THE LEOPARD is one of the members of the “big cat” family, well-known in Old Testament times and famed for its fierceness and sudden bursts of speed.
The fully-grown leopard is a magnificent animal, tawny white in color with black circular spots, shaped like roses, patterned all over its body. Its teeth and claws are long and sharp. A leopard weighs up to 100-180 pounds, and can measure more than seven feet from nose to tail.
Like most cats, he is a very curious fellow. A game ranger in Africa tells of how a leopard once walked into his sleeping-hut one rainy night in Uganda. After wandering around the room, it sat crouched at the foot of his bed, while he slept, its nose only a few inches from his bare feet. How did he know? It left its muddy paw-marks all over his white Indian rug.
The strength of the leopard is unbelievable. When brought to bay, or cornered, it is capable of giving an account of itself out of all proportion to its weight and size.
Visitors to Brookfield Zoo, outside Chicago, a few years ago, will remember a leopard and his mate who occupied one of the big cages in the lion house. Their cage was right next to one occupied by three young lions. While the animals were all outside, one of the keepers had been cleaning the cages, and had forgotten to close the door between the two cages.
When the animals returned to their cages again, the lions found the door into the leopards’ cage open, and the three piled in one after the other. Then began a fearful battle. When cornered, the leopard is transformed into a furious fighting machine, and these two met the three invaders with indomitable courage. Ever keeping his lithe body between his mate and the lions, the male leopard met the onslaught of the foe with savage resistance. The snarling and growling of the great cats together with the roars of the lions, as they sparred and tore at each other, increased until the building almost shook with the din of the battle. In vain the keepers sought to stop the fight by spraying water into the faces of the roaring beasts, and the fight went on. Finally, with the help of powerful hoses, they forced the lions back and eventually into their own cage. The din ceased; the battle was over. The male leopard breathed his last, his back broken in the fight. But so ably had he defended his mate all through the awful struggle, that they found she was almost unharmed.
What a comfort it is to know from God’s Word that the time is coming—and not far off — when animals will not fight and kill each other. For “the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling tether; and a little child shall lead them.... They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain.” Isa. 11:6,96The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:6)
9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9).
That will be when the Lord Jesus comes to reign in righteousness over all the earth. He will take away the hatred out of the hearts of all His creatures, the wildness of their nature will disappear, and all will be at peace in His kingdom.
All the suffering, the sorrow and death that man’s sin has caused will be removed because of His work of redemption on the cross; for He is “the Lamb that taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:2828These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. (John 1:28).
The faithful leopard died defending his mate. In a far more wonderful way the Lord Jesus has died defending His own from Satan’s power and the judgment of God against sin. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)) — for me, for you, dear reader, if you trust Him as your Saviour.
ML-05/24/1970