August 30, 2026

UNIT 3 Lessons from Animals in the Bible

LESSON: 13

Study Text: 1 Samuel 17:33-37; 2 Samuel 23:30-22; Psalm 22:11-21; Isaiah 11:6-10; 65:25; 2 Timothy 4:16-18

Central Truth: God grants victory over the enemy's ferocious attacks.

KEY Verse-- 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (KJV).

Saty alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (NLT).

LET'S GET STARTED

When we think of lions in the Bible, we may go straight to Revelation 5:5, where Jesus is described as the triumphant "Lion of the tribe of Judah." But that is a rare depiction in Scripture. Of the 119 times lions are mentioned in the Bible, they most often appear s predators--sometimes representing majesty or courage, but usually symbolizing danger or a threat.

DISCUSSION STARTER--Lion Triva

Mark whether the following statements are true or false.  (1). T F Asiatic lions once roamed free in Israel, but only African lions live in the wild today (2).  T F Lions can survive in the desert (3). T F Lions can eat a quarter of their body weight in a single meal. (4). T F Lions only hunt on sunny days.

While the New Testament only includes one Greek word for lion (leon), the Old Testament uses seven Hebrew words. The Asiatic lion has been extinct in Palestine for centuries, but it was once common. Not only did lions roam free in biblical times, but royals kept lions to show their power and to punish criminals (Daniel 6). Today's lesson focuses on how God strengthens and defends His people from enemy attack and how He will one day bring lasting peace to the earth.

                                                                 PART 1--Defeating Lions

          David Protects the Flock                                     1 Samuel 17:33-37

When the young shepherd David offered to fight the Philistine giant Goliath on Israel's behalf, King Saul was skeptical (1 Samuel 17:32-33). When Saul looked at David, he saw only a boy" who was no match for Goliath, who had been "a man of war since his youth" (verse 33). As a shepherd, David had already fought ruthless, dangerous opponents, protecting his father's sheep from bear and lion attacks. Carrying only a club, he would chase down the predator and snatch the lamb from its mouth. If the lion or bear tried to attack, he would "catch it by the jaw and club it to death." David acknowledged that it was "the Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear" (verse 37). Unable to argue with David's experience, King Saul sent him to face Goliath with the words, "May the Lord be with you!" (verse 37). As Peter counsels, we should watch out for our "great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). When the lion attacks--and he certainly will--do not be intimidated. Instead, "stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith" (verse 9). The same God who defeated David's enemies will also defeat ours.

? What God-given? victories have you experienced? How can those experiences strengthen your faith for the battles that lie ahead?

  Benaiah's Exploits                       2 Samuel 23:20-22

Once he became king, David turned out to be a "man of war" after all, despite Saul's doubts (1 Samuel 17:32). As a warrior king, David surrounded himself with a group of mighty who defended him an promoted his agenda throughout Israel. In 2 Samuel 23:20, Benaiah is introduced as one of the Thirty, "an elite group among David's fighting men" (verse 13). Benaiah was known for his heroic deeds. One exploit, which the New Living Translation renders as "killing two champions of Moab" (verse 20), could also be translated as "killing two lions of Moab" or "killing two lion-like heroes of Moab." The next description of Benaiah's mighty deeds is much more straightforward: He "chased a lion down into a pit and killed it." Verse 21 describes another of Benaniah victories. Armed only with a club, he went up against " a huge Egyptian" who was 71/2 feet tall and carried an enormous spear )1 Chronicles 11:23). As his reputation grew, Benaiah was honored above the rest of the Thirty and promoted to captain of the king's bodyguard (2 Samuel 23:23). Benaiah's exceptional skills and loyalty played an important part in God's covenant promise to establish David's throne forever--a promise that would eventually be fulfilled through Jesus.

? Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. How does Paul describe the battles that believers like us are fighting in this New Testament age?

