The Red Wolf

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or 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 11:6-9 ESV).

The Red Wolf was once a prominent part of the landscape at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains. However, they are now gone. While a reintroduction of the wolf was attempted in the late 1990’s, it was relatively unsuccessful. The last remaining pairs were trapped and relocated to North Carolina. It is not unusual to see coyotes in the park though. While much smaller they are still startling as they lope across the cove in search of their next meal. I have seen them in other places, of course. They are very prominent in Texas. It is not unusual to see them cross open areas near us. In fact, not long ago I had one move between the houses about fifty yards from us. They rarely threaten humans and are nocturnal for the most part. They do present a threat to small animals and young or weak deer. In our reading today, the prophet sees an amazing time ahead. He sees the day when the predator and prey will “dwell” with one another. Ours is a world where the young and weak do not get close to wolves and live to tell about it. Isaiah gives us a picture of a time when the created world will be turned upside down. Better yet, it will be turned right side up, and restored to its intended condition. Redemption won’t just affect wolves and lambs, but leopards and goats, calves and lions, and most of all, human beings. It will be an amazingly different world. It’s no secret that our world is not in balance. While every effort may be made to preserve and restore that balance, our well-meaning attempts to fix things often create more problems. A part of the purpose of God’s redemption includes all of his creation. The reason for this is simply extolled: the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD. It is another reminder that man does not initiate redemption of any sort. This can only be accomplished by the will and work of the Lord. I often wonder what a difference it would make in our churches and homes if we could simply understand our weakness and God’s strength. I wonder how many of our failures could be avoided by that one change. I do know that it makes an enormous difference in my personal life when I accept that truth. My strivings now become reasonable and reachable. Don’t become “extinct” like the wolf in the Smokies. Trust God alone!