Day 10: Meekness Is The Way To True Strength

Yesterday, we finished by saying that Jesus is still called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. That's very significant. Many people don't realize it but Judah is the name from which the word Jew is taken.

Jesus did not identify Himself with humanity temporarily in the incarnation. He became man forever without losing His identity as God. Furthermore, His identity with the Jewish people was not temporary. He is forever the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He has a special connection with that people, the Jewish people.

Now let's look at some scriptural associations of the lion that are found in the book of Proverbs. First of all, the lion inspires fear. Proverbs 19:12:

“A king's rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favour is like dew on the grass.”

So, Jesus is the Lion whose roar inspires fear. But thank God His favour is like the dew on the grass. And then the Lion is pictured as fearless.

“The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

So, boldness is a part of that nature. And then the lion is pictured as irresistible. In Proverbs 30:29-31 four particularly stated or impressive creatures are pictures. The first, the most impressive, is the lion. Here are the words:

“There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he goat, and a king with his army around him.”

Notice the "lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing." Jesus is the irresistible, all-conquering lion of the tribe of Judah. So the lion contains great strength, he's fearful, he's awe inspiring, we could be frightened of him. But there's a beautiful lesson. If we receive the lamb, we don't need to fear the lion.

In this composite picture of Jesus as the Lamb and the Lion there's an eternal principle represented. The principle is this: that in God's economy meekness is the appointed way to true strength. That's very different from human viewpoint. God says if you want to become strong you've got to become weak. If you want to be exalted you've got to become lowly.

Listen to what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:20-25, speaking about the kind of people whom God receives as his own.

“Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

Now notice the application.

“For the foolishness of God is wiser that man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.”

That's the lesson, the Lamb and the Lion. If you want to be strong with God's strength you've got to be weak in your own strength. You want to be exalted, you have to be humbled. The way to become a lion is to start as a lamb. That's the wisdom of God, it's foolishness with men. That's the strength of God, it's weakness in man's eyes. But thank God Jesus proved once and for all that the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. It's all summed up in the Lamb who became the Lion.