A
snare is a trap or a lure. Often they
are set so well by the hunter that the prey is not aware even aware of them
until they are tightly caught. In the
days spring-loaded metal traps with teeth were used many hikers found themselves
caught in them with resulting torn skin and broken ankles unless they kept
diligently alert watching for them so they could be avoided. Today our enemy, satan, uses many kinds of
snares to entrap us and we will get caught up in them unless we are watchful.
“And Gideon made an ephod [a
sacred, high priest’s garment] of it, and put it in his city of Ophrah, and all Israel paid homage to it there, and
it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.” (Judges
8:27 AMP)
Why
is it we (mankind) end up doing the wrong things right after great
victories? Have you ever noticed this
tendency? In Judges 7-8 we see God
giving the Midianites into the hands of Gideon and 300 men of Israel. Then the Israelites in turn asked Gideon and
his sons to rule over them. Gideon
strongly declined telling them, “I will
not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over
you” (Judges 8:23). At this point
Gideon was still in the will and obedience of the Lord, but then he made a
request of them, “Every man of you give me the earrings of his spoil…” (Judges 8:24)
and when they did Gideon made the ephod.
An ephod was a sacred high priest’s garment (Judges 8:27; Exodus
29:5). Now, what was Gideon a man from
the tribe of Manasseh doing with a garment meant for someone from the tribe of
Levi? Gideon took the ephod and set it
up in his hometown where Israel
came and worshiped it instead of God (Judges 8:27).
Gideon
is not the only one who grew away from God after a victory. It only took three days after the great
victory of the parting of the Red Sea that the
Israelites began to complain and murmur (Exodus 15:22-24). Again and again God provided for and did
miracles on Israel’s behalf throughout their 40 year journey to the promised
land, but again and again the complained and murmured (Exodus 15 through
Deuteronomy 34). Consider the victory of
the Israelites at Jericho
compared with their defeat at Ai (Joshua 6 & 7). Throughout the period of Israel’s judges
God would deliver them but it would not take long before they were …”doing what was right in their own eyes”
(1st & 2nd Judges).
I could go on pointing out our tendency to stray when things have gone
well for us, but I think you get the idea.
When
things are plentiful, good and going easy we can get caught letting our guard
down: “Let their own table [with all its abundance and luxury] become a snare
to them; and when they are secure in peace [or at their sacrificial feasts, let
it become] a trap to them” (Ps. 69:22 AMP).
But it is especially at these times we need to press in closer and lean
on the Lord: “…whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is
safe and set on high” (Ps. 29:25b AMP) and “The wicked is [dangerously] snared by the transgression of his lips,
but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall come out of trouble” (Prov.
12:13 AMP)
The
uncompromisingly righteous shall come out of trouble! So how can we escape the snares set for us in
this life? We absolutely MUST lean on,
trust in, and put our total confidence in the Lord. How do we know if we are doing that? We need to examine our lives and see if we
are showing the fruit of the servants of the Lord. If we are then not only will we be delivered
but God can use us to deliver others being snared:
“But
refuse (shut your mind against, have nothing to do with) trifling
(ill-informed, unedifying, stupid) controversies over ignorant questionings,
for you know that they foster strife and breed quarrels. And the servant of the Lord must not be
quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone
and mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled and
suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong. He must correct his opponents with
courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may grant that they will repent
and come to know the Truth [that they will perceive and recognize and become
accurately acquainted with and acknowledge it], And that they may come to their
senses [and] escape out of the snare of the devil, having been held captive by
him, [henceforth] to do His [God’s] will.”
- 2 Tim. 2:23-26 AMP
