At this point Jacob said, "I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord" (v. 18). After speaking about Dan as a serpent by the way and a horned snake on the path that bites the horse's heels, Jacob cried to the Lord for salvation. If we see the situation of today's Dans, we also will cry "O Lord, save us. Lord, save us from the Dans, from the idols, and from the other centers of worship. Lord, save us from the serpent and from the horned snake. O Lord, save us from the biting of the serpent." Jacob not only prayed; he also called on the name of the Lord. This verse does not say, "I am waiting for thy salvation," or, "I will wait for thy salvation." It says, "I have waited for thy salvation." Jacob seemed to be saying, "Lord, with this situation with Dan, nothing can help except Your salvation. Only Your salvation can save us from this harm, this damage. Lord, I have already waited for Your salvation. Lord, I have cried to You. I have called on You. Lord, we need Your salvation."
Throughout history, many Dans have become serpents setting up idols to frustrate others. Our heart has been deeply hurt by this. In 1969 another center of worship was set up, and many young people have been frustrated by it. The heels of many horses were bitten, and many young riders fell backward. The only thing we can do about such a situation is to call on the Lord and say, "Lord, I have waited for Your salvation." In the past we have seen the Lord's salvation and we are still seeing it today. I can testify that many have been saved from the bite of the serpent.
We have seen that Dan is firstly the continuation of Judah, the continuation of the victory of Christ. Then Dan fell into the worship of idols. Whenever the worship of idols is introduced, the serpent is there. Behind every image there is an evil spirit. Behind every idol is the subtle one seeking the worship of people. Thus, when the image was set up, Dan became a serpent. In other words, because Dan was one with the idol, he became Satan. After this terrible fall, God's salvation came. Praise the Lord for His salvation! History testifies of this, and our present surroundings and environment confirm it. We have seen the fall, and we have seen a situation where the serpent has come in. But we have also seen the salvation of the Lord. Hallelujah, a great many have been saved! O Lord, we have waited for Your salvation.