In my sense of interpretation, I thought there was nothing wrong with behavior such as; deceit, slander and being hostile to any wicked person that might cross my path. But the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit asked me if any evil action could yield a good outcome? I need no one to tell me the answers…. The wisdom of the serpent in the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ is referring to the natural attitude of the animal and not to the devil that used the animal as an instrument in the Garden of Eden.
The world holds nearly 3, snake species and each display a unique combination of defensive mechanisms and survival strategies.
Most of the snake relies on camouflage hiding or fleeing from predators as a first point line of defense. Have you ever met a serpent while walking along a bush path? When most of the serpent noticed the presence of a potential enemy, they camouflage and run away. That is the wisdom of the serpent the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to imbibe in our rough Christian path of evangelism.
During evangelism in a gathering where you were not given the audience to speak the power of truth according to the word of God, do not embarrass or curse them because you might not find such attitude funny. Jesus want you to be wise as serpent by dusting your feet, dip your hand into your pocket to grab your ignition key — camouflage and run away by obeying the speed limit of the rough road to your house.
Another day will be a chance for the poor evangelist. Jesus Christ had the same encounter when He was denied the access to preach the power of truth in the country of the Gadarenes, because the angry people were not comfortable with the financial loss incurred by the great herd of swine about two thousand that got choked in the sea. It is how Jesus was able to realize the assignment that God the Father gave Him.
It is how Paul was able to expand the Kingdom of God more than any of his contemporaries. What about the dark and evil representation of the snake? The truth is, the snake unto itself is not an evil beast. God created the snake as He did all animals. The snake just possesses characteristics that make it easy for the Devil to use as a tool for evil. It all belongs to God. This is usually our monthly partnership fee. Become a Partner. Those, therefore, who usurp the work of the ministry without being solemnly set apart for it, reveal more pride than zeal—and they can expect no blessing.
Jeremiah says, "I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least. Verse 16, "Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves! They would meet with enemies as fierce and savage as wolves. As all who will live godly in Christ shall meet with sufferings, so commonly Christ's ambassadors encounter the deepest trials.
Most of the Apostles died by the hands of tyrants. Peter was crucified with his head downwards. Luke the Evangelist was executed on an olive-tree. John was cast by Domitian into a vessel of scalding oil. The emperor Maximinus gave charge to his officers to put none to death, but the leaders and pastors of the church. The ministers are Christ's ensign-bearers to carry His colors; therefore, they are most shot at. They hold forth His truth. Philippians , "I am set for the defense of the gospel.
The minister's work is to part between men and their sins—and this causes opposition! When Paul preached against Diana, all the city was in an uproar, Acts This may stir up prayer for Christ's ministers—that they may be able to withstand the assaults of the enemy, 2 Thessalonians The qualification of this wisdom, a wisdom mixed with innocence, "harmless as doves.
This union of the dove and the serpent is hard to find. Matthew , "Who then is a wise and faithful servant? Faithful, there is the dove; wise, there is the serpent. It is hard to find both. If one would seek for a faithful man, no doubt, he may find many. If one would seek for a wise man, he may find many. But, if he seeks for one both wise and faithful—it is hard to find. It is possible, though not common. Moses was a man " learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians," Acts There was the wisdom of the serpent.
And he was the meekest man alive. Numbers , "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. Daniel was an excellent person. Daniel , "Excellent wisdom is found in you. Daniel , "The administrators and princes began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize.
He was faithful and honest and always responsible. Look at Paul , Acts , "When Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were all my ancestors! Here was the wisdom of the serpent; and verse 1, "I have always lived before God in all good conscience! How lovely is this union of the dove and serpent! The Scripture joins these two together, meekness and wisdom, James Wisdom , there is the serpent; meekness , there is the dove.
This beautifies a Christian, when he has the serpent's eye in the dove's head. We must have innocence with our wisdom —else our wisdom is but craftiness. And we must have wisdom with our innocence —else our innocence is but weakness. We must have the innocence of the dove—that we may not harm others; and we must have the wisdom of the serpent—that others may not harm us.
We must have the innocence of the dove—that we may not betray the truth; and the wisdom of the serpent—that we may not betray ourselves. In short, innocence without wisdom is too weak to be safe.
Wisdom without innocence is too subtle to be good. When wisdom and innocence appear together, they preview the soul's happiness. Solomon said, "Wisdom is the principal thing," Proverbs Wisdom is better than riches, "Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding.
