(by Lorie Codispoti)
I’ve never been bitten by a snake (thankfully), but it’s not because we lack an ample supply.
We live in the woods, with a creek running through our property; and we burn wood so there is a large wood pile near the house. It’s an ideal environment for small critters (mice, lizards, birds, frogs, etc.), a delectable smorgasbord for any slithering reptile who decides to make his home near ours.
The reason we have avoided being bitten is simple: awareness and training. Our children were educated on what to look for and how to avoid getting too close when they spotted any snake. Our dog also helped, as he instinctively would put himself between the kids and the snake when he sensed one nearby. I even trained myself to differentiate between their sound and that of a lizard moving through the leaves. (I have really good hearing.) Of course, our methods aren’t foolproof, but we have successfully avoided some really close calls.
The Bible describes Satan in a variety of ways, one of which is the serpent who bit Adam and Eve in the Garden. They were unaware of how deadly this creature was, and rather than avoiding him they got close enough to be injected with his deadly venom.
You don’t have to be a Christian for very long before you encounter the most dangerous creature ever created. While we can (and should) make every attempt to educate ourselves on how to avoid crossing his path, we will inevitably wrestle with the serpent and feel his fangs penetrate our skin. The only hope, at that point, will be anti-venom.
Did you know that, worldwide, two million people are bitten by snakes every year? Ten thousand of those cases come from Nigeria, where people are killed by the venom from the aggressive Nigerian carpet viper. In the United States, Thomasville, Georgia is the place to avoid if you suffer from ophidiophobia (fear of snakes). It’s the rattlesnake capital of America, with local hospitals treating snake bite victims every day. Again, the answer lies within the neutralizing properties of anti-venom, so every year a nearby town has a “rattlesnake round up” where they gather and milk their venom so that it can be used to create an antidote.
One sheep owner wrote this on a post I recently read: “A rattlesnake bit one of my sheep in the face about a week ago. It’s the deadliest snake that lives around here. The sheep’s face swelled up and hurt her terribly. But the old rattlesnake didn't know the kind of blood that flows through the sheep. The sheep swelled for about two days but the blood of the lamb destroyed the venom of the serpent. I was worried but the sheep didn't care. She kept on eating, kept on drinking and kept on climbing because she knew she was alright.” (Jeremy Roop)
For almost a century, anti-venom was created using horse blood, but 40% of people injected would have an allergic reaction, with some even dying. So researchers began experimenting and discovered that antivenin made with sheep’s blood only had a 1% allergic response.
Do you see what I see? The Lamb’s blood overcomes the deadly venom injected by the serpent - and though the sheep may still suffer adverse effects, it’s a temporary condition due to the fact that the poison has been neutralized.
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn.1:29)
Our Savior spilled His own blood, reversing the death sentence rendered in the garden. And for those infused with the blood of the Lamb, there is no need to fear the venom from Satan's bite. “He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters” because the head of the serpent has been severed and all his works destroyed by the finished work of the cross.
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