In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb
By Bruce Cannon
Mitchell County
“In like a lion, out like a lamb,” so goes the proverbial expression. Everyone hopes for much-improving weather as we go through the month of March. And, while I also hope that to be true, that expression reminds me of two of the names of our God. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God.
Both names are equally precious to us. The name, “Lion”, speaks of His regal character. The name, “Lamb,” speaks of His being the Savior of the world. Both names are used in Revelation 5:5,6, “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”
When I think of a lion my mind conjures up an image of a male African lion. This animal is over 400 pounds and 4 feet tall at the shoulder. It is equipped with enormous fangs and incredibly powerful necks, forelimbs and claws that allow them to hunt, on average, the largest prey of any land animal. He is referred to as the “king of the jungle” and has no natural enemies.
What a perfect description of our God! Powerful; no enemies can stand before Him! He is our champion, our shield, our hiding place, our mighty fortress, our cleft in the rock, our hiding place. Under His wings and in His shadow we can abide. The picture of a mother hen and her chicks is also used in the Scriptures to speak of His protection. He can turn away all the fiery darts of the wicked one. He can heal all our diseases. He can save our souls, no matter what we have done, and declare us righteous before His presence.
As the Lamb of God, He is tender, kind, compassionate and loving. He was willing to go to the Cross for us. He shed His blood to wash away all our sins. Isaiah wrote in 53:7, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” He had all authority and all power, yet He chose to not use it. He allowed Himself, who knew no sin, to die for those who had no hope…me and you!
What precious names are these: Lion and Lamb! Two names which bring great hope and peace to our hearts because we know that we need both. We need a Lion to fight our battles and win them because we can’t on our own. We need a Lamb to be our sacrifice for sin so the righteous demands of God can be met for us to be able to go to Heaven.
In like a lion, out like a lamb. March, thank you for your blusteriness and calm that you remind us of our God. Lord, thank you for being our Lion and our Lamb! We praise You for Your protecting power, your shielding help on our behalf. We also praise You for being our sacrifice. We couldn’t save ourselves, but you so wonderfully and graciously provided the payment for us. Thank you! In Jesus’ sweet Name, Amen!
________________________________________________________________________________
Reverend Bruce Cannon currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church in Bakersville. Formerly he served as Director of Missions for the Bladen Baptist Association and he has served on the General Board of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.
________________________________________________________________________________