For the profit of wisdom is better than silver , and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies ; nothing you desire can compare with her! If the mountains were pearls, if every sand of the sea was a diamond—they would not be comparable to wisdom. Without wisdom, a person is like a ship without a pilot, in danger of wrecking upon the rocks. Job sets forth the eulogy and praise of wisdom, Job ,18, "The price of wisdom is above rubies.
But wisdom casts a more sparkling color than the ruby. It makes us shine as angels. No chain of pearl you wear so adorns you—as wisdom. Wisdom consists chiefly in three things:. So much for wisdom in general.
It is either natural, moral, or sacred. A natural wisdom is seen in finding out the secrets of nature. Aristotle was, by some of the ancients, called an eagle fallen from the clouds; because he had so profound an insight into the causes of things.
This natural wisdom is adorning—but it is not sufficient to salvation. Jerome brings in Aristotle with his syllogisms, and Tully with his rhetoric, crying out in hell. A moral wisdom consists in two things—the rejection of those things which are harmful; and the choosing of those things which are beneficial. This is called prudence.
Knowledge without prudence may do harm; many a man's wit has undone him, for lack of wisdom. A sacred wisdom is knowing God, who is the supreme and sovereign Good. Greece was counted the eye of the world for wisdom, and Athens the eye of Greece; but neither of them knew God, Acts , "I found an altar with this inscription— To the unknown God.
Christ is the looking-glass in which the face of God is seen, Colossians We know God rightly, when we know Him not only with a knowledge of speculation , but appropriation , Psalm , "This God is our God. But to come nearer to the text and speak of the wisdom of the serpent: "Be wise as serpents.
No, our Savior did not mean that in everything we should imitate the serpent. I shall show you how we should not be like the serpent—and how we should be like the serpent. The serpent eats dust. Isaiah , "Dust shall be the serpent's food. Thus we should not be like the serpent, feeding immoderately upon earthly things.
It is absurd for him who has a heaven-born soul, capable of communion with God—to greedily eat the serpent's food. A Christian has better food to feed on—the heavenly manna, the precious promises, the body and blood of Christ. It is counted a miracle to find a diamond in a gold mine; but it is as great a miracle to find Christ, the pearl of great price, in an earthly heart.
The lap-wing wears a little coronet on its head—yet feeds on dung. To have a crown of profession on the head—yet feed inordinately on these dunghill-comforts, is unworthy of a Christian. What a poor contemptible thing is the world! It cannot fill the heart. If Satan should take a Christian up to the top of the pinnacle and show him all the kingdoms and glory of the world—what could he show him but a pleasant delusion?
There is a lawful use which God allows of these outward things—but the sin is in the excess. The bee may suck a little honey from the flower—but put it in a barrel of honey, and it is drowned.
The wicked are thus characterized. Philippians , "Who mind earthly things. The serpent is deceitful. The serpent uses many shifts, and glides so cunningly that we cannot trace him.
This was one of those four things which wise Agur could not find out, "the way of the serpent upon a rock," Proverbs The serpent is a deceitful creature. We should not, in this sense, be like the serpent, deceitful. Naturally, we too much resemble the serpent for fraud and collusion.
Jeremiah , "The heart is deceitful above all things. Second, deceit towards God. To draw near to God with the lips, while the heart is far from Him. To serve God—and seek ourselves; to pretend to love God—and yet be in league with sin. We should not in this sense, be like the serpent—deceitful and given to shifts. Oh, be upright! Be what you seem to be! God loves plainness of heart, Psalm The plainer the diamond is, the more it sparkles; the plainer the heart is, the more it sparkles in God's eye!
What a commendation Christ gave Nathaniel! John , "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit. The serpent cast the coat—but another new coat comes in its place. In this we should not be like the serpent, to cast the coat, to cast off one sin, and have another sin as bad, come in its place. The drunkard leaves his drunkenness because it impairs his health, his credit, his purse—and falls to the sin of deceit. The prodigal leaves his prodigality—and turns miser.
This is as if one disease should leave a man—and he should fall into a worse disease. Oh, do not be like the serpent, who casts one coat—and another comes in its place!
This is like the man in the gospel, who had one devil go out of him—and seven worse demons came in its place! Matthew The serpent is a venomous creature; it is full of poison , Deuteronomy In this, do not be like the serpent. It is said of wicked men that their poison is like the poison of a serpent, Psalm What is this poison?
