command over the demons. They shutter in His presence.

Jesus causes the dead to rise from the grave. Death has no hold of Him. He gives

healing to the lame and blind. Jesus walks on water. He causes the winds and the

waves to become quiet. He is a man who can say to the mountain move or the fig

tree be withered and the mountain moves and the fig tree withers. He heals on the

Sabbath, eats and drinks with sinners, violates Jewish law and questions Roman

allegiance. Everywhere Jesus goes He seems to stir the pot of those who needed their

pot stirred. In contemporary U-Tube language, “He pokes the kitty.” Today, He

rides into Jerusalem, not under the cover of darkness but during the day in a

parade where He is the only party in the parade. He is bold and if you want to be

like Jesus, be bold as well. But be bold in things of God. I am not talking about

running a red light at a traffic signal as a sign of your boldness. I am talking of

welcoming the stranger, feeding the homeless, helping those addicted to drugs and

alcohol, sharing your faith, praying in public, reading your Bible, calling upon the

Holy Spirit, and standing firm upon the foundations of your faith. That is Biblical

boldness, the boldness of Jesus. And there is example after example of it in the

Bible." "Again, to pursue this would take us on a long journey through the life of

Jesus. Suffice it for now that Jesus was as bold as a lion.

D. Dangerous and deadly. God used lions as a weapon of judgment, and many

people were killed by lions because of the wrath of God. It is a topic nobody studies,

but it is a major issue in the Bible, that lions are God's tools of his wrath. II Kings

17 is all about God's judgment. The people of God were carried away captive, and

the pagans that were brought in to resettle the land worshipped all kinds of idols so

that the land was polluted with idolatry. We read in 17:24-26, "The king of Assyria

brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled

them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and

lived in its towns. 25 When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD; so

he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. 26 It was reported to

the king of Assyria: "The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria

do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them,

which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires."

D2. In I Kings 13:24-26 we have a story of a young prophet who refused to obey a

direct command of God. God warned him that disobedience would mean his death,

but he went ahead anyway and disobeyed, and it made God angry. We read, "And

when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was

cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. 25 And,

behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by

the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 26

And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said,

It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the

LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him,

according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him."

D3. In Hos. 13:4 we read of God's anger at his people for their horrible idolatry,

"But I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall

acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. 5 I cared for you in the desert, in

the land of burning heat. 6 When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were

satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me. 7 So I will come upon them like a

lion, like a leopard I will lurk by the path. 8 Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will

attack them and rip them open. Like a lion I will devour them; a wild animal will

tear them apart. 9 "You are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against me,

against your helper." Earlier in 5:14 God said, "For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,

like a great lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away; I will carry them

off, with no one to rescue them." When God roars and plays the role of the lion,

people had better be scared, for he is dangerous and deadly as a lion. In Joel 1:6

God describes the people he is bringing against Israel to judge them. "For a nation

is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of

a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion." In other words, they are deadly.

In another place we see God declaring that his people are roaring at him like angry

lions. In Jer. 12:7-8 God says, " 7 "I will forsake my house, abandon my

inheritance; I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies. 8 My

inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me; therefore I

hate her." Again the whole chapter is about God's judgment on his people. He loves

them, but they are brats of the highest order, and he is not going to take their

roaring at him any longer. It is time for the daddy lion to whip his cubs into shape,

no matter how it hurts. At least God did not say, "This is going to hurt me more

than you." Here is another great paradox, for God hates these people that he loves.

It is called ambivalence, and all of us can experience it, for we can just hate things

about those we love, and bratty children are on the top of the list.

D4. When the lion of the tribe of Judah roars, as the Son of God, it can also be the

sound of great judgment, and we read about it in Rev. 6:12-17, "And I beheld when

he had opened the Sixth Seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun

became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth even as a fig tree

casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven

departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were

moved out of their places. And the Kings of the Earth, and the great men, and the

rich men and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and

every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. And

said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that

sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of His

wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" In like a lamb and out like a lion is

the history of mankind. They came into existence by the grace of God with nothing

but peace and tranquility, but the end will be wrath and fierce anger of judgment

before there is a new beginning with a new heaven and new earth. Jesus the Lamb

of God has a final role to play in the lives of those who refuse his role as Lamb, who

laid down his life and shed his blood for their sin that they might have life, and that

final role is that of the lion of judgment. The Lamb becomes a lion, and his roar is

the most dangerous and deadly of sounds.

