It was an interesting warning Paul slipped in there when addressing the folks at Antioch: “Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you...(Acts 13:40 - and he goes on to quote from Habakkuk 1:5). Seems we are advised in several places to give heed to what those prophets of old shared in their writings...as if it has relevance for us today. Imagine that! (Acts 3:24-26; 2 Pet. 3:1-2; Luke 21:22; Jer. 23:20 Dan. 12: 4,9-10; 1 Cor. 10:1-11)

Regarding that warning from Habakkuk though, let me summarize the first chapter there and you can read on your own later. God once again is bringing in an ‘enemy’ to carry out His judgments. He really is serious about this ‘sin’ thing, contrary to popular belief today. We read there in 1:5-7 that He is ‘raising up the Chaldeans...a bitter and hasty nation...that are terrible and dreadful’ and actually come in to ‘possess dwelling places that are not theirs.” Interesting word picture there, don’t you think, especially when you consider there is usually a layer of spiritual truth and revelation woven in to these things we read in God’s word.(Matt. 12:43-45)

And what is God using them for? Habakkuk tells us plainly in vs. 12: “O Lord, You have appointed them for judgement; O Rock, You have marked them for correction!”

Would you take a quick moment and go read what Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 5:5 and 1 Tim. 1:20; and then meet me back here...I’ll wait. ;-)

Now, let’s go back and read in Exodus 4:1-5. This is the story where God is setting Moses in a place of leadership and authority so that He can be used to deliver His people from the bondage of Egypt. This, of course, is all a ‘type’ or foreshadowing of what God was going to do with Jesus and deliver us from the bondage of sin, the devil, and the ‘world’. Moses had his doubts and asked God: “What if they don’t believe me or listen to my voice?” God, in turn asked Moses what he was holding in his hand. “A rod”, he replied. It was the staff that Moses had most likely carried with him for years as he shepherded his animals on the backside of the desert. I don’t think it takes a lot of creative energy to conclude how such a staff or rod would be used by a shepherd – maybe to help steer, guide, and even ‘smack’ wayward sheep/goats when needed. And in some cases used to ward off predators or unwanted critters. We also recognize that a ‘rod’ in the hands of a leader can symbolize ‘authority’.

So what does God instruct Moses to do with his rod? – “Cast it on the ground.” Moses did, and immediately it became a....serpent. (3). This spooked Moses as he quickly fled from it but then God told him to simply reach out and take the serpent by its tail, which he did, and immediately it turned back into his rod. The very fact God told Moses to grab the serpent by the tail (which is usually the dumbest part of a snake to grab) implies God was giving Moses power and/or authority over a deadly serpent. And what have we come to understand that the serpent represents here in scripture? Anyone recall what Jesus told those 70 disciples in Luke 10:17-19? Go read it....and then meet me back here tomorrow. ;-)