THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: Living By Faith In God

CXIX. The Vast Value Of God’s Word

N. Avoiding Evil Entrapments

(Psalm 119:105-112 [Nun])

Introduction: (To show the need . . .)

Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV directs us believers in Christ to “(b)e very careful . . . how” we “live – not as unwise, but as wise . . . because the days are evil.” One reason to live carefully is the fact that evil entrapments abound:

(1) Evil entrapment occurs with the application of George Soros’ view of law and order: “(D)istrict attorneys who adhered to ‘Soros’ publicly stated premise . . . that . . . de-prosecution and decarceration reforms ushered in by his prosecutors would not degrade but . . . improve safety in American cities” has been “devastating, especially in large cities.” (“Inviting society instability,” Republican-American, January 23, 2025, p. 8A) “In Philadelphia . . . ‘(c)rime has exploded under (Soros prosecutor) Larry Krasner’s pro-criminal policies,’ Charles Stimson and Zack Smith wrote for the Heritage Foundation in June 2023. ‘Murders are up 63%. Shootings are up 78%” (Ibid.).

(2) It occurs with the application of the Democrats’ increased government spending supposedly meant to improve American life: “(T)he federal government” in “its spectacular spending increases of recent years . . . given as cash grants to states” as “financed by borrowing that was essentially money creation . . . was so extreme that it caused severe inflation worldwide.” (Chris Powell, “Democrats don’t understand their working-class problem,” Ibid.) “The working class didn’t start defecting to . . . Trump because he is a great humanitarian but because the Democratic . . . administration smashed their standard of living,” leaving the nation “living at least 25% beyond its means,” Ibid.

(3) It occurs with the publication of Zondervan’s new study Bible: “Zondervan Publishing has just released a new study Bible, the Upside-Down Kingdom Bible . . . The notes in this NIV Bible, edited by Preston Sprinkle, focus specifically on . . . ‘difficult issues facing Christians today,’ including ‘race and ethnicity, creation care, science, abortion, wealth and poverty, gender and sexuality, politics, baptism, technology, and others.’” But “(r)ather than . . . giving us a set of glasses through which to view the world that is ‘upside down’ to the world’s way of thinking,” one critic warns that the writers of this Bible’s study notes “take the world’s lenses of feminism, Marxism, evolution, and (Critical Race Theory) and read the Bible through them.” (prophecynewswatch.com)

(4) Evil entrapments can occur in relationships among believers: (a) One believer recently was excessively complimented by another believer, leaving him feeling uneasy as to the complementor’s motives. (b) In another case, a believer was shocked to face a sudden, sharp critique by a group of other believers about an issue where one of those making the critique was himself a significant cause of the issue that was being critiqued!

Need: So, we ask, “If we are to be very careful how we live, how can we avoid evil entrapments in today’s world?”

I. According to Psalm 119:107a, 109a and 110a, the psalmist faced evil foes who sought to entrap him:

A. Wicked enemies had figuratively set a “bird-trap” (pah, B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 809) for him, a hidden trap designed to entrap him suddenly in some way to his harm, Psalm 119:110a.

B. The psalmist thus lived in constant, dire danger of sudden, severe harm, figuratively described as holding his life in the “palm” (kap, Ibid., p. 496-497) of his hand, Psalm 119:109a.

C. The psalmist was thus left “exceedingly” (me’od, Ibid., p. 547) “bowed down” (‘anah, Ibid., p. 776), feeling overwhelmed and likely even depressed due to this threat, Psalm 119:107a.

II. However, the psalmist testified that Scripture equipped him to avoid entrapment, Psalm 119:105:

A. God’s Word was like a lamp to his feet, a guide to provide him just enough insight on the next single step he was to take in his human ignorance of where or how his enemies had set a trap for him, Psalm 119:105a.

B. As he took the next step illumined by the foot lamp of Scripture, that lamp moved with the psalmist, lighting the next step in his path so that, in repeating this action many times over, Scripture “became a light” (‘or, Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1084; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 21) for his entire “course of life” (netibah, Ibid., p. 677), v. 105b.

C. In this way, the psalmist was guarded throughout life by Scripture from becoming entrapped by his evil foes.

III. The psalmist then told how he so appreciated this deliverance by God’s Word that it led him to heed Scripture with increased motivation to the glory of God, Psalm 119:106, 108a, 111-112:

A. Due to God’s deliverance through Scripture’s guidance, the psalmist vowed to keep heeding Scripture, v. 106.

B. In gratitude for the Lord’s deliverance by Scripture’s guidance, the psalmist offered a freewill offering of praise to the Lord since God’s Word taught him what to do for blessing in his crisis, Psalm 119:108a.