D5. The good news is that if we love Jesus as the Lamb of God, he will be the lion of

God to us and deliver us from the lion of Satan who seeks to devour us. Psalm 7:1-2

says, "O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that

persecute me, and deliver me: Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces,

while there is none to deliver." There is only one lion that can take on the lion of evil

and deliver the righteous, and that is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. There is a lion

against us, but greater is the lion who is for us than the lion who is against us. He

needs only be feared by those who will not accept him as Savior. To them he is the

most dangerous of all beings. God has always been the Savior from lions to those

who love him. In Psalm 91:13-14 we read, "You will tread upon the lion and the

cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14 "Because he loves me,"

says the LORD, "I will rescue him;I will protect him, for he acknowledges my

name." The Bible makes it clear that every person has either a lion for a friend, or a

lion for a fierce foe. Lion lovers live, and lion haters perish. From one perspective,

evangelism is a matter of urging people to love the lion who loves them and protects

them from the lion who seeks to devour them. We all need a lion protector, and that

lion is the lion of the Tribe of Judah, better known as the Lamb of God, the Lord

Jesus Christ. Let's face it, life is more about lions that most of us ever imagined. All

of history is a conflict between two lions-Satan and the Savior. And when the Savior

lion is finished there will be a new world where all lions will be like puppy pets, for

Isa. 11:6-7 describe the ideal setting of that total victory, "The wolf will live with the

lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling

together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their

young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox." Flesh ripping

lions will be no more, but there will be lions to enjoy forever. The Christian can

have this confidence and optimism for we have a big brother who can whip the bully

that tries to take our lunch money. Jesus calls us brothers, and he is the older

brother that boys brag about who can beat you up. Satan is the bully and Jesus is

our big brother who makes sure that he cannot win over us. Our lion is bigger and

stronger than your lion is our boast, and in the end we will see the Satan lion

removed from the scene completely.

E. Beauty. They are the most powerful, daring and impressive of all carnivorous

animals. They are also the most magnificent in appearance and some say awful in

their voice. A full grown Asiatic lion weighs above 450 pounds and the African lion

above 500 pounds. In Asia the lion rarely measures more than 9 1/2 feet from nose

to end of tail. The African ones are considerably larger and they have much more

mane. They live around 50 years. Prov. 30:29-30 "There are three things that are

stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: 30 a lion, mighty among

beasts, who retreats before nothing; 31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king

with his army around him." The lion is attractive to the eye, and that is why they

are popular in zoos. Jesus was attractive to men and women, and even little children

loved to come to him. In fact so much so that the disciples got frustrated with them

and tried to keep them from bothering Jesus, and we read in Mark 10:14, "When

Jesus saw this, he became furious and told them, "Let the little children come to me,

and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like

these."

E2. "It's not easy being beautiful, especially when you're a male lion. New research

suggests that what lady lions love most and what other males fear most is a leo with

a long, dark mane—which is precisely the worst sort of hair style to have in Africa's

often sweltering environment. Biologists have long pondered the purpose of the

lion's hot, conspicuous mane, which seems at first glance like more trouble than it's

worth. Two hypotheses have been suggested:

1. The first holds that the extra fur protects the lion from injuries to the neck and

shoulders.

2. The second is that the mane makes the lion more attractive to lionesses and

more intimidating to other males."

E3. There are many pictures, videos and screen savers on the internet that reveal

just how awesome and beautiful the lion is. The history of art has often focused on

the painful face of Jesus on the cross, but modern artist have painted a number of

pictures of his smiling and laughing face that make him a beautiful specimen of a

man. The beautiful male lover of the Song of Solomon is portraying the Lord in his

courting of the church his bride, and he is called altogether lovely. We are going to

study the beauty of Jesus in verse 4, and so we will move on at this point, and just

acknowledge that Jesus is now the most beautiful person in the universe.

E4. An unknown author wrote, "Its yellow fur made the lion a symbol of the sun.

Old and young lions were often depicted sitting back to back representing the rising

and setting sun, old age and youth, or the past and the future. The lion's fur made it

the symbol of gold (called the "subterranean sun"). From Persia to Rome, the lion

was the symbol of the sun-god Mithra, who was worshiped as "the Invincible Sun."

