What Could a Serpent Know?

At our last live poker night, we borrowed the words of Jesus: "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16, KJV)

One man didn't quite understand, and didn't consider serpents very wise. We don't claim to know habits of the animal kingdom -- but we know from the Bible that serpents can be shrewd operators (as the NIV translates "wise").

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made," says Genesis 3:1. This serpent persuaded Eve to violate God's instructions in the garden of Eden, thus introducing sin to the world (Romans 5:12). Revelation 12:9 identifies that serpent as "the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray...."

Satan as a serpent brought harm, in terms of humans sinning and dying. On the other hand, Jesus tells us to be shrewd and crafty in a positive way -- not harming people, and even finding clever ways to help them.

Paul puts it this way: "In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults." (I Cor. 14:20) Don't be naive about what people in the world (and even at the poker table) might try to do -- but set a better example for them, by showing godliness. And when all is through, be sure to give God the glory for what He can do in you.