Have you ever read the words, “Beard the lion in his den,” and wondered what it meant? I did after reading Mary Baker Eddy’s use of the phrase in “Seedtime and Harvest.” Here’s what she wrote:
“Jesus taught us to walk over, not into or with, the currents of matter, or mortal mind. His teachings beard the lions in their dens” (Unity of Good, p. 11).
When I googled “Beard the lion in his den,” I found these definitions:
To confront risk or danger head on…. Refers to a proverb based on a Bible story from I Samuel, in which a shepherd, David, hunts down a lion that stole a lamb, grasps it by the beard, and kills it.
To confront or challenge someone on their own ground. This phrase developed partly from the idea of being daring enough to take a lion by the beard and partly from the use of beard as a verb to mean ‘face’, i.e. to face a lion in his den.
Mrs. Eddy’s use of the phrase tells me that we should never be afraid of the different “lions” we face in our lives. They can be confronted “face to face,” and defeated.
There are wiser ways than others on how to confront evil effectively for a good effect in the end, but nonetheless, we must not run from evil, pretend like its not there or ignore it. We must confront it, with Truth and Love, and render it harmless. That’s what Jesus Christ did, and that’s what Christian Science teaches us to do.
What lions do you need to “take by the beard” today and face down?
This one is a big one! Very very important confronting it with Truth and Love and taking it down!!
Thank you Evan, for your interesting and so thorough explanation of that phrase “to beard a lion in his den” I do understand it at the end. And I love your statement “…we must not run from evil (the lion), pretend like its not there or ignore it. We must confront it with Truth and Love, and render it harmless.” Am working on your last sentence – enough to do for the weekend.
Yes, what a good one! Made me think that fear is running away, giving power to the “enemy” whatever that is. Yet with an infinite God, there can be no enemy, and therein is our confidence. I like the reference to David that is given because he is such a good example, – when faced with the towering seemingly invincible Goliath, he actually RAN TOWARDS him ( “And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:48). What confidence this showed, and what we must also show! When faced with Truth error IS nothing. When David slung the stone, it was Truth that guided it to where it had to go, and it did!
In absolute terms, the harmful lion has no den, and we can run with joy and confidence anywhere in God’s kingdom. As Diane says, that really takes error down, and out!
Just what I needed to know this morning, many thanks once again, Evan.
That was meant to be Anne Daly; and I also meant to say I love the illustration – beautiful!
Thank you, Evan!
Evan, I love the picture of the cut-out….is this a personal possession or is it something that we all can download?
Hi Terry,
I believe it is a picture purchased on adobestock.com..
Thanks!
Wow, great thought! Thank you, Evan.
Love:We must not run from evil or ignore it and pretend it’s not there but must confront it and render it harmless. Amen. We are not in la la land saying evil is powerless, we are to prove it. Yes, Uta–enough to do for the weekend.:-) Thanks Evan, thanks all. Happy weekend!
How interesting. Daniel would have known about King David’s fears as a shepherd. And yet Daniel didn’t have the fighting skills of David
Daniel ‘faced’ his lions by turning to the one true and only God for deliverance. Deliverance from the envy and jealousy that would try to destroy him.
The 1st commandment is my favorite too!
Thank you.
Well, I have a list of lions to take out today and in the next few days.. so appreciate this fab metaphor! ✔✌
Thank U, Evan for the specific explanation & beautiful illustration. U are a terrific “shepherd.”
Thought provoking subject; I was immediately struck with the support found just o answer the question, What do I need to face down in thought today? What untruth needs to be uncovered and slain mentally, to instead allow Truth shine in it’s full glory, pure, powerful? The answers were revealing. Many challenges will need to be faced; better to uncover just how to “beard the lion” than to hide from fear.
A multitude of gratitude to be armed today!!
Thanks, Evan, for this very timely and important message. My lions are diagnoses that need to be faced, not ignored. And I am declaring them powerless throughout each day, and even when I awake at night. God is the one and only cause – ALWAYS!
Had to chuckle at the harmony of the universe today! I was marveling at how Harry Potter and the kids at Hogworts – and it seems everyone else who has been exposed to these marvelous fables –
were taught by Professor Lupin to use (the denial) “Riddikulus” and to mentally transform the perceived shape of the threatening Boggart into something innocent and funny in order to dissolve False Evidence Appearing Real with the laughter of Love. Then we learn with Harry the real meaning of the Dementors as “fear itself” . Brilliant!
Interesting thoughts, love them 🙂
Yes Patty, thank you, that’s so suitable and interesting, how you transferred Professor Lupin’s lesson into CS, advising the seeming powerful Boggart (error) to become a tiny powerless nothing by declaring it as ,,Riddiculus”!
I must admit that I read every single Potter book and I saw every single film. For me it was so interesting what rediculous ideas Mrs Rowling found to make the story thrilling. Okay would never again read such stories, actually I did it because of my nephews, to be able to talk about it when necessary.
The picture is interesting and nice – looks a bit like a papercut or a fretsaw work.
Thank you all for your inspired comments!
Great Sharings, Evan ‘n all!
Thank you.
This quote came to mind:
“Let Truth uncover and destroy error in God’s own way,
and let human justice pattern the divine.”
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, pg 542:19)
I need often reminding to let Truth destroy error(s); I cannot.
The key word “Let” is one to really understand. We are not passive and weak, but vehement in our acknowledgement of Truth’s ability to … BE ALL!
Thank you, Evan, for this interesting and helpful metaphor. I thought immediately about Mrs. Eddy’s admonition to “control evil thoughts in the first instance, or they will control you in the second.” Or, to beard the lion in his den BEFORE he gets out to be found “going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it,” as was said of Satan in Job 1:7 and 2:2.
Imagine a day
is a year…
4 seasons
In the span
of 24 hours…
The seeds
I plant in
morning sun
sprout by noon,
Mature by sunset
providing harvest
as sunset arrives…
Fruits of our
labour, as we
harvest our life
Now we we rest
in Peace
praising creation
This is how we
survive…
Thank you, Evan. Love to know we can face these lions and God defeats them.
Your blog reminded me of a little brown pamphlet I have ….Riviere’s Two Great Daniels. It is stated that “each of the lions seems to stand as a symbol of some specific sin in human consciousness “.
Fear, Lust ( animal magnetism) Jealousy, Hate, Deceit, Malice, and Revenge.
Very interesting and helpful. Several months ago, I read someone else’s copy of that pamphlet. I’m glad to be reminded of it.
Oh, thanks Kathy, very inspiring the thoughts about the lions in that booklet.
Thank you! Very helpful post.
Wonderful definitions. Thank you Evan and all.
Maximo! I feel blessed by the idea of seeing each day as 4 seasons of 6 hours each. I need only tend to each 6-hour season, and my existence (and output) is blessing. Love it!
Thanks to all that contribute with healing support. Evan is a guiding light of inspiration
I wasn’t at all familiar with the saying. I loved the way everyone expanded upon it. We must not ignore error or pretend it it doesn’t exist. We must confront it until it is rendered
harmless. Truth must replace the wrong.
Truth is the only power and presence.
Truth always wins!
Along that same idea, we read in ‘Miscellany’ (103:2): “Because Science is unimpeachable, it summons the severest conflicts of the ages and waits on God.” Mrs Eddy is pretty clear that this is what we signed up for as Christian Scientists. Perhaps David’s spiritual readiness summoned Goliath rather than vice versa, as the Bible records.