Both the Persian Mithra and the Egyptian Sekhmet wore lion's heads. As the lion

was the emblem of masculinity, the lioness was the emblem of femininity and of the

mother who would fight valiantly to protect her cubs. With the coming of

Christianity, the lion like most sun symbols became an emblem of Christ, the "light

of the world." One of Christ's biblical titles is "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Rev

5:5). As such the lion may be pictured with a cross-shaped nimbus. The Christ-lion

may also be seen carrying a book or scroll representing His role as humanity's judge

and teacher. Those who believe Revelation's angel of the seven thunders is Christ

see the book-carrying lion in this prophetic role (Rev 10:1-4) The words of Christ

are considered as powerful as a lion's roar. Early Christian symbolists managed to

make the lion a symbol of God incarnate by using the lion's front half to represent

Christ's divine nature and its back half to stand for His human nature. The lion was

believed to swish its tail back and forth in order to hide his footsteps. Therefore the

lion's tail was considered representative of the way Christ hid His divinity in human

clay."

E5. Because of the beauty of so many characteristics of the lion, it plays a large role

in the history of legends and mythology. Many pagan gods are lion gods, and there

is a vast amount of information of how lions are depicted in ancient art and

sculpture. The Sphinx is the most well known, but there are many others as well.

Disney Movie Studios has made the lion a popular symbol in our day with the Lion

King and Chronicles of Narnia. They put a hundred and fifty million into this story

of C.S. Lewis that portrays Jesus as Aslan the lion. These movies appeal to the

masses, for lions are appealing and beautiful creatures that capture attention and

interest. And clever songs make them cute and lovable, such as the song “I Just

Can't Wait to be King” lyrics Music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice Performed

by Elton John

Way beyond the water hole

A little down the line

The jungle and the plains and peaks

Are scheduled to be mine

I'm gonna be the ruler

Of most everything around

From the grandest of the mountains

To the humble common ground

My reign will be a super-awesome thing

Oh, I just can't wait to be king

I'm going to be a noble king

And scrupulously fair

I only need a little time

Perhaps a little hair

I'm gonna be the mane event

Like no king was before

I'm brushing up on looking down

I'm working on my roar

The fauna and the flora gonna swing

Oh, I just can't wait to be king

(Chorus)

No one saying do this

No one saying be there

No one saying stop that

No one saying see here

Free to run around all day

I'll be free to do it my way

The time has come

As someone said

To talk of many things

This may be true

But I would rather stick to talking kings

It's easy to be royal

If you're already leonine

It isn't just my right

Even my left will be divine

The monarchy is waiting to go zing

Oh, I just can't wait to be king

Oh, I just can't wait to be king

(Repeat until fade)

E6. Jesus may have felt this in his life as a young boy, for he knew he was destined to

be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and it had to be hard to live a life of

relative obscurity and weakness in the face of opposition in his adulthood when he

knew he would be king over all. He would not be like lion king seeking power and

authority just to escape responsibility, however, but to be able to achieve the will of

God for mankind.

E7. Stan Mast wrote, "That's what we find in Revelation 5:5, 6, which uses a double

metaphor to express the mystery of Jesus' victorious death. Those verses describe

Jesus as both a great lion who is able to open the scroll of human history and a lamb

looking as though it had been slain. We're accustomed to thinking of Jesus as the

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He did that, as we've just seen,

by dying on the cross, an act of weakness and defeat. But Revelation 5 assures us

that the death of that lamb was an act of great power. We know that because the

passage portrays the slain lamb with 7 mighty horns, a symbol of perfect power.

And then God's Word surprises us by saying that the lamb was, in fact, a lion in

disguise. "See," says one of the Elders, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of

David, has triumphed." He was the fulfillment of all those Old Testament

prophecies that one day a great king would rise out of Israel from the tribe of

Judah, from the line of David, a king who would defeat the enemies of God's people.

Now, he is here, the Lion King, who has the power to open the scroll of history and

rule all things. At last the great promise of a Savior in Genesis 3:15 has come true.

Outlining the whole course of history after the Fall of man, God said that there

would be a great battle between the followers of the serpent and the followers of the

seed of the woman. It will end, says God, when "he, the serpent, shall bruise your

heel, and you shall crush his head." You can hear how those strange pictures in

Revelation fulfill that ancient promise."

