LED BY THE LION OF JUDAH

LED BY THE LION OF JUDAH

by Tom Clark, Life, Hope & Truth Ministries

(with I confess, some additions of my own),

‘An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep’.

 This old saying and other variations on the theme are often used to emphasize the importance of good, solid and knowledgeable leadership.

Experience has proven that an average group of people who get behind a strong leader with vision and strength of character, will accomplish more and go further than a group of very talented individuals who do not have, or will not follow, a talented leader.

In the world of business, this has amply been demonstrated time and again. Whatever you may think of them as individuals, the visionary leadership of people like Sam Walton, Richard Branson or Henry Ford is undeniable.

Politically, one could look at U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt or Prime Minister Winston Churchill of England as national leaders who came to power during difficult and tumultuous times, yet were able to bring their people together to overcome.

All these people, and many more we could name, were able to focus the energy of the people they led and leverage the resources of their company or nation to do amazing things.

They clearly communicated their vision of the future, and the results are undeniable, literally changing the world in which we live today.

But I believe there is an even more important meaning to the proverb, a meaning that I’m sure was not in the mind of whoever came up with it.

This meaning applies directly to you and me. In numerous places, the Bible speaks of the Ecclesia or Church, or people of God, as being sheep.

Consider the first half of John chapter 10, where Yeshua (Jesus( calls Himself “the Good Shepherd” and His people “the sheep.”

John 10: 11-16

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. ¹² The hired worker is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. He sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and flees. Then the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep. ¹³ The man is only a hired hand and does not care about the sheep.¹⁴ “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not from this fold; those also I must lead, and they will listen to My voice. So there shall be one flock, one Shepherd”.

Paul warned the ministry to be on guard for the flock, to properly shepherd the Church of God

Acts 20:28-31

“Take care of yourselves and all the flock of which the Ruach ha-Kodesh has made you overseers, to shepherd the community of God—which He obtained with the blood of His own. ²⁹ I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Even from among yourselves will arise men speaking perversions, to draw the disciples away after themselves. ³¹ Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning you with tears”.

Our Leader is Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus of Nazareth). He is called “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29), and He fulfilled that role by allowing Himself to be sacrificed so that His blood could be applied to all our sins, giving us the opportunity to repent and be forgiven.

But He also fills another role. John later recorded a vision where he was told, “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” (Revelation 5:5). [you will find this on Beit Ariel’s letterhead]

In a very real sense, the Church of God is an army of sheep being led by the Lion of the tribe of Judah! We follow the most capable and courageous Leader. We follow the One with the clearest vision, the highest level of character and the greatest strength in the universe.

And we are in a battle against an army of lions. Satan himself is referred to as being “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

I suppose the analogy breaks down here, because Satan and his demonic cohorts aren’t led by a sheep. Still, Satan’s leadership is no match for the leadership of Jesus Christ. Satan is cunning (Genesis 3:1), but he is focused solely on lies, deceit, tearing down and destroying (John 8:44). He has no real vision, only hatred and darkness.

Believers as followers of Messiah, are soldiers in God’s army of warriors, alert and prepared for battle.

2 Timothy 2:3-4

“Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Messiah Yeshua. ⁴ No one serving as a soldier entangles himself in the activities of everyday life, so that he might please the one who enlisted him” 

We are instructed to follow our Lord on the narrow way and it is very challenging and few choose to navigate this journey on the narrow way, for it is demanding. .

Matthew 16:24

“Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me”.

We are promised there will be trials and hardships along the way:

1 Peter 2:12-13

“Loved ones, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ Instead, rejoice insofar as you share in the sufferings of Messiah, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be glad”.

Messiah-like character is forged in us in the hard school of life’s challenges.

James 1:2-4

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

We will have to face trials and tribulations in the world because of our faith in the finished work of the execution stake. But in the same verse we are told to hang tough, because the Leader we follow has already overcome and stands ready to help us at any and all times.

John 16:33

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have shalom. In the world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world!”

This army of sheep led by a Lion can triumph over an enemy more powerful than we mere humans can ever be. So long as we continue to follow the Lion of the tribe of Judah, we can have confidence our God will grant us the victory we seek!

I retired pastor I knew many decades ago, told me that he signed every letter he wrote quoting Ecclesiastes 8:8

“Yours in the warfare from which there is no release”

קדימה ולמעלה – kadimah uma’aleh – forward and upward

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