The Serpent: Friend & Foe
By: Andre Williams & Elisabeth C. Tunstall
Serpent: Man’s Friend Andre Williams
INTRODUCTION
One of the most feared and often misunderstood animals is undoubtedly the serpent.
The serpent was created on the sixth day, and this can be found in the book of Genesis 1:24-25&31 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
Key Facts
There are more than 3,400 species of snakes, making them the second largest group of reptiles after lizards. Snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica, and on most smaller land masses.
Roughly 600 species of snakes are venomous, and about 200 of those can kill or seriously wound a human.
Key Facts
Some snakes squeeze or constrict their prey to death, such as the anaconda from South America. Snakes are covered in scales, which help them trap moisture in arid climates and reduce friction. About 70% of snakes lay eggs, but some give birth to live young in colder climates. Snakes eat their food whole, sometimes in large portions. Snakes have no limbs, voice, external ears, or eyelids, only one functional lung, and a long, slender body.
Key Facts
Snakes live in a wide variety of environments, including:
• Land: Forests, grasslands, deserts, prairies, mountains and more.
• Water: Fresh and salt water, including steams, rivers and oceans.
Snakes are cold blooded and need to move to a suitable environment to regulate their body temperature. They can’t survive extreme summer heat for more than 10-20 minutes and are rarely found in the open. In hot areas, snakes bask in the morning sun. In cooler regions, they can be seen basking throughout the day. Snakes also shed their skin, and this is done for several reasons. As a snake grows, their skin does not expand with them. Shedding allows them to remove the old, tight skin. Shedding also aids in the removal of parasites that may become embedded in their old skin. If a snake's skin is damaged or injured, shedding can help it regenerate new, healthy skin.
The Spiritual Aspects
Satan mimics the kingdom of God, and through deceit the serpent is often seen solely as a symbol of Satan and not of God. Spiritually speaking the serpent also represents God and this is found throughout various accounts in the Bible.
Tribe of Dan
In the book of Genesis chapter 49, we find Jacob’s blessings unto his sons; the twelve tribes of Israel.
Genesis 49:17 states “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, An adder in the path, That biteth the horses heels, So that his rider shall fall backward.”
This speaks about the mighty tribe of Dan. This was the tribe of a powerful Israelite warrior and judge; Samson. Samson was known for repeatedly defeating the Philistines in various battles. Comparison to a waiting serpent, in this case, is a compliment about a relatively fearsome tribe that is capable of great effect, thanks to skill and strategy.
The Rod of Moses & Aaron
Also, in the book of Exodus chapter 7, God would turn the rod of Moses and Aaron into a serpent that would swallow up the serpent presented on behalf of Pharaoh by the magicians of Egypt. This would show the might of God and hardened the heart of Pharaoh.
Exodus 7: 8-13
“And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharoah, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wisemen and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.”
Numbers 21: 6-9
Lastly, the Lord sent fiery serpents amongst the children of Israel, as they continued to speak against both God and Moses after leaving captivity in Egypt.
“And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”
SERPENT REPRESENTS US
In closing, the serpent represents the children of God as well. Just as the serpent sheds its skin as it grows, this symbolizes the shedding of the old man and the beginning of something new. The shedding of the skin symbolizes transformation, rebirth, and healing. Just as the old man is made new in Christ. Amen.
Serpent: Man’s Common Foe
Elisabeth C. Tunstall
INTRODUCTION
We more commonly know the snake to be an enemy of mankind.
Whether it’s their creepy eyes, scaly skin or the hissing sound they make, most people have a strong disdain for them and here’s why……
ENMITY BETWEEN SNAKE AND MAN
Not the most inviting creatures are they? Now there are two ways a snake can kill you. It is through constriction or envenomation.
Constriction
Constrictor snakes will strike at its prey, grab it and wrap its coils around it. Their powerful muscles then tightly squeeze the air out of the prey. Despite popular belief, these snakes do not necessarily crush the bones of their prey. Instead, the constriction halts blood flow and prevents oxygen from reaching vital organs such as the heart and brain, ultimately leading to cardiac arrest and death.
Constriction
Although there are some venomous snakes that use constriction it is mainly nonvenomous snakes that use this method of subduing its prey. Of the 3,900 species of snakes, approximately 11% make up unambiguous constrictors, such as boas and pythons.
Venemous Snakes
There are 600 venomous snake species with 200 that can actually kill human beings. Venomous snakes have fangs attached to venom glands. Fangs range in size depending on the snake. Some have short and hollow fangs. Other snakes have long, hollow fangs that can inject large quantities of venom with a single bite. Venom is produced in a snake’s salivary glands, located in the back of their head. When a snake bites, muscles in its head squeeze the venom glands. Venom then pushes through the fangs, which act as needles when piercing the flesh.
Snake Venom
Snake venom varies in composition and toxins depending on the snake. There are different types of toxins.
