David and Eve
He lies in wait secretly, like a lion in his den; he lies in ambush to catch the poor, drawing him into his net; Psalm 10:9
Lies In Wait – The NASB does us no favors by translating this Hebrew verb “lurks.” “He lurks in a hiding place” certainly does not convey the connection to the Garden story. David points out that the wicked are children of the serpent, crafty and cunning, waiting for the right moment to spring a trap on the “poor.” Of course, it helps to know exactly what kind of “poor” David intends. The word is aniy meaning those who are suffering in a state of poverty usually as a result of oppression. They are the ones who cry out to God for mercy and God has commanded His children to show them kindness. The wicked, on the other hand, extort, abuse and take advantage of the aniy.
The Hebrew verb, ‘arab, is used twice in this verse. That’s common in Hebrew poetry. The verb means “to lie in wait” and “to ambush.” David employs both meanings as he describes the wicked.
Recall the Hebrew consonant construction A-R-B in Genesis 3:16. We noticed that the verse describing the results of the Fall for Havvah can be read with this verb as a participial nominative (“the lying-in-wait”). Is there a more apt description than the character and motivation of the serpent to capture the essence of the wicked? Perhaps David reflected on that Genesis account as he thought about the wicked. Perhaps he realized that the serpent’s children are still among us, carrying out their deceptive plans to topple the afflicted. Certainly we could have inserted this verse from the Psalms in the Genesis story and not have been out of character at all. It seems all the more appropriate when we consider the imagery of Cain’s sin. “It lies at the door,” says the Lord. There is a beast here, waiting for its chance to attack you.
I’m not one who cowers under the fear of the devil’s wiles. In fact, I rarely even think about his constant efforts to undermine God’s purposes. I don’t watch exorcist movies and I don’t see the hand of his minions around every bush. I know he is a very present reality, but I also know that I serve a very real God who protects me as His own. That’s just a long way of saying that the devil doesn’t scare me. However, I would be foolish indeed if I didn’t acknowledge his power in this realm and his desire to create chaos wherever the opportunity arises. He’s real, all right. He just isn’t the least bit equal with the Holy One of Israel.
Nevertheless, this verse and the stories in Genesis provide us with an important insight. The wicked are in league with this dark prince of the air. Whether they know it or not, they serve him. That means they oppose YHWH. You and I will often find ourselves at the edge of the pit, encouraged by the wicked to take just one step forward. We will often discover “friends” who really lie-in-wait. There’s a very good reason the Lord establishes a community for His people. We need protection and one of the best places to find it is with each other. One man may be deceived, but it is much more difficult to deceive an entire army. Perhaps today is the right day to assess your strength in numbers. Who stands side-by-side with you against those who lie-in-wait? Thank the Lord for them. Offer a prayer for them. They are armor against the lion, aren’t they?
Topical Index: lies-in-wait, ‘arab, Psalm 10:9, Genesis 3:16, community, wicked
Hello, Dr. Moen!!!
One step at a time, every day you are getting closer to the goal.
One quote from your document: “Perhaps he realized that the serpent’s children are still among us, carrying out their deceptive plans to topple the afflicted.”How we must interpret these words, as poetry or as narrative/descriptive??? One focal point: Jesus resurrecting of the widow’s of Naim son. Is quite interesting that Naim, has relation with the Egyptian word for serpent. More interesting even, is that this word in Egyptian is pretty close to the same word in Hebrew, najash. The word in Egyptian is the one use to designated the Egyptian cobra. If we search in the Bible the phrase “son of the widow” there is only one place to find it. (1Kings 7: 14) In extrabiblical literature this phrase “son of the widow” it is used to designate Cayim. If we use the fourth level of PARDES, then we must ask ourselves the meaning of Jesus act when he resurrected the son of the widow of Naim. Besides that, we must add the double side of the symbols when Jesus himself talk about what will happen to him in John 3, comparing himself with a serpent. Of course I understand that we are talking of differents themes but in all of them there are a commom point: the serpent and its descendants. Thank you again!!!
IGS
Words and how they get translated are the traps that I experience. I am at the mercy of those who do the translations, since I know neither Hebrew or Greek. I am thinking that what all this means is that I must be that much more careful about assuming what passages mean, and how I use them.
I agree with you, Roy. The more I learn the more I need to learn and I am quite reserved in my judgment and even my interpretations of what I am reading. Perhaps that is why our personal testimonies may be important as we speak of and about our GOD. The fact that we know that we know He is real, alive, and that His Word is living!
Dr. Skip, thanks for the insight. Sheep do not lie in wait for a fox regardless of how many sheep. But one fix (or wolf) will lie in wait for the group of sheep. We too must be prepared as a group to ward off the the one lieing in wait.
Nick