The Talking Snake, That Was Not. The Bible is known as a “heavenly condensation”. It is written in a way that the reader can relate, and it is written that it may be easy to remember. This was done intentionally, as early believers did not have hard drives. They were exclusively an oral culture. Moses uses the imagery of a snake as he exposits how Adam and Eve feel into a life of sin, terminated by death. If you are one to think that Eve was tempted by a real physical snake, then perhaps when you read Genesis 3:15 you will also think that Jesus Christ was to triumph over the powers of darkness by stepping on the head of a serpent, rather than by His passion on the cross, (Colossians 2:15). Satan came to Eve, just as He comes to us. Suggestion, and temptation. He preyed on her natural weaknesses, yet they were culpable for their own sin. Satan cannot read our minds, but he can plant mind-to-mind thoughts of communication if we allow him to. He has been around for a long, long time, and as such, he has had libraries of requisite knowledge at his disposal to use against us. It has been said that The Bible does not tell us what Satan “looks like”. Instead, the Bible tells us what Satan “is like”. In John’s Apocalypse, He is called a dragon. Other places call him “an angel of light, a roaring lion, and so on. None of these descriptions tells us what Satan actually looks like. They all tell us what Satan is like. He is cunning. His motive is lethal. He is deceitful. He is a liar, (John 8:44). Remember that Satan is an angel, therefore He has no physicality. He does have metaphysicality. Angels do not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). Spirits, angels, demons, cannot be seen, for they are not visible. God can cause an angel to temporarily take on physical form; He has done this many times throughout scripture. This however is not the norm. Angels do not look like anything, because they have no physical presence. However, they are certainly real creatures that God has created for His purposes.

What is a Biblical Jew?

Did you know the Bible refers to God's covenant people using Jewish distinctions even though they are not Jewish by nationality or ethnicity?

We see in Esther 8:17, "And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them." Likewise, Paul wrote in Romans 2:28, "A person is not a Jew who is one outwardly." Many other examples could be given.

The word “Jewish” or “Jew” is often used in the Bible as an idiom for God’s covenant people.

Today, the nation of Israel is often confused as God's chosen people, when in fact, God's chosen people have ALWAYS been one covenant people from every tongue, every tribe, and every nation under heaven. The New Testament church did not replace Israel (replacement theology). The New Testament Church is Israel (covenant theology), and always has been. Biblical Israel is not a piece of land in the Middle East.

Ruth was a Moabite, the archenemy of Israel, and yet she was part of True Israel because she believed in Yahweh, the God of Israel. Ruth as well as Rahab the Harlot are both included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s Gospel. They were not Jewish! They are part of True Israel, because they had faith in The God of The Bible!

The people spoken of in The Book of Esther didn’t change their birth mother, or nationality, but they believed in Yahweh, the God of Israel. So again, this has nothing to do with race. It has everything to do with serving God.

In the verse below, The Apostle Peter takes the same language Moses used in Exodus and applies it toward New Testament Christians.

Exodus 19:6 (Moses), "You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

1 Peter 2:9 (Peter), "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession."

The Bible does literally state that Jesus was a Jew. As a hermeneutical rule, we must distinguish as to whether a word is to be taken literal, or as a figure of speech, such as the idiom I introduced in my prologue. Being familiar with the art and science of biblical interpretation, defining words in their context, provides the assurance for biblical fidelity.

Romans 9:6, “For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.”

What does "God is Love" mean?

God is love (1 John 4:8). What does it mean? Let's define human love first. We love because we see the best, the most beautiful, the greatest. Our love is drawn out of us by the object of our love. I love you, because of this, or because of that. When we say "we fall in love", it sounds like we've fallen into a ditch or something, and cannot get up. God's love is of a different nature to human love. If God's love only goes out to the best, to the most beautiful, to the greatest, then no one even qualifies to get to first base. God's love isn't drawn out by its object. His love flows from Him freely and spontaneously, and out to the lowest, and to the worst, and to the filthy, even unto His enemies. God doesn't love us because of who we are. God loves us because of who God is. God is love! God does not have any love, He is love. Big difference! Love is not attached to God as an emotion, that gets hot when we are good, or gets cold when we are bad. God is love. He is what love is. It's as if I shared a glass of water with you. I can share a little, or I can share much. Still, it is me sharing the water with you. It's nothing like this with God. With God it's as if I come to you and say "I AM WATER!" God is love! He is the very essence of what love is! If you hear Him call you today, turn not away! He'll change you forever!