Text: Psalms 58:4-5

 4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent:  they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;  5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.    

Saturday 28^th September 2024

THE SERPENT STOPS HER EAR 2

Text: Psalms 58:4-5

Memory verse: Jeremiah 8:17 For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.

It is a fact that cannot be disputed that there were persons that charmed, lulled to inactivity, or professed to charm serpents, to prevent them from biting. Ecclesiastes 10:11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment.

One day a rattlesnake entered our farm camp then in the village. There was one of our neighbours in the farm who could play the flute to enchant snakes. We called on him to help us and marched against the serpent with his new species of weapon.  On the approach of his enemy, the arrogant reptile curls himself into a coiled line, flattens his head, inflates his cheeks, contracts his lips, displays his poisoned teeth and his bold throat; his tongue flows like two flames of fire; his eyes are burning coals; his body swollen with rage, rises and falls like the roars of a furnace; his expanded skin assumes a dull and scaly appearance.

This neighbour begins to play his flute, the serpent starts with surprise, and draws back his head, his eyes lose their fierceness; the swinging of his tail become slower and the sounds which it makes become weaker, and gradually dies away and slightly turning his head, he remains motionless, in the attitude of attention and pleasure. At this moment the neighbour advances a few steps, producing from his flute sweet and simple notes.  The serpent, inclining his multi-coloured neck, opens a passage with the head and begins to creep after the music; stopping when he stops, and beginning to follow him again as soon as he advances forward.  In this manner he was led out of the camp, we could barely believe what we saw with our eyes. The serpent, when he begins to suspect the charmer, clapped one ear to the ground, and stopped the other ear with his tail, although by hearkening to the charmer, as some observe, he would be provoked to spit out his poison.  

This is the situation with us that we become so deaf to all that would counsel us against certain sin we are committed to. We stop our ears, harden our heart, stiffens our neck against the thunders of the law, the still voice of the gospel, the flows of the Spirit, and the convictions of our own conscience. When sin calls, when the world gives an order, how readily do we listen, how quickly do we hear, how faithfully do we obey. But when the blessed God cries to us, charges us by his unquestionable authority, beseeches us for our own unchangeable happiness, we deafen our ears to the counsel.

Many Serpents have been conquered by the charmer's art, a serpent that is less vulnerable than others to the charmer's music, and says that they refused to hear reason, even as the adder shuts her ear to those incantations which fascinate other reptiles.  Man, in his natural corruption, appears to have all the ill points of a serpent without its excellences.  You can be like the serpent by blocking your ears against the music from the world to take you out of faith.

CGDS Hymn 15; SS&S 607

I AM THINE, O LORD, I HAVE HEARD THY VOICE

 Prayers 

1.  Lord Jesus, tune my ears to Your voice always.

2.  LORD God Almighty, I cannot be deaf to Your counsel at any time help me Lord in Jesus’ name. Amen.    

3.  Pray for others in this regard.