PART 2--Deliverance from Lions

David Prophesies Deliverance                      Psalm 22:11-31

Psalm 22--a messianic psalm of David-focuses on suffering and ultimate triumph. Placed between Psalms 21 (celebrating victory) and 23 (celebrating provision), this psalm strikes a much darker tone. It begins with the familiar words quoted by Jesus on the cross: "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" (Matthew 27:46. NIV). David expressed his sense of abandonment by comparing his enemies to dangerous animals. After crying again for Giod's help (Psalm 22:11), David described how his enemies were surrounding him on the outside (verse 12-13) and his strength was draining away on the inside. Dealing with danger on every side had left him exhausted--poured out, disjointed, melted, dried up, left for dead. In verse 22, David crafted a dramatic turn. He was certain that God "has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them but has listened to their cries for help." Writing in faith, David prophesied not just his own deliverance but the ultimate triumph of the Messiah: Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done" (verses 30-31).

? Why do you think David's perspective shifted in Psalm 22:22?

  Paul Expects Deliverance             2 Timothy 4:16-18

Toward the end of 2 Timothy, Paul reflected on his ministry (4:7), share a glimpse of the reward to come (verse 8), and expressed a personal sense of loneliness and abandonment (verses 9-15). Both David and Paul honestly expressed their feelings and lamented the injustice they had suffered, but they did not lose hope. Their eyes were always drawn back to the faithfulness of God and their eternal hope in Him. Paul then began to describe the first time he had been brought before the judge (2 Timothy 4:16), probably referring to a preliminary hearing. When Paul says he was delivered from the lion's mouth, this does not mean he believed he would be set free. He seemed confident his imprisonment would end in death (verse 6-8). Paul likely used lion imagery to speak of his rescue from immediate death, knowing he would soon be in God's presence.

 ? Both David and Paul were grateful to have been delivered from immediate death, but they also faced eternity with hope and confidence (2 Samuel 12:19-23; 2 Timothy 4:8, 18). What lessons can we learn from this?

PART 3-Resting with Lions

                  Isaiah 11:6-10; 65:25           

Sometimes God empowers us to defeat lions---overcoming impossible odds by His supernatural strength. Other times, He delivers us from lions--saving us from our enemy 'strategic attacks. But one day, He will fix the root of the problem.  In God's eternal kingdom, the curse of sin will be erased and conflict will end. Isaiah 11:6-10 depicts the millennial reign of Christ--a golden age of peace when Satan will be bound and Jesus will rule the earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6). During the Millennium, peace and justice will prevail on earth for the first time since the Fall. In Isaiah 65:25, wolves and lions are described as no longer eating meat and instead grazing like sheep and cows. Violence will cease to exist. Our ultimate enemy--that ancient serpent" (Revelation 20:2, NIV), that devil who "prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour; (1 Peter 5:8) --will be locked up and sealed away. His lies will be silenced, and the King of Kings will reign in truth and justice.

? Now that we've studied lions in the Bible, why do you think Jesus is described in Revelation 5:5 as the "Lion of the tribe of Judah"? (See Genesis 49:8-12). 

WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO US?

It wasn't by accident that God created each animal, and it wasn't by accident that some of them showed up in His Word. Sometimes animals are simply characters in a story--like Balaam's donkey or Elisha's oxen. Other times, they're symbols used to teach spiritual principles--like the sparrows in Jesus' sermon or the fish in the Parable of the Net. From now on, when we come across animals in our Bible study, Sunday School, or even outside among nature, let's pay close attention and ask God what lesson He would have us learn.

LIVING IT OUT

Go to the zoo and watch the lions or spend some time watching videos or reading more about them. What spiritual principles (either negative or positive) can learn from their God-given characteristics and behaviors? 

             DAILY BIBLE READINGS

                      Monday: Enemies Like Lions. Psalm 57:1-5; 58:6-8

                               Tuesday: Lions and Laziness. Proverbs 22:13; 26:13-14

                                       Wednesday: A Place without Ravenous Lions. Isaiah 35:8-10

                            Thursday: Shutting Lions' Mouths. Hebrews 11:32-34

                  Friday: Satan Prowls Like a Lion. 1 Peter 5:8-11

                               Saturday: The Lion from Judah's Tribe. Revelation 5:1-5

RADIANT LIFE

Volume 107 Number 3 Mar. Apr. May 2026

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