Between the Dove and the Serpent
Text: JEREMIAH 40:7-16
“And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not” (Jeremiah 40:14).
When the Lord Jesus Christ counseled His disciples to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16), He struck a very important chord of wisdom. He alluded to two opposite extremes – the extreme simplicity of the dove that almost verges on stupidity and the excessive cunning wisdom of the serpent. By this, Christ’s disciples were expected not to provoke any trouble, at the same time, they must, with sensitivity, speed and skill of the serpent, escape dangers.
Had Gedaliah the son of Ahikam applied simplicity and wisdom, he would not have died prematurely to abruptly end a profitable rule. At a time when the Jews were carried away to Babylon, the king of Babylon, with good intention, placed Gedaliah as governor over the remnants of the Jews in Judah. The confidence the king of Babylon reposed in Gedaliah was quite justified, not only by his loyalty to him but also by his admirable performance and goodwill among the Jews. A man of integrity, he gained rapid popularity among the Jews at home and in the diaspora and among the Chaldeans.
Johanan, and the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah to intimate him of the evil plot of Ishmael to eliminate him. Johanan offered to prevent the impending disaster by professionally assassinating Ishmael. Gedaliah was too innocent; too large-hearted to believe their report. He harboured no suspicion because he had no ill-motive towards anyone. But little did he realise that there were some wolves, like Ishmael, around him. Ishmael was of the royal seed and was enviously eyeing the throne. He, it was, who eventually killed Gedaliah.
We are expected to be “blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation” among whom we “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). But, because we are in the midst of wolves, the Lord requires us to have the wisdom of the serpent.
Thought for today: Wisdom is better than strength.