Titanoboa

 

While I certainly do not buy into the evolutionary mumbo-jumbo surrounding the discovery, that this creature lived 65 million years ago and evolved into its modern day counterpart, I do believe their discovery to be genuine.  Members of the Smithsonian Tropical Research institute and representatives of several universities, who had been searching in a large coal mine in northeastern Columbia, unearthed a vertebrae of an anaconda that would have been 42 feet long and weighed a ton!  These scientists settled on the understated name of "titanoboa."  I can only imagine what the people of that day called it!  Imagining myself encountering this creature makes me reconfirm every snake-o-phobic feeling I have ever felt.  With the likely tropical conditions of the antediluvian world, snakes (like other living things, including humans) lived longer.  Imagine the intimidation factor this super-reptile would have caused (info taken from Janice Lloyd, USA Today, 2/5/09, 2A).   The Bible refers to the devil as a serpent (Rev. 12:9).  There seems to be Satanic involvement with the serpent that appears in Genesis three, tempting Eve.  From such biblical allusions, man has often attached the image of the devil with the snake.  You may not imagine a 42-foot bone-crushing anaconda when you think of his work, but understand how deadly and dangerous the devil is.  He uses devices (2 Cor. 2:11) and wishes to devour us, his adversaries (1 Pet. 5:8; cf. Heb. 2:14; 2 Tim. 2:26).  The book of Revelation is filled with implications of Satan's work through the Roman Empire to try and destroy the Christ and then His first-century church.  He has worked through man's willing weaknesses and sinful choices to destroy congregations, spouses, parents, children, gospel preachers, elders, deacons, and formerly faithful Christians.  His influence can see in all that is worldly and woeful in our world today.  Let us not paint a mental picture of a docile snake that we can skillfully handle.  Playing with this serpent is the most foolhardy choice we can make.  Only through the Father, Son and Spirit can we defeat this formidable foe.  Let us rely on God's strength and protection to help us fight this frightening force!

Neal Pollard