Psalm 140:5

Psalm 140:5

Traps and snares

This verse puts us in the territory of poachers and gamekeepers, especially those who do not use guns. In ancient times there were no guns, prey had to be caught with bows and arrows which could be a tricky business. Therefore, the hunters became very proficient at setting traps and snares, using nets and cords. There are many skills involved, you must study the habits of the prey and work out the tracks that they regularly use.  You need to know at what level they travel, for instance a fox trap needs to be higher than say, a rabbit. It’s best to avoid ditches and water courses of any kind and you need to prepare nets and cords that will hold the prey once it has been caught. The methods and equipment vary from animal to animal, and a successful “trapper” has to be able to outwit the animal he is hunting.

All the above demonstrates that guile, deceit, experience and an amount of satisfaction in catching and killing prey, has to be part of the qualification to being a successful hunter. David’s enemies had all of these characteristics and so do our enemies! For David, these men were arrogant and relentless in their pursuit of him which is why he appeals to the Lord for protection and help. Sadly, we may have experienced such evil people in our lives, and the truth is they never give up until they have succeeded in their wicked scheming.

We need to ne aware that our enemy, the Satan, is no less relentless and evil in his pursuit of any who follow Christ, and there are times when will have no peace from him. By nailing our colours to the cross of Christ Jesus, we have become the targets of the wicked and put ourselves in the crosshairs of a wily predator. This conflict should be near the top of our daily prayer requests and should also occupy the minds of church congregations whenever we meet, for the battle is relentless. Or to use David’s words, “The arrogant have hidden snares for us, they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for us along our paths.” 

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