THE TRAPS ARE OUT OF SIGHT
Prov. 1:17 “Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.”
In other words, if you are going to catch the bird, the net needs to be hidden. It needs to be out of sight so that the bird is unsuspecting. The word “vain” in the Hebrew means “without cause, for no purpose.” It means of no value. Even the bird is smart enough not to get caught if net is in sight. The “net” is a trap. It is a trap set for catching birds. The word “sight” means where the eye can see. It is vain to spread the net in the sight of the bird. It must be set where it cannot be seen. Then the unsuspecting bird can be caught when he is lured into the net by something being positioned strategically that he wants.
Satan is a master at spreading nets to catch the unsuspecting. There is the net of the Christ rejecting life. The net is there. If death catches us in that net it is too late. The camouflage of the joy of the world. People are caught up in having a good time. “If it feels good do it” is the philosophy of our age. Popularity is important to our youth. They are so busy being popular and having a good time that they do not take the time to think of their eternal destiny. The most vile and wicked people are held up before the youth of our day as role models. The hair styles on our young ladies come from Hollywood, or some beautiful model. It makes no difference that this person that they admire is the personification of wickedness and wastes his/her life in the playboy - playgirl scene. They have the money and spend it. So they become role models for our youth. This is a camouflage. One is lured by this playboy - playgirl scene into the net, and the trigger will snap and the trap is final.
Sports is another camouflage. I know I am attacking the false god of America and the world. I remember one of the national pro teams has had its team members involved in awful sin and his reputation has been tarnished. What is done to those team members who have been caught? They are still playing. They are excellent players and the team must win you know. What is this teaching our youth? What kind of lessons are being learned? Of course, God never raised up sports to produce role models for our youth. The role models for our youth should come out of the Church. How many of our youth know about Hudson Taylor, William Cary, Adoniram Judson? How many of our young ladies know about Ann Judson and the fact that she gave her life for Christ in Burma? Her husband was not even present when she died. How many know that Adoniram went into seclusion and built a hermitage in the jungle and cut himself off from the rest of the missionaries because of the pain of that awful loss? Did you know that Judson dug a grave out in the jungle and sat on the edge of it for weeks trying to get victory over the fear of death after he lost his dear wife Ann?
Satan has nets set for the Christ rejecters and those nets are well camouflaged with attractive things that will lure the unsuspecting into the trap. Now you don’t mind be trapped if there is just a slap of the hand. But the Bible teaches that there is an eternal hell from which there will be no appeal. And Satan has those religious people and groups who will tell you that hell is not eternal. It is just another lie of Satan to take the edge off the penalty so that if we get caught in the net, we may not go to heaven, we will just be destroyed never to exist again. Friends, to most people that would not be a bad end. Just burn up or be destroyed out of existence. Having a good time down here at the expense of the will of God would be worth it. Mark 9:44: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:46: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:48: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” How many times does God have to say a thing for it to be true?
Then there is the trap of the castaway: “But I keep under my body,
