Lamenting the Lions
The fall of religious and political leaders is something to lament and not rejoice.
3 She (Jerusalem) brought up one of her cubs,
And he became a strong lion (Judah’s king).
He learned to tear the prey (other kings).
And he (Jehoahaz) became a man-eater.
4 The nations heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.
This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.
We live in an era when pastors, evangelists, politicians, and leaders often seem embroiled in one scandal after another.
Sadly, some rejoice when a leader trips into the pit of moral failure.
However, the Bible instructs us to lament the fall of a leader.
Ezekiel 19 - A Lamentation About Fallen Lions
This short chapter, comprising 14 verses, is difficult, if not impossible, to understand without historical context.
It’s a sorrowful lamentation about the fall of the last five kings of Judah.
In ancient days, lions were a symbol of kings, as in the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
The last five kings of Judah are as follows:
Ezekiel 19: A Lament Over Israel’s Princes
‘Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel 2 and say:
‘What a lioness was your mother
among the lions!
She lay down among them
and reared her cubs.
3 She brought up one of her cubs (Jehoahaz),
and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he became a man-eater.
4 The nations heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.5 When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs
and made him a strong lion (Zedekiah).
6 He prowled among the lions,
for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he became a man-eater.
7 He broke down their strongholds
and devastated their towns.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified by his roaring.
8 Then the nations came against him,
those from regions round about.
They spread their net for him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
9 With hooks they pulled him into a cage
and brought him to the king of Babylon.
They put him in prison,
so his roar was heard no longer
on the mountains of Israel.14 No one is left that is fit for a ruler’s scepter.
This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.’
Ezekiel 19 is a poignant poem of sorrow, a funeral dirge for the princes of Judah, depicted as lion cubs raised by a mighty lioness—the House of David in Israel.
These young lions, once strong and full of promise, grew to rule with power but fell into traps of pride, corruption, and disobedience to God.
The chapter mourns their downfall, not just as a loss of royalty but as a tragedy for the nation they led. The lion, a symbol of strength and nobility, becomes an image of what could have been, now ensnared and broken.
The Fall of Leaders Shouldn’t Be a Sport for Fun
Imagine a religious or political leader as a lion in our day.
Raised in the strength of faith or public trust, they roar with influence, guiding communities or nations.
Yet, like Judah’s princes of old, some fall into traps: scandals, moral failures, or the seduction of power.
Lamenting the fall of a lion is fitting because their fall is not just personal—it shakes the faith of followers, fractures communities, and dims the light of hope they once carried.
We grieve not only their sin but the ripple effects in Christ’s Kingdom: The disillusionment, the division, the tarnished witness among Christ’s people.
Lamenting is appropriate because it acknowledges the weight of what was lost. These leaders, like lions, were gifts from God, entrusted with authority to reflect His justice and love.
Their fall is a reminder of human frailty and the enemy’s snares (1 Peter 5:8). Yet, lament also turns us to God’s mercy. Ezekiel’s dirge points to Judah’s exiles in Babylon without a king, but hints at restoration to come through the King of kings.
Today, we lament our fallen leaders, but we also pray for redemption and restoration—for them and for those they led.
Application: A Call to Prayer and Vigilance
Pray for Leaders: Lift in prayer religious and political leaders that they may walk humbly with God and resist temptation (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
Guard Your Heart: Like the lion cubs, we too can fall. Stay rooted in God’s Word and accountable to others (Proverbs 4:23).
Hope in God’s Restoration: Even in lament, trust that God can raise new lions—leaders who honor Him—and heal what was broken.
A Prayer
Lord, we mourn when Your anointed fall, when lions stumble into traps. Please have mercy on them and on us. Restore what is broken, raise faithful leaders, and keep us vigilant in Your truth. May Your kingdom prevail, even in our lamentations. Amen.
I agree with everything you wrote. Unfortunately, the "other side" is so contrary to anything I believe that I want them to fail at anything they do.