Psalm 12

To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith.A Psalm of David.

1 Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.

This is the prayer of someone utterly alone. Surely the psalmist doesn’t include himself in this statement that the godly are gone and the faithful have vanished. By implication he believes that he is the only godly, faithful person left on the planet.He alone is standing for truth and faith in God. This is the prayer of an Elijah or Daniel. Or perhaps it is the prayer today of someone who is taking a stand completely by themselves. In a culture that feels increasingly hostile toward faith and even objective truth, it feels like true believers are fewer and fewer. There’s also a bit of arrogance that creeps out here in the sense that the psalmist says “There’s no one quite as faithful as me.” Quite often I must plead guilty to having a similar arrogance. I know my own heart and my own righteousness, and my internal assumption is that I’m probably a better person than most. This kind of pride sets me up for a fall. I’m not the godliest person in the room. Elijah had to be shown that. David would find himself utterly humiliated and his reputation tarnished for life. My prayer today is for my own faithfulness and the faithfulness of believers around the world as they face the constant pressure to compromise to avoid conflict with the world. 

2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,  the tongue that makes great boasts,

4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

Evidence of the lack of godliness and faithfulness is the way that people use words. They flatter and speak with a double heart, saying one thing to your face and another behind your back. They cannot be trusted. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and cut off the tongue that makes great boasts. May the Lord judge those who say they will win with their tongues. They control language and so they control the world. They define reality while disregarding reality. We are living in such times where even words like “man” and “woman” are now becoming meaningless. The assault on truth takes place in the realm of words. Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth. This is where we are in modern times, and apparently it’s been a thing throughout history. Pilate famously said, “What is truth?” Politicians and leaders have always played fast and loose with it to maintain and extend their control. Some have been noble of course, but others are as corrupt as they come. The challenge now is that those in control of changing the meaning of words think that they are noble, tolerant, and kind, but the impact of their actions falls most negatively on the poor. For example, the lie that adult sexual freedom trumps everything has been purveyed for over 50 years, leaving a legacy of broken homes, wounded children, and 60 million dead babies. Out of wedlock births alone have contributed substantially to poverty. They key to solving many of our societal woes is to strengthen marriage and family, and yet government policy led by the elite thought leaders and propagated by the entertainment industry continues to deconstruct marriage and the sacred nature of sex. These lies are an attempt to control, to declare human mastery over our world, and instead they are tearing it apart and leaving more people in bondage. Yes, “May the Lord cut off lying lips.” May he use my lips today to speak truth. 

5 “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.

The Lord responds to the poor and needy by taking action and placing them in the safety for which they long. Insecurity is a constant companion to the poor. Where will my next meal come from? How can I defend myself when I have so little and the system is aligned against me? How can I afford medical care for myself and my family? Worry is a constant companion when you are in need, but the Lord is able to provide security. The text doesn’t say how he does this. It could be from his punitive justice toward the wicked oppressor, but it could also be through his presence in the life of the poor, providing their daily bread as they trust in him. I don’t know the mind of God. If I had his power I’d want to fix everything immediately. I wouldn’t wait while the poor are plundered and the needy groan. I would do something. The context suggest that one of the most valuable things that God gives us are his words. They are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace in a hole on the ground, purified seven times. Silver is a precious metal and to process it seven times is to bring it to 100% purity, removing absolutely everything but the silver. What we all really need is not more stuff, but more words, true words, pure words. We need to hear, know, and believe the truth of God. Trusting the words of God is the way that the poor and needy as well as the rich and satisfied will truly find security. I equate the words of God with truth and wisdom. Have these two in abundance and you’ve got all you really need, regardless of your economic circumstance. What if God’s answer to poverty is words? It seems weak by the world’s standards. You can’t spend words like money. But it is a commodity that cannot be bought, sold or withheld. It is accessible to all who will receive it. It is the good news. 

7 You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us [guard him] from this generation forever.

8 On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

With the certainty of God’s word established, the psalmist declares the Lord will keep the poor and needy. He will guard them from this generation forever. “Generation forever” is an interesting pair of words, “generation” being a relatively short time compared to “forever”. This generation (and presumably every generation) because of the nature of man will always be resistant toward God and those who speak for him. It’s never been easy to be a believer (Psalm 2:1-3) because human nature is to push back against the rule of God. The promise of God is that believers will be kept safe and guarded from the evil. This is the Lord’s prayer. The wicked prowl like a lion. The final line is one of the most memorable -- “vileness is exalted among the children of men”. This is an appropriate description of our culture that currently features “drag queen story hour”, “same-sex” marriage, and “pride” parades. Lifestyles that should induce shame are instead celebrated and declared to be things to be proud of. The yearly music and entertainment awards shows exalt art that pushes the most boundaries, debasing the culture for the sake of a moment of fame. Politicians proudly support the murder of unborn children as if it were a virtue. Pornography is considered a healthy alternative to marital sex, and children are exposed as early as possible to messages that desensitize them to the sacred nature of sex. It’s never easy to be a parent, but the cesspool that our children are now swimming in has got to be worse than ever. The good news is that the Lord will keep his faithful one through this generation forever.