Nothing But Net
Pull me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me; for you are my stronghold. Psalm 31:5 (Hebrew text)
Net – If you read this too quickly, you will miss the crucial implication. The psalmist is already caught! “Pull me out” implies that he is already in. He has been trapped by that concealed snare. He needs rescue because he is already in trouble.
Typically Christians think of God’s care as preventative. We want God to keep us from falling into the traps. We pray, “God, don’t let me fall. Make me avoid the snares of life.” But it doesn’t always work out that way, does it? One of the certainties of human experience is getting into trouble. It might not be your fault, but when you’re in the net, it really doesn’t matter whose fault it is. You need help. You’re caught. The Hebrew word resheth (net) comes from a root meaning “to take possession.” Perhaps we need to think of life’s traps as anything that takes possession of us. There are a lot more snares out there than we thought, aren’t there?
The psalmist offers an unusual perspective on life’s traps. It doesn’t matter! The psalmist declares that God is his stronghold and he has committed his life to the will of the sovereign One. Therefore, he is redeemed, no matter what the circumstances might be. “Into Your hands I commit my ruach,” is the answer to life’s entanglements. When we really have given ourselves over to Him, the rest is not up to us. It’s not a surprise that Yeshua would remind the crowd about this psalm while He hung on the cross. He was caught in what appeared to be exactly the opposite of God’s goodness. The crowd, including His friends, believed that life had collapsed around him. They all thought the dream was over. But Yeshua says, “I belong to You, Father. You may do what You wish with me because I know You have redeemed me.” It certainly didn’t look like redemption, did it? Yeshua dies! That is hardly the picture of escape from life’s troubles. That’s not what we would call rescue. But by citing this psalm, Yeshua reminds us that being pulled out of the net doesn’t always look like freedom. The stronghold of God is often invisible to the world.
Perhaps you are trapped in life’s net. Maybe you walked right into it, never seeing the snare. Now it looks like it’s too late. The strong cords bind you. You aren’t getting out no matter how much you flail and squirm. This would be a great time to remember the cross. Yeshua wasn’t getting down from that stake in the ground either – but it didn’t matter. “You are my stronghold. Into Your hands I commit myself.” That’s what matters! Being caught is the perfect time to reflect on the real dependencies of life. If you can say the words of the psalmist from the heart, then being in the net is exactly the right place to be.
Topical Index: net, resheth, trap, Psalm 31:5
When my son was under one year of age, my wife and I discovered that he could not hear. I was in seminary at the time and serving a small New Jersey rural parish. I remember the time we saw a speech therapist who worked with deaf children who was amazed that we were not raging over our son’s deafness. Then when she found out that I was a minister, she said “Oh, no wonder.” I am not sure that I was all that calm about it all but she thought I was. I just knew that my son’s deafness was not something that I was going to change. I did not think about needing to trust God in all o this, though I did trust Him. Who else was there? There have been many times since then that I have not been so trusting of God. My life would have probably been much less stressful had I. I should have put Psalm 31 in front of me during those times. It must might have calmed me down.
Thanks for sharing Roy …. a life’s lesson that is very useful to apply!
We have a son with neurological difficulties that manifest as learning problems (at times significant) … it took many years before my attitude was aligned with trust in HIM … it would have gone better if I had not suffered so much torment due to a lack of faith …. 🙁
Skip … I see in this today’s word a glimpse of insight as it pertains to the ever debated “rapture”!
Personally I see the rapture as HIS faithfulness within us … keeping us from failure … keeping us from apostasy. I do not see the rapture as an escape before the storm but rather as a shelter in the storm … and yes perhaps the storm will result in my temporal demise … but not my everlasting demise!
Was not Yeshua raptured? … Was HE not redeemed despite the appearance of failure? If The Master was not spared this tribulation why should we slaves expect any better treatment? It would seem that the traps are a simple by-product of chaos. Some snares develop due to our own behavior while others … well we just stumble into them because they are in our path.
The pattern within The Word seems to be pretty clear … YHVH delivers when all things seem to be impossible … now that is a real HERO! So focusing upon HIM when the time of distress comes is the “only way through the tribulation”!
Skip … a very encouraging word today …. 🙂
Interesting…as I read today’s word I was reminded of how Yeshua in Matthew 8 told His disciples to follow Him and he lead them directly into a storm; and during the storm He slept…being held apparently in HIS stronghold…Father G_D.
In Luke 8 this story shows that Yeshua said to His disciples…”Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” v.22. When we tell Yeshua that we will follow Him we need to listen what He says not on where we are. The disciples were afraid that they would die in the storm but if they listen to their Master, He said they were going to otherside. I believe that the Father told Him to go to the otherside so He believed He would get there. Makes me wonder…did Yeshua wake up, see the storm and then say to Himself, “You said we were going to the other side so I guess this is just something I have to deal with.”
I have lately started saying, “Lord, You knew this was going to happen. It’s not a suprise to you. So what am I suppose to learn from it.”
I say jokingly about my marriage a lot that, “I’m just along for the ride.” I guess I am starting to take that attitude with Him…but with the added…”so what do you want me to do?”
“I have lately started saying, “Lord, You knew this was going to happen. It’s not a suprise to you. So what am I suppose to learn from it.””
Hi Tim,
I think that attitude is the key.
It took me many years to realize that feeling like something was not my fault does not take me where I want to be.
Skip-
Great message. I appreciate so much Jesus seemingly winsome way that he communicates this on the cross. I have always struggled more with the traps that I have gotten myself into not the ones that I unknowingly get caught in. It is much harder for me to trust God as the savior in those situations than the ones that arene’t my “fault”.
Thanks for the messages.
Greg
The biblical attitude toward sin is more like, “Yes, I know you are going to fall down, but get up and let’s keep walking.” God isn’t surprised when we fall. Furthermore, He promises that He is faithfully present to us even in our sins. He forgives. He is compassionate. He is merciful. We are the ones who expect perfection and condemn ourselves when we don’t meet that standard. Do you suppose God gave up on Israel even when they were idolatrous? Nope! It is His faithfulness, not ours, that is the theme of Scripture. So, does it really matter who put you in the ditch? Just get up and start walking again.
Thank you, Skip for this powerful WORD lesson As I read this,”You aren’t getting out no matter how much you flail and squirm.”, I pictured a person drowning, in a state of shock, extreme fear and panic. Their mind is not able to grasp the reality and intensity of the situation they find themselves in and now they do not know what to do. They thought THEY had it all figured out before they fell into the snare. In fact, they now do the opposite of what is good for them. But the real fact remains they need rescue or they will die trying!
“Commit {yourself} to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.” Psalm 22:8
“Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.” Psalm 31:5 (NASB)
Elohim, LORD God, our Messiah, our strong Deliverer!
Dearest Skip….a deep treasure today…a Word for the hour…to minister to the very heart of the one who seeks Him desperately. Thank you for your faithfulness to share this message. Blessings in Christ Jesus.