King of Beasts

Bronx Zoo.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

What is sweeter than honey?
And what is stronger than a lion?
Judges 14:18

One of my favorite Bible stories has always been Daniel in the lion's den.  It has all the elements of a great story: good guys, bad guys, a feisty hero, danger, fear, possible death, fantastic deliverance.  I've always wondered whether the animals simply kept their distance, or if they regarded Daniel as one of their own, coming over to snuggle and keep him warm throughout his long night in the pit.  My imagination sees it clearly:  using the back of a male lion as a pillow, and hugging on to a neighbor cat for warmth.  However the animals reacted, Daniel came out of the pit unscathed, which is far more than you can say for the bad guys who were thrown in next - instant breakfast!

Lions are one of four big cats of the genus Panthera - cousin to tigers, leopards and jaguars.  A large adult male can weigh upward of 550 pounds - which is a lot of warmth to spread around!!  Lions are considered a vulnerable species, having lost 30-50 percent of their population over the past two decades in Africa.  The male only survives about 10 years in the wild - double that time in captivity.  The male lion is the only cat to have a mane, which makes him look larger and is an excellent intimidation factor in maintaining his status in his family, or pride.

The lion was the symbol of the tribe of Judah in ancient Israel.  In Genesis 49,  an elderly, ailing Jacob calls together his sons at his bedside, speaking to each one in turn about their future and their inheritance.  Of Judah, he says, "Judah is a lion's whelp:...the sceptre shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [Messiah]I come, and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be."  In the book of Revelation, we meet this lion again, as the messenger of God assures John that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the One promised by Jacob, was able to open the sealed book of the future. And behold, there stood a Lamb that had been slain - Jesus Christ, the world's Redeemer.