It's the "Wolf" and the Lamb

I recently read Brian McLaren's Secret Message of Jesus. On page 23, he writes:

The prophets used many images to convey this new world order. They spoke of new heavens, a new earth, and a new heart. They spoke of a day when lions would lie down with lambs (an image not of literal biological upheaval but of social transformation – so that violent, lionlike people with power would no longer oppress the vulnerable ones: the poor, elderly, orphans, and widows).

There is just one problem with this passage: The Bible does not speak of lions lying down with lambs. The Bible twice speaks of the wolf and the lamb together, but not the lion and the lamb.

Isaiah 11:6

6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.

And ….

Isaiah 65:25

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent -- its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
says the LORD.

I don't know where this false imagery began, but if you do a Google search, you'll see it's everywhere, including in the lyrics of praise songs like How Great is Our God.

Comments

[RonMcK]

Are you going to review this book? I do not intend to buy it, so I would appreciate a review by a sound thinker.

[Michael W. Kruse]

I hadn't planned to review it. I expect to do a multi-post review of "Everything Must Change," which I think will include some reference back to this book. I read ETMC two months ago and it has taken me this long to get calm enough to where I think I can write about it with grace. :)

(I'm not sure this will matter much though as you said wanted a review by a "sound thinker." :) )

[RonMcK]

I look forward to it.

[kerryn]

Gidday and happy new year from Australia Michael!

I have had my third child recently, which has majorly 'dented' my blogging time!
so i have enjoyed getting back onto your site to catch up a bit today while she is sleeping!

We sing 'how great is our God' at my church. It's funny - i had always thought that the line was a decriptor of God himself - like most of the other lines in the song...

ie he is the LION of the tribe of Judah AND the Lamb of God. paradox of his amazing nature and 'roles' for us as our saviour. Meekness and majesty - strength and gentleness etc.

i didn't see it as being something about lambs and lions (wolves!) laying down together (Rev referenct)....

looking forwards as much as i am able to keep track of your great blog entries.

God bless
Kerryn

[kerryn]

opps - sorry- correction - not 'revelation' reference but Isaiah!
K

[Michael W. Kruse]

Gidday back at ya, Kerryn. Glad to hear from you. Congrats on the new addition to the family. How exciting!

Your understanding of the song makes more sense than mine does. There are some passages like Hosea 11:10 or Rev. 5:5 that refer to God as a Lion in a positive sense. Glad you cleared that up because I kinda like that song. :)

Please join us when you can. Good to hear from you.

[Andy Doan]

Could it just mean "top predator with typical prey"? Is anything lost or gained to the symbolism by swapping one animal?

Perhaps in ancient times the type of predator was switched depending on who the message was meant for. Somewhere along the way the lion stuck.

[nashbabe]

Yeah, I always take Brian mcLaren with a deer block o' salt...not that I'm some McLaren expert, but he endorsed a writer that I know WAY too much about to support...enough soapbox, I'll climb off now... *L*

[Michael W. Kruse]

Andy, I'm not sure wolf or lion makes any difference in the point Mclaren is making (or that others are making) when we make this mistake. Other errant quotes from the Bible may be more problematic. It is one step away from claiming that Jesus taught that God helps those who help themselves (that would be Ben Franklin.)

I'm just pointing out how the false image has become accepted as the biblical image. I seem to faintly recall that the confusion came from a famous painting that featured a lion and lamb together.

[Andy Doan]

@nashbabe

I kinda get what you're saying. I would think it important to allow culture to change the way that the bible is taught to people. It's the only way that it'll remain relevant.

It's probably a good idea to keep tabs on what has been edited and by who, but in the end I see it as a exercise in futility. I think at this point in history there have been too many hands in the pot. Better to focus on true meaning.