Trapped!

"Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake." (Isaiah 24: 17, 18 KJV - See also Jeremiah 48: 43)

These words, though forming a particular judgment upon a specially designated people, upon the "inhabitants of the earth (land)," that is, upon some specially named land, such as the "land of Israel," or the "land of Moab," are also applicable to every member of our fallen sinful race, being literally applicable to all the "inhabitants of the earth," the whole earth.

Because of sin, man is alienated from God (Ephesians 4: 18 KJV), and from his saving protection. Lord God said through Isaiah - "your iniquities have separated between you and your God."

Solomon said - "Safety is of the Lord" (Proverbs 21: 31 KJV); but, man has lost all his right to Lord God's protection.

Man went from being secure to being insecure, because of his rebellion and sin, and so now suffers from various and multitudinous perils, for body and soul, and from "fear, and the pit, and the snare."

"The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires." (Proverbs 11: 6 NIV)

"The unfaithful are trapped by evil desires." Oh how true and descriptive of the life of every man, of every fallen sinner of Adam's race! Every time a person "feels trapped" in life, by his sins and wrong choices, he is bearing witness to his fallen insecure state.

Every sin brings its own particular snare, its own trap, its own bondage and peril. Sinners, even Christians, daily fall into some pit, or snare, or trap, or peril. Both sinners and Christians need constant exhortation to "be on guard" against these "clear and present dangers."

"The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah." (Psalm 9: 16 KJV)

Eve was the first to "fall into the trap" of temptation and sin. Satan tempted and lied to her. Lord God had forewarned her of sin and its consequences. Nevertheless, she listened to the words of the serpent, and disregarded the word of God, and became "snared in the work of her own hands." Every sinner is trapped by sin and needs to be set free by the Lord.

"Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." (II Timothy 2: 25, 26 NIV)

This is the condition of every sinner outside of God, and without pardon of sins, and without the experience of conversion through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is trapped in the web of the devil. He is "caught" in the net of Satan's fishermen, in his lies, just as Eve.

"Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men." (Jeremiah 5: 26 NIV)

What a cunning hunter is the devil! Oh how the world is full of those who "hunt souls"! (See Proverbs 6: 26) Of those who set traps for their neighbors!

The sinner's only hope is that God will have sovereign mercy upon the sinner and reach down and liberate him from the trap into which he has fallen, from the clutches of such a "mighty hunter before the Lord," as was Nimrod (Genesis 10: 9), as is Satan.

"He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap." (I Timothy 3: 7 NIV)

The devil "sets traps" and "hunts for" souls, preying upon them, but he is especially diligent in his efforts to trap and ensnare the Christian. He already has the sinner trapped, so all he can do with him is to keep him guarded, and seek to increase his confinement and suffering. Christians therefore need to be regularly warned against the many snares of life, and the many traps of the devil, and the many pits that others dig for them.

"Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them." (Ecclesiastes 9 : 12 NIV)

All men are trapped by tragedies, and by misfortunes, and by sinful decisions. All are trapped by the times in which they live, by unforeseen events, especially of the snare of death itself.

"Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 124: 6-8 KJV)

This agrees with Paul's description of the conversion and salvation experience of the believer in Jesus. Those who believe are set free from the trap of Satan, the Lord breaking the trap, and the sinner escaping the pit into which he has fallen.

Here are some particular "pitfalls" and common traps that men are warned to be on quard against.

"A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul." (Proverbs 18: 7 KJV)

Oh how men need to learn when to keep their mouths shut! The bible warns of the great evil of the "tongue" that "no one can tame," and describes the enormous harm that is done by the misuse of the tongue. (See James 3: 7-9)

"Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them." (Proverbs 22: 5 KJV)

"Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul." (Proverbs 22: 24, 25 KJV)

"In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice." (Proverbs 29: 6 KJV)

"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe." (Proverbs 29: 25 KJV)

"He who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance." (Proverbs 28: 10 NIV)

"An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble." (Proverbs 12: 13 NIV)

"I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare." (Ecclesiastes 7: 26 NIV)

"Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him." (Jeremiah 9: 8 NIV)

"The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God." (Deuteronomy 7: 21 KJV)

"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction." (I Timothy 6: 9 NIV)

All men know of these traps, do they not? Many fall into the same ones over and over again! Many "fall prey to" dangers of which they have been warned a million times. So tragic! So spiritually senseless is the fallen sinner! He truly is "without excuse." (Romans 1: 20 KJV)

Praise God that the believer in Jesus has been set free and has the promise of other deliverances from traps that Satan and others will surely set for them.

"Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge." (Psalm 31: 4 NIV)

"Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception." (Psalm 38: 11 NIV)

"Proud men have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path. Selah" (Psalm 140: 5 NIV)

"But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety." (Psalm 141: 8-10 NIV)

Oh how many times did unbelievers "set traps" for the Lord Jesus! And just as often he escaped everyone. Even the cross was no trap for Jesus, for he willingly entered into that place and was not "caught" in the usual sense of the term.

"Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words." (Matthew 22: 15 NIV)

"They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent." (Luke 20: 26 NIV)

Jesus warned all, even his own professed followers, to be always looking out for the return of Jesus, so that it will not catch them unaware, as it surely will the unbeliever, and so not be a "trap" to them, but rather an "escape."

"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap." (Luke 21: 34 NIV)

"Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup." (Psalm 11: 6 KJV)

Thank God there is deliverance for those who are trapped by sin, and by Satan, and by those who seek their harm! The Lord says to every sinner to - "Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler." (Proverbs 6: 5 KJV)

How do they do this? They do it by crying out to the great Rescuer of trapped souls, to the Lord Jesus Christ! For the promise is -"whoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10: 13 KJV)

"But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken." (Isaiah 28: 13 KJV)

It is sad that the sinner only sees God's word as a book of rules and regulations that are meant to bind him, and to take away his joy, and see it as nothing more than a book of threats and warnings, after the manner of "Chicken Little," when the fact is, their salvation depends upon their seeing it as a "survival kit," and as a "means of escape," as a manual for how to be safe and secure.

"The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured." (Isaiah 8: 13-15 NIV)

This "rock" and "stone" is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. To some, he will become a trap, the means of their final execution. But, for the believer, he will become their Rescuer from every snare. Will you call upon him today?