Proverbs 1:17
says, “Surely in vain a net is set in the sight of any bird.” To rearrange that
sentence into today’s language, it is saying that it is pointless to spread a
net (or trap) in front of a bird. Why? Quite simply, because the bird doesn’t
want to get caught!
When I was younger my brother and I and our friend were determined to catch a bird. I’m still not sure what are plans were for after we caught it, but we sure wanted a bird. So we devised the ever-clever bird trap which consisted of an overturned shoebox balanced on a stick, and a piece of string tied to the stick. We then emptied an entire box of Raisin Bran cereal underneath the shoebox, and we waited. And we waited. And we waited.
A good tip for any kids trying to catch a bird: make the string longer than three feet. No bird would go near the trap because we were near the trap. The advantage went to the bird when he figured out that our intentions were not to feed him, but to trap him. No bird would willingly fly into a trap.
But people do all the time. We know that Satan is holding the other end of the string, but that Raisin Bran just looks so good. This Proverb is funny to me because birds have very small brains and are not known for being the brightest animals, and yet they will avoid a trap. Like the bird, we have an advantage because we know that sin is a trap, and Satan’s goal is not to feed us, but to trap us.
Let us always be on the look out for the enemy’s traps, and like any dumb bird, avoid them at all costs.
When I was younger my brother and I and our friend were determined to catch a bird. I’m still not sure what are plans were for after we caught it, but we sure wanted a bird. So we devised the ever-clever bird trap which consisted of an overturned shoebox balanced on a stick, and a piece of string tied to the stick. We then emptied an entire box of Raisin Bran cereal underneath the shoebox, and we waited. And we waited. And we waited.
A good tip for any kids trying to catch a bird: make the string longer than three feet. No bird would go near the trap because we were near the trap. The advantage went to the bird when he figured out that our intentions were not to feed him, but to trap him. No bird would willingly fly into a trap.
But people do all the time. We know that Satan is holding the other end of the string, but that Raisin Bran just looks so good. This Proverb is funny to me because birds have very small brains and are not known for being the brightest animals, and yet they will avoid a trap. Like the bird, we have an advantage because we know that sin is a trap, and Satan’s goal is not to feed us, but to trap us.
Let us always be on the look out for the enemy’s traps, and like any dumb bird, avoid them at all costs.
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