Jesus the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Jesus the Lamb of God

Jesus the Lamb of God/ Jesus the Lion of Judah
Exodus 12:3-7; Revelation 5:5, 8-9; Hosea 11:10

He says to me, "You can farm this ground but I want the first harvest". Thinks I, "everyone knows the first harvest is not usually the best for taste, for color, or for texture. But if that is the deal, that is the deal!" He continued, "That is right , every year I want the first one." Same principle:, when you stop to eat, first say thanks, and bless the grub, then eat! Yes the principle runs through out all creation. Well, when this bunch of Egyptians, some 1600 years BCE trotted through-out the land ignoring all of the other divine mandates, one day He said, "that is enough." He sent the death angel (guess it only took one) around to checkout the land. The rule was, Whoever had returned the first born child through out the land could place a swash of blood over the header of the front door. The proper way was to wave a hyssop (kind of like a little broom) through the bowl of blood saved from the offering of a young lamb.
The procedure was this: Pick out a first born lamb, as this was only a few months after the winter harvest. Let him run around the house like a pet dog for the week before the day. This way all get used to the bitter cost paid to cover the house of the family.
Two stipulations ,(1) the whole animal must be consumed as there can be no "left-overs.";
(2) all must participate. No one gets to say I don't like that! This creates a particular impression on the little ones, especially the girls. As It turns out the ladies hold the civilization together. This shared experience causes bonding to hold the family together. As compared to any other experience these "Children of Israel" have ever had, this is a landmark!

Hebrew 10:1 suggests that this and other sacrifices provided an image of things to come. John in Rev 5:5 declared Jesus the Lamb of the World. He has carried this image forward to a place where Jesus is pictured as the little defenseless Lamb like the one offered by each family to receive the benefit of the Passover. The Passover claimed the life of the first born. In essence this picture teaches that Jesus redeems each person who participates in the spiritual feast.Nice!

John the Baptist first declared that Jesus was the "Lamb of the World." Jesus later identified him as the greatest prophet before the death of Jesus on the Cross. This and the act of Baptism by immersion was the first message that he is recorded as saying. He also predicted that there would be a "Baptism of the Holy Spirit." He described it as a Baptism (immersion) of the Spirit and with Fire!

As we consider the names of Jesus we think of the many paradoxes in the "Walk of the Spirit."
one such is described in this same lesson: "Jesus, The Lion of the tribe of Judah." This allegory refers back to the book of beginnings. As Judah prepares himself for burial he begins to prophesy about each of his brothers, Then he. came down to lineage of Judah,(Gen 9:9-12) He denoted the same as a Lion's whelp. The Lion symbolized the Kingship of the animal Kingdom. By implication Judah is predicting that the lineage Judah would seed the Royal line. this was such a bizarre thought as the Jewish had never been a people for whom Kings were of consequence. The family had a strange independence and were not likely to submit to any one taking authority over the family. Yet here you have it. Some six-seven hundred years later however the people did require a king God! The Benjamin family line had become the most prolific and from them at the hand of the prophet Samuel, Israel produced a King. Sadly Samuel a great physical specimen, stumbled as he bowed to the will of the people. He wanted to look good to men, he wanted their approval. God however raised up a humble man next to reign over the Children of Israel. This same man David, sought to please God. David happened to derive from the line of Judah. In Rev 5:5 he is refereed to as the lion of the tribe of Judah.
Other references to the lion always delimits the reference to "like" or "as." In each case the lion is not the voice of the Lion but one like a lion. I Peter warns to be sober because your adversary the devil roams "as a Lion" seeking whom he may devour. I expect lot be presented victorious over the threatening of the adversary. As for me and my house we will worship the Lamb. We will let him have his place as king of our hearts.