The Tribe Ensign of Dan, Changed from a Serpent to an Eagle

Originally posted 6-26-13

Ahiezer, Chief of the Tribe of Dan, changed the tribal ensign from a serpent to an eagle with a serpent in its mouth, because of the serpent’s Scriptural representation of sin. However, changing the ensign did not change the character of the Tribe of Dan. What life lesson does this represent to each of us?

To quote William Shakespeare or as others would have it, Sir Francis bacon, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." As an aside, although the sentence "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" was perhaps inspirited by the play “Romeo and Juliet” it was written by Gertrude Stein as part of her 1913 poem “Sacred Emily.”. I used to live in a really neat town in Arizona named Apache Trail, something of a seasonal home for thousands of “winter visitors.” As a result, lots of RV and trailer parks and the nicknames “Tin City” and “Apathy Junction.” The city fathers suggested that renaming Apache Junction would lend the town a more respectability image. Today Apache Junction’s name remains unchanged as has much of the town.

So what does that have to do with the Tribe of Dan? Genesis 49:1 “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” Jacob’s prophecy for the tribe of Dan was not favorable. Genesis 49:17 “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that bite the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.” The tribe of Dan fell into idolatry in short order.

Paul said it well in Ephesians 4:22-24, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”  Add to that Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

What is the life lesson of the tribe of Dan spitting the serpent out of the mouth of the eagle? Not much changed as they mostly followed the way of that old serpent Satan. Changing a name does not the person(s) and/ or town change! The change has to be authentic! Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”