Topical Bible: The Lion: Hunting of, Alluded To

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The lion, a symbol of strength and majesty, is frequently mentioned in the Bible, often in the context of its hunting prowess and fearsome nature. The lion's hunting behavior is used metaphorically to convey various spiritual and moral lessons.

In the Old Testament, the lion is depicted as a formidable predator. The prophet Amos uses the imagery of a lion's roar to illustrate the certainty of God's judgment: "Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his den if he has caught nothing?" (Amos 3:4). This rhetorical question emphasizes the inevitability of divine action, just as a lion's roar signals its successful hunt.

The book of Job also references the lion's hunting skills to highlight the futility of human strength compared to God's power: "The lion may roar, and the fierce lion may growl, yet the teeth of the young lions are broken" (Job 4:10). Here, the breaking of the lion's teeth symbolizes the ultimate subjugation of even the mightiest creatures under God's sovereign will.

In the Psalms, the lion's hunting is used to describe the peril faced by the righteous. David, in his plea for deliverance, likens his enemies to lions: "Lest they tear me like a lion, ripping me apart with no one to rescue me" (Psalm 7:2). This vivid imagery underscores the danger and urgency of his situation, portraying his adversaries as relentless hunters.

The New Testament continues this motif, with the Apostle Peter warning believers of spiritual danger: "Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Here, the lion's hunting behavior is a metaphor for the devil's relentless pursuit of the faithful, urging vigilance and resistance.

The lion's hunting is not only a symbol of danger but also of divine protection. In the account of Daniel in the lions' den, God shuts the mouths of the lions, preventing them from harming Daniel (Daniel 6:22). This miraculous intervention demonstrates God's power to save and protect His faithful servants from even the most fearsome threats.

Throughout Scripture, the lion's hunting serves as a powerful metaphor for both the threats faced by God's people and the assurance of His protection. The imagery of the lion, with its connotations of strength and danger, provides a vivid backdrop for understanding the spiritual battles and divine deliverance experienced by the faithful.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 10:16
For it increases. You hunt me as a fierce lion: and again you show yourself marvelous on me.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Doctrinal and Moral Treatises. Index of Subjects.
... Birds, their habits alluded to, [524]409; who? ... heresy, [788]485; few deny sincerely,
[789]486; kept back some truth, [790]491; called a "Rock," "Lion," [791]491 ...
/.../on care to be had for the dead /doctrinal and moral treatises index.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... Atradates. [Illustration: 039.jpg A ROYAL HUNTING-PARTY IN HUN]. ... transaction.
[Illustration: 055.jpg LYDIAN COINS WITH A LION AND LION'S HEAD]. ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire --(Continued)
... the first covering of the mummy already alluded to, there ... the usual scenes of
agricultural labour, hunting, and sacrifice ... The Summit, for there is a lion in The ...
/.../chapter ithe close of the.htm

The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
... fear and grief; he rent his clothes, groaned and lamented like a lion roaring, and ...
of Abdimilkot took place in 676, and that we find them already alluded to in ...
/.../chapter iithe power of assyria 2.htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... Only the general outline of the lion can now be traced in his weather-worn ... The double
saw himself represented in the paintings as hunting, and to the hunt he ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... to take part in a hunt, he pierced with his javelin a lion which threatened ... have
the form of lions or fabulous animals, occupied in hunting, granting audiences ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.
... For when he to whom I have alluded recited at Milan one of these sentences which
had been tampered with, and I cried out that what he was reading was falsified ...
/.../various/life and works of rufinus with jeromes apology against rufinus /

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... his sister Dinah by a massacre of the Shechemites, and the dispersion alluded to
in ... It bore out well its character""Dan is a lion's whelp that leapeth forth ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm