Dangerous to Tangle With
The first person who stepped out on faith and metaphorically started to ‘trample on scorpions’ must have felt a little stressed. If that’s to be your life’s work in the kingdom of God, it’s intimating. Because when threatened, a scorpion will sting repeatedly, injecting their venom and causing intense pain.
Fried or Pickled?
Some people in parts of South East Asia do hunt scorpions for food. They are considered a delicacy. Food stalls in China and Thailand sell scorpions on skewers. The southern 
Chinese claim this arthropod has medicinal properties, and serve up a healthy scorpion-snake soup.
Meanwhile Mexico has quite a tradition of putting scorpions and snakes in their tequila. Drinking people can eat the scorpion. It’s perfectly safe, because the sugars in the alcohol preserve the scorpion and keep the body from biodegrading.
This particular image is of a cobra eating a scorpion in a vodka bottle. Rodrigo Rodriguez, maker of Skorppio Vodka, suggests later pan frying the scorpion, in a little olive oil and spices. His one tip for beginners? Don’t eat the stinger.
Metaphorically Chasing Down Scorpions
Did any Old Testament believers ever “tread on scorpions?” Yes. God’s prophets did. They courageously rebuked Israel and Judah’s rebellious kings. These Jewish rulers worshipped foreign deities. A few assassinated the previous reigning monarch and seized the throne. None of them followed the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Violent, arrogant and unpredictable, when confronted these evil kings acted like threatened scorpions.
One would-be spokesman for the Almighty even tried to talk God out of giving him the job. Remember Moses?
The 1st Scorpion Stomper? Maybe
When God says, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him from Me…” Moses tries to weasel out of the assignment 4 different times, After all, he fled Egypt because Pharaoh was trying to kill him. Going back to Egypt and getting in Pharaoh’s face obviously terrified him
Finally God’s reluctant prophet blurts out his heart’s strongest desire.
But Moses said, “My Lord, I beg you to send someone else, not me.”
But the Lord refused to accept Moses’ plea. Soon the reluctant prophet learned Egypt’s ruler was helpless in the hands of the One, who called Himself, “I AM.”
God’s Prophets
Here’s a few interesting facts about God’s prophets.
- 100% of the prophets were God-appointed—they did not call themselves.
- None of them felt up to the task.
Prompt obedience often kept them safe and under the Lord’s protection.- Their actions showed tremendous courage, even if they felt anxious and afraid.
- The prophet’s job was to give God’s message to divinely selected people.
- The Lord was always in charge of the outcome.
Today I believe the scorpion stompers are Christians who deal with demon-possessed people and the occult.
Confronting evil is always messy. Jesus spoke truth boldly wherever He went. Often his words weren’t appreciated by the people in power.
The Scripture
The metaphor of trampling on scorpions comes from Luke 10. When the 72 disciples return from all the towns and villages the Master sent them to, they’re excited. Because suddenly they had Jesus’ Heavenly power to heal people and cast out demons.
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. (Luke 10:17,19 NIV)
Has Jesus ever given you a hard word to share with someone?
I’ve gotten that assignment. When it comes, I sit down at my PC and prayerfully create a letter. The delete key is my favorite key. Once this type of letter is written it sits on my computer for a day or two. Re-reading it after a good night’s sleep gives me a fresh perspective. Finally when I’m satisfied, I print it and mail it.
With encouragement letters or emails, I do the same thing. The letters I prayerfully write are often anointed.
My spoken words often aren’t.
I downloaded my scorpion images from Pixabay.com.
Hey Maureen! Excellent illustrations and lessons here, very much appreciate your words on confronting evil. I don’t think there is necessarily more evil in the world today or that it’s somehow different than historically, but I do think there is such a desensitization to evil, particularly in the Western world, that we somehow just miss or dismiss it.
Your point that today’s scorpion tramplers are Christians who deal with demon-possessed people and the occult is spot on, and I would include those of the faith who deal with teachers and churches that Paul wrote to Timothy about, those who have exchanged the doctrine of Christ for teaching that satisfies what people want to hear instead.
Excellent word, thank you for sharing!
You’re right about the desensitization of evil. I notice it in myself and it bothers me immensely. I appreciate your insight.
Maureen