A wide variety of cobras live in lands such as Africa, southern Asia and the East Indies, including the Philippine Islands. The one we will look at is the king cobra, the largest and longest poisonous snake known, reaching a length of 18 feet! Cobras are nervous, and it is scary to watch one when excited raise its head 2 or 3 feet and then flatten its neck, expose its poisonous fangs with its greenish tongue flicking in and out, and stare at you with its beady eyes. Actually, it is more likely to retreat than to attack, because it is more interested in finding a frog, bird, small snake or small mammal to eat.
Some varieties of king cobras have brownish-olive backs; others are gray or black with light bands over the back, with underparts ranging from white to yellow or black. Scales on the back of the larger variety are mostly deep black with some brown areas and the underpart a tannish-yellow. Their red eyes with coal-black pupils are always open since they have no eyelids, and they only see an object when it moves.
Snake charmers of India train small cobras to stay coiled in an open basket until the charmer plays a flute while swaying his body back and forth. Soon the snake rises up and also sways, to the delight of spectators who give the charmer a few coins for the show. Most of these people are unaware that the snake is deaf and can’t hear the music, but it is actually sensing danger and holding itself on guard. It would do the same thing without the music.
Many people in those Asian lands worship cobras. Tragically, they are taught by their heathen priests that these serpents are gods, controlling not only every person’s life and health, but also their crops, sunshine, rain and storms. Expensive temples are built to worship these snakes, including idols often shaped like a coiled cobra or groups of them with raised bodies at various heights from the floor, having human heads crowned with gold or jewels. People bring flowers, food and expensive gifts, bowing down to these idols and worshipping them.
We are thankful for Christian people who try to turn these poor, deceived people to the Lord Jesus as the only true, loving Savior and away from the power of Satan. In Revelation 12:99And 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. (Revelation 12:9), Satan is referred to as “that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which [deceives] the whole world.”
Do not let that evil one deceive you. The Lord Jesus loves you and wants you to put your trust in Him. His Word, the Bible, invites each person to “trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:55Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)).
ML-04/23/2017