Neurotoxins affect the nervous system, preventing neurons from transmitting signals, causing paralysis of the victim. Haemotoxins affect the circulatory system. This toxin can cause red blood cells to burst, cause blood to clot, or lower blood pressure to a dangerous level. Myotoxins affect the muscular system, causing the necrosis or tissue death of muscles and prevent muscle contraction.
Snake bite poisonings are also known as envenomings. 5.4 million people worldwide are bitten by snakes per year. There are 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of envenomings each year. Approximately 137,000 people are killed by snakebites, primarily in areas of Africa, Latin America and Asia per year. Three times as many amputations and other permanent disabilities are caused by snakebites.
Satan the Serpent
The snake represents Satan. Even prior to the creation of mankind the devil was depicted as such when he waged a war in heaven.
Revelations 12: 7-9
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Satan the Serpent
Man’s feud begins with the serpent in the garden. The bible describes the snake or serpent as a subtil creature (Genesis 3:1). To be subtil is to be sly, cunning and clever. These are characteristics of the devil.
As we know, Satan entered the serpent and deceived Adam and Eve into taking the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God cursed the snake. We are not exactly sure what it looked like before but God turned it into the legless creature it is now as a punishment (Genesis 3: 14-15).
Spiritual Constriction
If we allow Satan to get a hold of us he will wrap around us, squeezing God’s word and spirit out of us. The Holy Spirit is the breath of life that flows in our body. It also activates the word, giving it the power to change us. When the spirit and word leave us, this turns our heart of flesh into stone. This is spiritual cardiac arrest. Sin will then take over, leading us to eternal death.
This sin is represented by venom. Recall that there are different types of venom, some affect the nervous system, which involves the brain and the circulatory system, which involves the heart. Like venom, sin directly affects our hearts and minds. The heart and mind serve as gateways for Satan to enter in. The heart is the center of a person and is the place to measure one’s desire to obey or not to obey (Matthew 12:35, Luke 12: 34). The mind is where we make choices and is the battleground between good and evil (Ephesians 6: 12).
Sin Corrupts
When sin enters our hearts and minds it corrupts us and changes our very demeanor and behavior. There are different types of venom, some more lethal than others. All sin is transgression of the law but they vary in degree of severity. Some sins are so severe it can cause a permanent change to your life or worst, kill you, just like venom.
Example
Example: a child gets a spanking for disobeying their mother’s command to clean their room vs a person incarcerated for stealing a vehicle. Both examples show someone that transgressed the law but the type of sin and corresponding punishments differ. The first person can repent and easily move on with their lives in a positive way. This can be compared to a snakebite with very minor injuries. The second person’s life will never be the same. They can repent but they have just made their life extremely difficult with a sin that will follow them for the rest of their life. This is liken to snakebite that caused an amputation of a limb.
Ambush Predator
Satan can behave as an ambush predator like the snake. This means he will conceal himself, lurking and waiting to attack us by surprise. We all have been faced with a situation that catches us off guard. Ex: being laid off suddenly or dealing with someone with road rage. How you handle these situations determine whether you suffer a snakebite. Will the devil bruise your heel or will you bruise the serpent’s head?
Our Feet
To effectively bruise the serpent’s head our feet cannot be exposed but instead must be shod with the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6: 13-15). This is the word of God. Consider the benefits of shoes. They protect your skin from the ground and any debris that may be present. Shoes help prevent slips and falls by giving you extra stability and support when you walk. Shoes also facilitate upright posture and prevent muscle strain. Now consider the word of God. The word of God protects us and gives us the support we need to continue to stand upright and to walk continually on the straight and narrow road. It is God’s truth that protects us from the serpent’s venomous bite.
Snakebites
We all have suffered snakebites. We all have been corrupted with venom because we we are all guilty of sin. The antidote or antivenin that can save us is the word of God. Antivenin is an antibody therapy used to disable the toxins of venom. This therapy is created by injecting venom into donor animals, such as horses and sheep. These animals have robust immune systems, capable of developing powerful antibodies that can help eliminate poisonous snake toxins when injected in humans.
Like antivenin, the word is powerful enough to remove the poison of sin because the word comes from and is Christ (John 1: 1). His word is delivered to us by the Spirit (John 14: 26). For every sin there is good to oppose it (Galatians 5: 16-23). The word has to be within our hearts and minds in order for us to carry it out in action. This is made possible by studying the word, praying and praising God daily. The Spirit is thereby able to commune with us. Our hearts and minds open up to him and he can make his abode within us, bringing us to Christ. When we are consumed with the word, we are that much closer to being free from sin.
Conclusion
The devil uses both constriction and envenomation as tactics to cause us to fall. He is a cunning opponent, looking for the right opportunity to strike. That is why it is important for us to always be on guard and to always wear our armor, specifically our shoes. For with our feet shod with the gospel of peace we can in fact bruise the serpent’s head and overcome this enemy once and for all. May God be with you all. Amen.
By: Tony Davis & Elisabeth C. Tunstall