13. LION OF JUDAH "From ancient times to the present, the "Lion of Judah" has

been one of the most popular symbols of the Jewish people. The Bible mentions the

lions that roamed the deserts and mountains of the regions more than 150 times by

six different names. Both the tribes of Dan and Judah are compared to lions,

although it is Judah whose name ultimately became inextricably linked with this

symbol (David, a descendant of Judah, is identified with the lion, as is the Davidic

monarchy and the Messiah who will spring from this royal house). The writings of

the Sages often draw moralistic analogies between the lion and the righteous

individuals. For these and other reasons, the lion is heavily represented in Jewish

ceremonial art. The lion motif was common in the ancient Middle Eastern

civilizations as a battling, fighting and attacking force. In the Bible, the lion is

portrayed as both capable of destroying and punishing, and of saving and

protecting. In ancient Jewish art we find the lions in this protective role, guarding

the Holy Ark or at the entrances to the chapel, as in the sculpture of the ancient

synagogues at Sardis (in Asia Minor), Horazin and Bar'am (in Palestine), and in

many mosaics dating from the early Byzantine period." Author unknown

14. "The central figure in C.S. Lewis’ "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" is

Aslan the lion. He is the true ruler of the mystical land called Narnia. Who can

doubt that Lewis has Christ in mind? Aslan fights the White Witch (Satan) and

saves Narnia from perpetual darkness. He sacrifices his life for the people of Narnia,

hence becoming, in a sense, a Lamb who takes away the curse and defeats Narnia’s

ancient foe--not unlike John’s description in Revelation 5:6. In some reards, it

almost appears as though Lewis sat with the New Testament open, especially the

book of Revelation, as he penned this story. Aslan, was just this wonderful, magical

lion, the epitome of goodness--full of love (a type of Christ). When Susan meets

Aslan, that’s when she really believes in Narnia and kind of gets a grip that things

are going to be okay. Aslan really serves as a symbol of hope--especailly when he

rises from the dead! Of all the images presented in the Bible for Christ, the lion is

the most magnificent. The title, "Lion of Judah" goes back to Jacob’s final blessing

of his sons before his death. In that blessing he calls Judah "a lion’s whelp" (Genesis

49:9). If Judah himself is a lion’s whelp, it is fitting to call the greatest member of

the tribe of of Judah "The Lion of Judah."Author unknown

15. Fanny Crosby wrote,

How sweetly o’er the mountain of Zion, lovely Zion,

The anthem of ages comes sweeping along;

The anthem of the faithful, we hear, and, rejoicing,

Our hearts in glad measure keep tune with the song.

Refrain

O the Lion of Judah hath triumphed forever,

O the Lion of Judah is mighty and strong.

O happy, happy tidings, the kingdom now is opened,

The seals are all broken; proclaim it afar;

From bondage and oppression by Him we are delivered,

The Lion of Judah, the bright Morning Star.

Refrain

Hosanna in the highest, all glory everlasting,

The cross and its banner triumphant shall wave;

Hosanna in the highest, all glory everlasting,

The Lion of Judah His people will save.

16. Ted Sandquist wrote,

Lion of Judah on the throne

I shout Your name, let it be known

That You are the King of kings

You are the Prince of Peace

May Your kingdom's reign never cease

Hail to the King!

Hail to the King!

Lion of Judah come to earth

I want to thank You for Your birth

For the living Word

For Your death on the tree

For Your resurrection victory

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Lion of Judah, come again

Take up Your throne Jerusalem

Bring release to this earth

And the consummation

Of Your kingdom's reign, let it come

Maranatha! Maranatha!

Lion of Judah on the throne

I shout Your name, let it be known

That You are the King of kings

You are the Prince of Peace

May Your kingdom's reign never cease

Hail to the King!

Hail to the King!

You are my King!

17. “One day Tom Sawyer went out of the house, and the first person he met was the

new boy on the street. The boys immediately took a dislike to each other, and an

argument followed as to who could “lick” the other. After several side arguments

and awkward pauses during which the antagonists tried to think of new ways to

belittle the other, they started shoving each other. They struggled until they were

hot and flushed. Then Tom said, “You’re a coward and a pup. I’ll tell my big

brother on you, and he can lam you with his little finger, and I’ll make him do it,

too.” The new boy responded, “What do I care for your big brother? I’ve got a

brother that’s bigger than he is, and what’s more, he can throw him over that fence,

too.” At which point Mark Twain added, “Both brothers were imaginary.” The

Christian, however, can with realistic pride brag about an elder brother who can

whip the lion that goes about roaring and seeking to devour the believer. Jesus is out

big brother, and he is Lion of Judah who is the King of all kings, including the King

of the lion kingdom, and he can whip this fierce foe that threatens us.

18. The point of all this is that we can have the same assurance of David when

enemies attack, for we can say, “My Lion is bigger and stronger than your lion.”

David was assured that God was always on the side of right and good and against

those who were wrong and evil. He knew God wanted him to fight evil, and so he felt

confident that God would lead him to victory over all evil foes. Later we see he had

some doubts about his own evil, but he was sure God would give him victory over

external foes.