C. God’s Word had become like an inherited possession of protection against future entrapment threats by his foes, resulting in the psalmist’s expressions of exulting praise to God, Psalm 119:111.

D. Thus rewarded by Scripture’s guidance of deliverance, the psalmist inclined his heart to obey it, v. 112.

Lesson: Though facing the threat of hidden, severely harmful entrapment by evil foes, the psalmist applied God’s Word for insight in a step-at-a-time process that kept him from such entrapment throughout life. Appreciation for such a blessed benefit offered in Scripture, the psalmist became more devoted to God and to heeding His Word.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God's gift of eternal life, John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. (2) May we use Scripture’s guidance a step-at-a-time in facing hidden, severe entrapment efforts by evil foes, finding God’s Word a sure guide to keep us from being entrapped.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message and/or provide additional guidance . . .)

Each entrapment issue in our introduction both could have been and is now avoidable by heeding Scripture:

(1) On Soros’s view that de-prosecution and decarceration reforms will improve safety in American cities, that view as based on the progressives’ belief that man is naturally good if he is given a social environment to make him happy (Brannon S. Howse, Marxianity, 2018, p. 192). However, Jeremiah 17:9 KJV warns that man’s heart “is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” so de-prosecution and decarceration reforms will only increase crime (Ibid., p. 191-193)! Heeding Jeremiah 17:9 KJV would have avoided the calamity of applying Soros’ view!

(2) On the Democrats’ greatly enhanced spending allegedly to improve American life, Hebrews 13:5-6 directs us to avoid covetousness, that we be content with what we already have for God’s blessing. Democrats have been greatly influenced by Marxism that is preoccupied with materialistic covetousness and its forced redistribution of wealth (Ibid., p. 9-15), thus their drive for lavish spending! Heeding Hebrews 13:5-6 and Exodus 20:17 that prohibit coveting could have led the government to avoid smashing the standard of living by extravagant spending.

(3) On Zondervan Publishing’s production of the Upside-Down Kingdom Bible with its focus on specific “woke” issues of the day, and allegedly falling prey to promoting feminism, Marxism, evolution and Critical Race Theory, heeding Acts 20:27 and 2 Timothy 4:2 with 3:16-17 would have avoided the printing of such a Bible: Acts 20:27 records the Apostle Paul as having taught “all the counsel of God,” and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 directs that “all Scripture” is valuable for discipling so that 2 Timothy 4:2 directs that pastors must “preach the Word,” all of it! When one focuses on select subjects instead of proclaiming all of Scripture, he inevitably emphasizes some personal agenda instead of submitting to the whole and hence wholesome agenda of Scripture’s Author! To that end, we are preaching through the Bible, having begun at Genesis 1:1 and arriving at where we are now – heeding God’s agenda!

(4) On entrapments that can occur at the personal level even among believers, (a) on the issue of excessive compliments, Proverbs 29:5 KJV states, “A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet.” Excessive compliments are doled out to manipulate others for the selfish gain of the flatterer, so heeding this verse by guarding our hearts from influence by extreme compliments keeps us from falling prey to harm by flatterers. (b) On facing a sudden, sharp critique by a group of people, even a group of believers, (i) Proverbs 28:26 KJV states, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” The Hebrew word translated in this verse as “wisely” is hakmah (Ibid., p. 315), and Ancient Near Eastern peoples held this to be an alignment to “a fixed moral order to which a righteous man submits himself” for success. (Bruce K. Waltke, “The Book of Proverbs and Ancient Wisdom Literature, Bib. Sac., 136:543, p. 221-238) Solomon knew that Scripture’s God was the Author of that fixed moral order, that when people heed His Word, they align with God’s fixed moral order and thus enjoy His blessing. Applied to facing a sudden, sharp critique by a group of people, all the “attacked” believer needs to do is to heed what Scripture directs him to do in the immediate event, and he will align with God’s fixed moral order! The attackers are not aligned to God’s order, so their efforts, even if they are in the majority, are bound to fail before the power of God Who upholds His moral order! (ii) Proverbs 3:25-26 NIV states, “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.” If we face a sudden confrontation by a group of people, God does not want us to be afraid or upset but to rely on Him and focus on aligning with His fixed moral order revealed in Scripture. That moral order is so finely tuned and aligned with our sovereign God that our sinful foes cannot succeed IF we stay aligned with God’s Biblical directives and not fall for the lure to react unbiblically to the attack!

May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God’s gift of eternal life. May we then use Scripture’s guidance a step-at-a-time in facing hidden, severe entrapment by evil foes, finding God’s Word a sure guide to keep us out of entrapment to His glory.