Matthew 10:16 "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."

Now for my question to begin this topic.

How much of the serpent’s “wisdom” are we to use?

In what ways did Jesus use the "wisdom of a serpent?"

What did He "do" to remain "harmless as a dove."

I believe God was being as wise as a serpent when He told Moses to tell Pharoah a half truth. Ex 3:18; 5:1-3; 8:25-28; 10:7-11, 24-26; 14:5. Even though God instructed Moses to request time off to worship and sacrifice in the desert, the wording was carefully calculated to conceal their real intentions - which was not to come back. Telling a half truth is one way of being wise as a serpent. Compare Gen 3:1-6. The serpent told a half truth.

[ March 24, 2002: Message edited by: Mike Lowe ]

Mike;

I will look up these Scriptures you provided here; but in the meantime; I have another question.

Is there really such a thing as a "half truth??"

Half truth? It's the opposite of a half lie. Another half truth is when God instructed the fearful Samuel to leave out the part about anointing a new king:

1 Samuel
16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
16:2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear [it], he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.
16:3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me [him] whom I name unto thee.
16:4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
16:5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

Ok. I see what you are meaning now; I think. But, I still wonder if there is such a thing as "half truth."

Does that refer to quantity, or quality?

And, another question: Is a "serpent" really "wise?"

I think the examples of Moses and Samuel indicate what is a half truth. Apparently a half truth is a strategy God uses to avoid telling the whole truth without telling a lie. There are times when telling everything you know is premature. Saying the right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.

The serpent uses a modified version of this strategy when he tells a lie. For a Christian to be wise as a serpent they must imitate God's example by exercising prudence when deciding how much of the truth not to tell when a life and death situation exists - physical, spiritual or otherwise.

However, it might be that Jesus' expression about serpents has nothing to do with "the" serpent, that is, the Devil. It could have something to do with the hunting instincts of snakes?

Mike

Thankyou for bearing with me on this line of questioning.

You are bringing out the points I was thinking too. I find some of the phrases and grammar God uses in His Word to be very interesting, and always for a good reason. To bring out important Truths.

God would never lie; no doubt about that fact, and it is good to look at some of what we would class maybe as "odd wording" to see what God is really saying.

I believe that in the Scripture I gave at the beginning, that Jesus had a very special reason; to not say all that He knew on some point of Truth.

I will comment more on this when I have time; I am short on computer time tonight.