Snake Stories

Snakes are not my favorite creatures in the creation.  Being in the country, they are out there with us, but never as welcomed visitors.  While my head tells me that they can be beneficial, the message never really gets to the rest of me.  What set me to this kind of thinking and sharing was that story in the beginning pages of Genesis which featured the snake in the Garden.  Apparently, its presence was no surprise or threat to the Garden couple. 

 

Of course, this snake story is not the only one in the Scripture.  Without scratching my head too much, I remembered another one in Exodus 4.  Moses was told by God to throw down his staff which became a snake on the ground and then to pick up the snake by the tail.  When he did, it became a staff again.  In Genesis the snake was a symbol of temptation, but with Moses it was a sign that God was with him. And, then, of course, there is the snake story in Numbers 21.  Poisonous snakes appeared in the camp of the Hebrews as punishment for their sin and then a bronze serpent was made by Moses to deliver them when bitten. 

 

So, where is all this stuff about snakes going?  The different snake stories speak of the serpent as being a tempter, a sign of God's power, a means of punishment, and a source of deliverance.  It is interesting the way God works.  Surprising.  But, then, as we look at creation we see the same truth illustrated with many other things.  Something can be benevolent and destructive.  The creation teaches the same thing the Word teaches.  Good and evil are ever present in our world.  When we encounter either, we should not be surprised.