It is the poison of malice. Malice is the devil's picture. Lust makes men brutish—and malice makes them devilish! Malice carries in it its own punishment. A malicious man, to hurt another, will injure himself. Quintillian speaks of one who had a garden of flowers, and he poisoned his flowers that his neighbor's bees, sucking from them, might be poisoned and die.
Oh, do not be venomous like the serpent! Malice is mental murder; you may kill a man and never touch him. I John , "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer. The malicious man defiles his prayer, poisons the sacramental cup, and eats and drinks his own damnation.
I have read of one who lived in malice and, being asked how he could say the Lord's prayer, he answered, "I leave out those words— As we forgive those who trespass against us. The malicious man is cut off both from earth and heaven. The serpent is given to hissing. In this, do not be like the serpent, hissing out reproaches and invectives against the saints and people of God.
They are the seed of the serpent— who hiss at godliness. The Lord will one day reckon with men for all their hard speeches, Jude Lucian was such a one who hissed out and scoffed against religion; and, as a just judgment of God, he was afterwards torn in pieces by dogs. The serpent stops her ear.
It is an obstinate deafness, Psalm , "They are like the deaf adder, that stops up its ears. While God calls you to repent of sin, do not be as the serpent to stop your ear, Zechariah , "They refused to hearken, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. If you shut your ear against God's Word, take heed that God does not shut heaven against you!
If God cries to you to repent—and you will not hear; when you cry for mercy—God will not hear. Zechariah , "Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the Lord Almighty.
The serpent casts her coat—but keeps her sting. In this sense, do not be like the serpent, casting off the outward acts of sin—and keeping the love of sin. He whose heart is in love with any sin, is a hypocrite. A man may forbear sin—yet retain the love of it. He may forbear the act of gross sin—for fear of hell. This is like the man who forbears a dish he loves—for fear it should bring a disease or ailment upon him. A man may forsake sin—yet keep the love of sin. He may forsake sin either out of policy or necessity.
First, policy. Vice will impair his health—and eclipse his credit. Therefore, out of policy, he will forsake it. Second, necessity. Perhaps he can follow the trade of sin no longer. The adulterer has grown old—and the prodigal has grown poor. Either the purse fails—or the strength. Thus, a man may refrain from the act of sin—yet retain the love of sin. This is like the serpent which casts off her coat—but keeps her sting!
Oh, take heed of this! Herein do not be like the serpent. Remember that saying of Jerome, "It is worse to love sin—than to commit it. And, when he knows it to be a sin—he is sorry for it. But he who loves sin, his will is in the sin—and that aggravates it, and is like the dye which makes the wool of a crimson color. Serpents are chased away with sweet perfumes. The sweet odor of the storax tree will drive the serpent away.
In this, do not be like the serpent, being driven away with the sweet perfumes of holiness. Carnal hearts are only for things which delight the senses. They will discourse of news or money. Here they are in their element; but let a man bring with him the sweet perfume of pious discourse, let him talk of Christ, of living by faith—and this spiritual perfume will drive them away!
Oh, do not be in this like the serpent! How do you think to live with the saints in heaven—if you cannot endure their company here? You hate the sweet savor of their ointments—the fragrant perfume of their graces. The serpent no sooner casts his skin—but he eats it up again as is noted of the stellio , a kind of serpent. In this, do not be like the serpent, to forsake sin—and then take it up again. Many, after a divorce from sin, espouse their sins again.
This is as if one's fever should leave him a while—and then come back again. The devil seemed to be cast out—but came again the second time; and the end of that man is worse than his beginning, Luke , because his sin is greater.
He sins knowingly and willfully—and his damnation will be greater. Serpents are great lovers of wine. Pliny, who writes the natural history, said, "If serpents come where wine is, they drink insatiably. Though the Scripture allows the use of wine, 1 Timothy —yet it forbids the excess , Ephesians , "Do not be drunk with wine, wherein is excess.
Because this sin of drunkenness so abounds in this age, I shall enlarge upon the evils of drunkenness. It is said of the old world, "people went on eating and drinking—until the flood came and destroyed them all! Drinking is not a sin—but the meaning is they drank to intemperance. They disordered themselves with drink and God let them have liquor enough.
First they were drowned in wine —and then in water! There is no sin which more defaces God's image, than drunkenness.
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