His Ambassadors

When I would hunt snakes as a kid, I would never pick them up by the tail. I would use my foot to pin them down by the neck, being careful not to crush them, and then I would carefully pick them up, holding them right behind the head. I would never pick up a snake by the tail, because a snake could turn around and bite.

When God told Moses to throw down his rod, which became a snake, and then pick it up by the tail, it was a step of faith. Most likely the snake was a cobra, the symbol of Egypt. I presume it was this type of snake because it was common in that part of the world. It also has a venomous bite. If you are bitten by a cobra, you have a serious problem on your hands.

So God told Moses to take the symbol of Egypt and grab it by the tail. He was effectively telling him, "I don’t want you to be afraid. I am going to defeat this serpent. I am going to overpower Pharaoh. I am going to do it through you, so overcome your fears, step forward, and go for it."

Moses was called to represent God to a pagan culture. And we have been called by God to do the same. The United States is becoming increasingly pagan, and I mean that in a descriptive, not derogative, sense. There is belief in false gods and in many gods. It seems like there is belief in every god but the right God.

The Lord has called Christians to represent Him and has given us authority: we are His ambassadors (see 2 Corinthians 5:20). And as ambassadors of Christ, we are charged with bringing His message to the world.