What It Really Means to Be Bold as a Lion (Proverbs 28:1)
"Why real boldness looks more like resting in security than roaring in anger."
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. -Proverbs 28:1
We were just trying to enjoy a little Chinese food…okay, a lot of Chinese food…when we were interrupted by some red-faced dude. No, he wasn’t choking on his Kung Pao chicken. He was letting everyone around him know that he didn’t care about their opinion of him. He kept saying that he was a “child of God” and told everyone they needed to be as well. He spoke of hell, of judgment, and told people they needed to repent.
A real John the Baptist this guy was.
Or was he?
In reality, this dude made us uncomfortable and everyone around him started squirming when he came near. (Not that a guy eating locusts and wild-honey wouldn’t make you a bit uncomfortable). The people in that Chinese restaurant were wondering if they’d be the next recipient of one of his mini-lectures. Thankfully, he avoided our table and I could go back to my cashew chicken.
I was a younger believer when this happened. I couldn’t quite place my feelings of being uncomfortable. Was it conviction that I wasn’t this bold? Was I somehow not really trusting in Christ, and his witnessing made me uncomfortable? Did I need to be more direct in my own ministry? Should I stand up and join the guy? Or was he off?
I thought about that dude this morning when I was meditating on Proverbs 28:1.
“Bold as a lion.”
What does that mean?
Two Very Different Lions
Think about lions for a moment. Some of them, especially if they feel threatened, can be aggressive, prowling villages, burninating the countryside. I’m think here of the great movie, The Ghost and the Darkness. In that story two lions stalked and killed dozens of workers in Africa during the building of a railroad. They boldly ripped their enemies to shreds.
But there’s another picture of a lion—far more majestic. He’s resting in tall grass, head raised, utterly still, eyes half-closed, breathing slowly and steady. In my mind I’m picturing the very unamused lion that we’d visit at the animal safari in Gentry, Arkansas. We’d drive by (or sometimes walk by) and play their theme song. This lion was serenaded with some Elton John from the Lion King. The lion didn’t appreciate my humor as much as my family did.
He was entirely unbothered. Unmoved. Unthreatened. Maybe a little bored (Or maybe he was just insulted that the tiger next door was getting music from Rocky). He wasn’t roaring, he wasn’t attacking. He was just boldly sitting there.
It’s that second image that is in the mind of Proverbs 28:1. The wicked flee when nobody is chasing them. Guilt makes them cowards. Fear drives their imagination into a panic. They’re constantly looking over their shoulder—and maybe even blowing up Chinese restaurants fleeing their own insecurities and placing burdens on others.
But the righteous are unmoving. Bold lions rest because they’re lions. They don’t have to panic, because they are the king of the jungle. They don’t need to bluster or shout to feel strong. They are strong. And that’s what righteousness does. It gives you a confidence.
Real Boldness
It’s easy to misread the contrast in Proverbs 28:1 as if it’s only about running away versus charging forward. But that misses the heart of the proverb. The deeper issue is insecurity versus security. That’s what the word for bold means—it means to feel secure or to rely on something. The Bible contrasts human bravado (what we might call boldness) with a deep internal security that comes from trusting in God.
The Hebrew idea behind "boldness" (bāṭaḥ) is closer to "living unafraid because you are secure" than "living loudly to prove you are strong."
Our culture prizes a different kind of boldness. Today, we celebrate (or at least pay attention to) those who are loudest, brashest, and most willing to offend. We call it “boldness” and standing up for the truth. Except the whole thing is a damnable lie, built on sand. Speaking truth with no regard for how it impacts others isn’t boldness, it’s buffoonery. The outrage that is often mistaken for courage is usually just cowardice—it’s the defensive lion and not the bolder one.
Real boldness rests in strength, it doesn’t demand attention. It doesn’t need an audience, doesn’t need applause, doesn’t fear disapproval, and won’t appreciate Hakuna Matata even if the thumb-possessing bi-peds are playing it on their iPhone. (As a side note: we found they’re a little more prone to groove to The Lion Sleeps Tonight. And bears are big fans of Bare Necessities).
Our righteousness, which is where this boldness comes from, is found in Christ. In Revelation 5:5, He is called "the Lion of the tribe of Judah." The lion who sits at the right hand of God. Notice what you don’t see with Jesus. You don’t see reckless rage, careless shouting, panic or naked aggression.
You do see a man who boldly stood before Pilate, one who endured the cross without reviling enemies, one who loved those who mocked him, and one that was strong enough to be gentle. This lion was powerful enough to lay down His life. That is what it means to be as bold as a lion.
What kind of boldness do you have?
If you’re in Christ, it ought to be the settled kind.
Go yawn in a field.