Part 2- Wise as Serpents and Harmless as Doves

“If we want the Word of God to have authority in our life,
there is only one way - obey it.
If we want the Holy Spirit to have authority in our life,
there is only one way - Obey Him.
If we always obey impulses of fear or doubt or resentment,
what will have authority over our minds?
Fear, and doubt and resentment.”
Tom Marshall

Wise as Serpents and Harmless as Doves – Part 2

“Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves;
be wary and wise as serpents,
and be innocent
(harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves.”
Matthew 10:16 Amplified bible

Sheep in the Midst of Wolves:

Wolves have powerful jaws and sharp teeth.

For sheep to be sent defenseless into the midst of wolves

will have the obvious result.

The sheep will wind up on the wolf’s dinner table.
One wolf is dangerous, but a pack of wolves is deadly.

In His instruction of Matthew 10:16,

Jesus is talking about a pack of “wolves.”
A defenseless sheep in the middle of a pack of wolves

has virtually no chance of living

without the faithful protection of a courageous shepherd.

In this passage, wolves are a symbol of cruel people

who bite and devour with their words.

Fewer things are commented on in the Scripture

than the debilitating affect of our words.

“…violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked” Proverbs 10:6b

“with his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor.” Proverbs 11:9

“Reckless words pierce like a sword.” Proverbs 12:18

“Do you see a man who speaks in haste?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Proverbs 29:20

“Even so the tongue is a little member,
and it can boast of great things.
See how much wood or how great a forest
a tiny spark can set ablaze!
And the tongue is a fire.
[The tongue is a] world of wickedness
set among our members,
contaminating and depraving the whole body
and setting on fire the wheel of birth
(the cycle of man's nature),
being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna).”
James 3:5-6 Amplified Bible

The “wolves” that we are sent to might be

people in our own household, neighbors, co-workers,

church members, strangers at the supermarket, drugstore,

Wal-Mart, or someone half way around the world.

Often when we bear the aroma of the Master

we will meet rejection and persecution.

There are times that we will have to “shake the dust off our feet,”

[Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5; Acts 13:51]

even in our own households.

Jesus himself warned us saying,

“A man’s foes shall be they in his own household.” (Matthew 10:36)

Jesus said this was coming and that we shouldn’t be surprised. He said

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth;
I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to part asunder a man from his father,
and a daughter from her mother,
and a newly married wife from her mother-in-law.”
(Matthew 10:34-35)

Jesus also observed that

“a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country,

and in his own house.” (Matthew 13:57)

Do you remember the account of Gideon tearing down his father’s altar?

He chose to tear down the alter in the middle of the night,

because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city. (Judges 6:27)

Some might think this demonstrated a lack of courage;

but indeed it demonstrated wisdom and instantaneous obedience.

He tore down the alter the very night he received the Lord’s command,

and averted what probably would have been a disastrous situation

had he waited to do it during the day.

To be continued…

My mouth will tell of Your righteousness,

of Your Salvation all day long,

although I do not understand its full measure!

30- 2/7

fkj