January 3: The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
♫ Music:
Day 35 - Saturday, January 03
Title: The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
Scripture #1: Amos 3:7–8 (NKJV)
Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?
Scripture #2: Revelation 5:5 (NKJV)
But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
Scripture #3: 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (NKJV)
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Poetry & Poet:
from “The Lions”
by Edwin Curran
The jungle glistens like a cloud—
Purple-cool, tree-deep, lake-pearled;
Where lions lurk and thrash and crowd,
Like lands that battle for the world.
Behold, one lion leaps for his prey,
Trotting like a saffron mist,
As savage nations in our day
Pounce on some weak antagonist.
Across the jungle-painted grass
His roar breaks through the tropic air;
And he runs like a tawny flame—
Swift yellow stroke of lightning there.
His cry is like the thunder’s sound,
Shaking leaf and bough and bole;
And he is part of Africa—
The yellow monarch in her soul.
Painted birds fly through the trees
And stain the sky with brown on blue,
Hammering with their wings the breeze,
Hitting songs across the dew.
Parrots gaudy as a star
Tap their bells and chatter sound.
Each insect sweeps his dim guitar
Like music hidden in the ground.
The tawny lion goes like a shot—
A daub of gold against the green,
Scenting a wounded bleeding doe
That he is following unseen.
A spangled serpent lights a tree,
A coiling flame around it, curled;
But the old lion goes great and free,
The master of his jungle world.
Bravely born and bravely bred,
Proud as a diamond of his fire,
This yellow monarch of the south
Goes like the hosts that swarmed to Tyre.
Hungry to kill, he scents the air,
And roars into beginning night,
His blond mane tossing up its hair,
His eyes two pools of blazing light.
He stops and lips the evening gale,
Reading the wind across the trees;
Giant cat in his tawny mail,
Spelling out the trail-warm breeze.
Then on he darts as though with wings,
To find his prey and drink the blood
And feast upon the harmless things
That God has put into the wood.
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
When one thinks of the Lion, one envisions an animal with the following qualities: majesty, courage, strength, nobility, and leadership. The lion is often described as the “King of Beasts” and supreme ruler of the jungle. These titles, along with their accompanying characteristics, depict Jesus Christ as well, for He IS “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.” Revelation 5:5 states: “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David.”
To help one contemplate the supremacy of Christ, artwork and music accompanies this devotion. A close look at Sir Peter Paul Rubens’s Lion reveals a beautiful creature defined by black chalk and highlighted with white chalk. This lion’s expression conveys courage, and his muscular body underscores vitality. Amos 3:7-8 could be a footnote to this artwork: “A lion has roared! Who will not fear?”
Edwin Curran’s poem “The Lions” also helps readers understand the supremacy of “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.” Curran describes the natural beauty of the lion while revealing its savagery and predatory nature. As the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah,” Christ is often portrayed as radiant and majestic. Curran describes his beautiful creature as “trotting like a saffron mist” (l. 5), “run[ning] like a tawny flame” (l. 10), and “bravely born and bravely bred” (l. 32). Yet, Curran’s lion is single focused in its mission to kill its prey. To save humanity, Christ has stalked and conquered Satan in the same way that the lion is “hungry to kill” and “roars into beginning night” (ll. 36-37).
Along with art and prose, music completes the picture of Jesus Christ as “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.” Elevation Worship portrays Christ as a “roaring lion.” The group sings, “Roar! (Roar!)/Roar! Roar/Let the Lion roar!/(Roar!)Roar! (Roar). The singers declare that Jesus Christ is unrivaled and victorious. Verse two identifies “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah” as the “Pride of Zion, prophets spoke/Our Messiah, flesh and bone/You alone are worthy/To open up the scroll/Like the lamb, You suffered/But the Lion has arose.
However, to depict Jesus as only “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah” who fought and won against sin, death, and the devil is incomplete. True, Jesus is the roaring lion who is fierce. People fear Him because of their depraved nature. However, Jesus is the Lamb of God who is merciful, forgiving, tender, loving, and abounding in grace.
So, there are two sides to Jesus. Like a lion, He is fierce; like a lamb, He is gentle. Like a lion, Jesus is powerful; like a lamb, He is personal. Jesus is both a punisher and forgiver. He is the deliverer of both the Law and the Gospel. Jesus is truly The Lion of the Tribe of Judah who defeated Satan and the Slain Lamb of God who sacrificed Himself for His children.
Prayer:
Almighty God, fierce Lion of the Tribe of Judah, thank you for your victory over sin and death. Your death was the price that you paid so that we can have eternal life. Thank you, too, gentle Lion of the Tribe of Judah, for your tender, forgiving, and merciful nature which permits your followers to embrace both the Lion and the Lamb and to receive eternal life.
Amen
Dr. Christie Curtis
Associate Dean
Graduate Chair, School of Education
Associate Professor
Biola University
About the Artwork:
Lion
Peter Paul Rubens
1612–1613
Black chalk heightened with white chalk on paper
25.2 x 28.3 cm
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C.
