Friday, August 30, 2013

Hands on the Scales


Television can be a great tool for education. With over 1000 channels, people are constantly amused and amazed. With offerings from drama to comedy, one medium has proven to be a perennial favorite year-in; year-out. The animal channel! Animals filmed in the wild hold a unique fascination that cannot be explained. And of all the animals that fascinate us, there is none that command our undivided attention more than reptiles; specifically snakes.

Why? Maybe it goes back to the very beginning. In the Garden of Eden, where everything was perfect; the beautiful flowers, the blooming trees, it must have been overwhelming. Can you imagine the sight of all those colors, the fragrances, the luscious fruit on the branches; and all of it created for Adam and Eve's enjoyment? What could possibly go wrong?

The Biblical story of perfection is interrupted by a visitor to the Garden. Scripture records in Genesis that the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God made. Perhaps Eve did not realize animals could not speak. It didn't matter, Eve was not alarmed. After the serpent deceived Eve and God heard the entire story, judgment fell on Adam and Eve, the serpent, and the whole creation!

As a result, the beautiful and crafty serpents' very form and movements were altered. He would now crawl on his belly and eat dust, as a sign of humiliation. As we read the first recorded story of snake handling, we see God handling the situation with poetic justice! We should remember that animals are wild for a reason! Beware all reptiles.

“…pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.”
Numbers 21:7



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