A wide variety of cobras live in lands such as China, India, Burma and the Philippine Islands. The one we will look at is the king cobra, which grows to nearly 20 feet long. It is scary watching one raise its flat head two or three feet above its coiled body with a hood behind its neck flared out, poisonous fangs exposed, greenish tongue flicking in and out, and beady eyes staring at you. But actually, they are more likely to hurry away rather than harm humans, and are more interested in making a meal of a smaller snake or animal.
Some varieties of the king cobras have brownisholive backs; others are gray or black with light bands over the back, and underparts may range from white to yellow or black. Scales on the back of the bigger variety are mostly deep black with some brownish areas and the underpart a tannishyellow.
Their red eyes with coalblack pupils are always open (they have no eyelids) but only see an object when it moves.
“Snakecharmers” 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 is actually sensing danger and holding itself on guard. It would do the same thing without the music.
Many people in those Asian and Oriental lands worship cobras. Tragically, they are taught by native priests that these serpents are gods, controlling not only every person’s life and health, but also their crops and 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 bodies lifted at various heights from the floor and having human heads crowned with gold or jewels. People come with flowers, food and expensive gifts, bowing down to these 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 Saviour 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 deceiveth the whole world.”
Do not let that evil one deceive you. The Lord Jesus 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-08/18/1991