Public Domain
About the Artist:
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) was a prolific Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in Southern Netherlands (Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish baroque tradition. Rubens' unique and immensely popular baroque style emphasized movement, color, and sensuality, which followed the immediate, dramatic artistic style promoted in the Counter-Reformation. Rubens produced altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and historical paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects. In addition to running a large workshop in Antwerp that produced paintings popular with nobility and art collectors throughout Europe, Rubens was a classically educated humanist scholar and diplomat who was knighted by both Philip IV of Spain and Charles I of England. His commissioned works were mostly historical paintings, which included religious and mythological subjects, and hunt scenes. Rubens was an avid art collector and dealer, and had one of the largest collections of art and books in Antwerp.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Paul_Rubens
About the Music: “Lion” from the album Lion
Lyrics:
God of Jacob, Great I Am
King of angels, Son of Man
Voice of many waters
Song of Heaven's throne
Louder than the thunder
Make Your glory known
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Roar (roar)
Roar (roar)
Roar
Pride of Zion, prophets spoke
Our Messiah flesh and bone
You alone are worthy to open up the scroll
Like a lamb, You suffered, but the Lion has arose
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar!
Roar! (Roar!)
Roar! (Roar!)
Roar! (Roar!)
Let it roar, let it roar, let it roar
Let the Lion roar
Prepare the way
Prepare the way of the Lord
Prepare the way
Prepare the way of the Lord
Prepare the way
Prepare the way of the Lord
Prepare the way
Prepare the way of the Lord
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
Roar! (Roar!)
Roar! (Roar!)
Let the Lion roar! (Roar!)
Roar! (Roar!)
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar (let the Lion)
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
Hail, hail Lion of Judah
Let the Lion roar
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
O valley, be raised up
O mountain, be made low
About the Composers: Steven Furtick Jr., Brandon Lake, and Chris Brown
Steven Furtick Jr. (b. 1980) is an American Baptist evangelical Christian pastor, and a songwriter for Elevation Worship. He is the founder and senior pastor of the Elevation Church, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the age of sixteen, after reading the book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, he felt called to pastor a church. Furtick subsequently received a B.A. in communications from North Greenville University and a Master of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Furtick speaks at events and conferences all over the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Furtick
Brandon Lake (b. 1990) is an American Christian worship singer, songwriter, guitarist, and worship pastor. Lake serves as a worship pastor at Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and he is a former member of Bethel Music and Maverick City Music. Lake began his recording career with a successful crowdfunding campaign to produce an album in 2015, which resulted in the independent release of his debut studio album, Closer. In 2021, Lake released the single "Too Good to Not Believe" alongside Bethel Music. He has had notable collaborations with Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music on "Talking to Jesus" and with Chris Tomlin on "I See You." Lake also garnered seven nominations at the 2021 GMA Dove Awards, ultimately winning two—the GMA Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year and Worship Recorded Song of the Year for "Graves into Gardens." In 2022, Lake released Help!, his third studio album, which is focused on mental health. Lake has also collaborated with Brooke Ligertwood on the single "Honey in the Rock" and with Maverick City Music, Kirk Franklin, and Chandler Moore on "Fear Is Not My Future." He released his fourth studio album, Coat of Many Colors, in 2023.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Lake
https://brandonlake.co/press
Christopher Joel Brown (1981) is the lead songwriter for Elevation Worship, the praise band for Charlotte, North Carolina–based megachurch Elevation Church. “O Come to the Altar,” which rose as high as No. 2 on Billboard’s “Hot Christian Songs” list, is perhaps Brown’s most well-known song. He credits the South Carolina School for the Arts at Anderson University as the place where his passion for ministry merged with his calling as an artist. “By age 17, I felt ministry and music merge. I felt God was calling me into some type of ministry,” Brown said. Lee McDerment, another AU alumnus, who served as Brown’s mentor at NewSpring Church, said Brown is a perfect example of what a worship leader should be. “He is able in his songwriting and as a worship leader to be a conduit for the voice of Almighty God to people who are listening,” McDerment said, “You don’t find many worship leaders who can do that who also possess Chris’ purity of heart.”
https://worshipu.com/chris-brown
About the Performers: Elevation Worship featuring Chris Brown and Brandon Lake
Elevation Worship is the worship ministry of Elevation Church, a multisite church based in Charlotte, North Carolina, led by Pastor Steven Furtick. Elevation Worship has produced twelve albums on which were included songs such as “Graves Into Gardens,” “The Blessing,” “O Come to The Altar,” and “Do It Again.” This ministry is passionate about producing songs for the local church that connect others to God. Their main priority is to create an atmosphere of worship so people can encounter Jesus in a real and personal way. Elevation Worship’s newest album, Old Church Basement, a live album collaboration with Maverick City Music, was released in 2021.
https://elevationchurch.org/
https://elevationworship.com/about/
About the Poetry & Poet:
Edwin Curran (1902–1975) was an influential author and poet whose works appeared in such esteemed publications as The New Republic, Harper's Magazine, and The Century. His verses are known for their evocative imagery and deep emotional resonance. Curran's poems reflect themes of nature, loss, and patriotism, offering a poignant glimpse into the early twentieth-century psyche.
https://goffjamesart.wordpress.com/2021/01/10/poetry-plus-flowers-a-poem-by-edwin-curran/
https://www.amazon.com/Poems-Edwin-Curran/dp/B00XWCWPBK
About the Devotion Author:
Dr. Christie Curtis
Associate Dean
Graduate Chair, School of Education
Associate Professor
Biola University
A native Californian, Christie Curtis specializes in grammar and writing curriculum development. Utilizing her experiences as a former public and private school teacher, she has authored student editions, teacher editions, and supplementary workbooks for grammar and writing. She has written weekly "Grammar Gems" for Biola University's Inside Story, and has provided teaching seminars for Biola's staff and faculty in her areas of expertise including grammar, sentence structure, proofreading, editing, revising, and communication. Curtis has been married for forty-seven years and enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren.