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The snare of fearing man

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Cherdat Adam -

The snare of fearing man...
Proverbs 29:25

"The fear of man sets a snare, but whoever trusts
in the LORD will be made safe." (Proverbs 29:25)

How often we are confused! How often deceived!  How often do we seek to please other people -- living in anxiety and desperately seeking their acceptance -- at the very expense of the abiding peace that only the Lord God can give!  How many times have we made this "bargain" and exchanged the eternal peace of God for the sake of a moment's fragile solace?  How many times have we been moved by the opinions of others, abiding in their fleeting acceptance and conditional love, and thereby neglected the everlasting Source and Fulfillment of all that may be truly called Love?
Self-apotheoisis

Living in the fear of men is an entanglement—the Hebrew word (mokesh) refers to a bait or lure that is used to capture prey -- whereas living in the trust of the Lord sets the soul securely in the heights of God's careful provision.

Yielding to the fear of man results in a form of bondage -- the Qal imperfect (yitten) suggests that the final capture is currently underway -- while trusting in the Lord results in true inner peace—the Pual form of the verb sugav indicates that it is the Lord God who sets the one trusting in Him on high, free from the slavery of the need to gain other people's approval.

May we become free of the trap of living to please others, and may we begin to earnestly trust in the all-sufficient grace of the Lord God of Israel. Amen.


Hebrew Analysis:


Proverbs 29:25 Hebrew analysis

 

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