We are in chapter twenty-three of Exodus with our word for today. מוֹקֵשׁ snare, a bait, lure, trap, trigger, cause of injury. It is used 27 times in the Old Testament. Our word is what Moses was accused of being to the Egyptians. Exodus 10:7 Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined? And it is used to describe Saul’s motive with David. 1 Samuel 18:20-21, 25 Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁbe a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” … Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. Most of the time it is used to describe the influence of the nations who worshiped false gods or idols. Just like Saul was hoping to trip up David and cause him harm these nations worship of false gods or idols would cause them harm in their relationship with the true God. Let’s look at these warnings. Exodus 34:12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will לְמוֹקֵ֖שׁ be a snare among you. Deuteronomy 7:16 You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will מוֹקֵ֥שׁ be a snare to you. Joshua 23:12-13 But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will וּלְמוֹקֵ֗שׁ become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 23:32-33 You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ snare to you. This idea of sin being a snare that traps us and harms us in our relationship with God is seen throughout the Bible. Psalm 106:34-36 They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshiped their idols, which לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ became a snare to them. Proverbs 12:13 Evildoers are מוֹקֵ֣שׁ trapped by their sinful talk, and so the innocent escape trouble.Proverbs 29:5-6 Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet. Evildoers are מוֹקֵ֑שׁ snared by their own sin, but the righteous shout for joy and are glad. I’ll close with this great challenge from God. Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
