Post by arete on Oct 27, 2014 19:48:11 GMT
Introduction:
“Good thoughts in bad times” is the way Charles Spurgeon summed up the content of Psalm 12. Another theme runs through the psalm of faithless men pursuing good times with bad thoughts. The message of the Bible differs from many philosophies of men and false religions in that God is not pleased with good outer conduct alone. Rather, good conduct without good heart intention remains bad in God’s economy. In other words, we may fool men by acting good, but hide an evil heart. Yet, evil hearts overflow into actions & words. We find the psalmist this morning surrounded by faithless, evil men who by their very words set themselves against God & against God’s people. Psalm 12 is the prayer response of the psalmist.
Context:
Psalm 12 is a lament psalm, specifically a community lament. Laments are expressions of grief about one’s situation or circumstances. It was written for public prayer and worship. Like all laments, Psalm 12 includes the lament (vv. 1-2), the statement of trust in God (vv. 3-5), and the affirmation of praise to God (vv. 6-8). Psalm 12 also includes imprecatory, the calling for God’s judgment against God’s enemies &/or his people’s enemies. The imprecation is found in the statement of trust as the psalmist prays to God for his intervention in the situation before the people.
Body – Psalm 12:1-8 – ESV
The Faithful Have Vanished
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.
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?”
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.
7 You, O LORD, will keep them;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.
Faithless Condition vv.1-2
This is the lament portion. The psalm is subtitled, “The Faithful Have Vanished.” Whatever may be going on at this time, the psalmist and other believers feel as if they are in the midst of a sea of godlessness. Sin and strife mark their world and their lives and they cry out for God’s intervention.
The psalmist declares the need to be saved (v. 1). He cries out for deliverance. Only God can deliver them. The Christian today can forget that God saves still. What I mean by that is we can act as if after we were saved in Christ from sin and death that we now must save ourselves from the evils of life. Wrong. God is our deliverer now and forever. As his children, it is still profitable for us to cry out for God to save us from evil and evil men.
1. An introduction to hyperbole: in the Hebrew culture and language one finds it a normal figure of speech to emphasize a point through exaggeration. It is not a lie, merely stressing an issue to make a point.
2. Save, because the godly are gone (v. 1a). The psalmist is praying this, therefor the godly are not gone. But the problems facing the godly in Israel are so great, it feels as if there are no godly men left. What is left are evil, faithless men oppressing the godly.
3. Save, because the faithful have vanished (v 1b). Again, there remain faithful men and women even if it is but a small remnant. But one can be surrounded by so much evil intent that it feels as if faithlessness reigns.
The psalmist explains more about what they need to be saved from (v. 2). He continues some hyperbole here, however, even children of God sin and lie and flatter.
1. Everyone lies (v.2a). This is a rebellion against God who is the ultimate expression of perfect truth. Every lie, no matter how small in our eyes, is a direct affront & insult to the person of God.
2. Everyone flatters (v. 2b). What is flattery? This is smooth, slippery words used to grease a situation. These are words that sound nice, but are used for sinful purposes.
3. Everyone speaks with a double heart (v. 2c). This is hypocritical speech. This is saying one thing and doing another. This is holding a brother accountable for what sin we permit in our own heart.
Illustration:
Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Matt 15:17-20
Application:
How we speak reveals our hearts. We are all guilty of sinful speech flowing from sinful hearts. We are really part of the “everyone” that is our problem. Yes, we should hold others accountable for sinful words, but not with a double heart that allows it in ourselves. In this, let us join the psalmist in crying out, “Save, O Lord.”
Fearsome Prayer vv. 3-5 (prayer of psalmist)
This is the statement of trust. The psalmist lifts his voice up and leads the community in prayer concerning the faithlessness seen all about.
The psalmist’s prayer is hoping for God to judge the faithlessness (v. 3). We find the imprecatory here. The psalmist asks for a very specific judgment that may be shocking. Does he really want God to disfigure the faithless? There is more hyperbole here and it emphasizes the sheer evil of evil speech. We tend to make too little of sin. Sin is rebellion against the Most High and deserves punishment.
1. Cut off flattering lips (v.3a). The lips that flow with smooth and slippery words from a slippery heart – the psalmist asks God to cut them off.
2. Cut out the boastful tongue (v. 3b). The tongue that boasts the words we find in the next few verses – the psalmist asks God to cut it out. The psalmist sees that boasting and flattery are sin and deserve punishment.
The faithless brag about their faithlessness (v. 4). Their hearts are so full of evil that they take pride in that evil.
1. We will prevail with our tongue (v. 4a). These faithless men believe that their evil will win the day against the godly – but worse – will win against God himself.
2. Who can master us or our lips? (v. 4b). They brag that there is no one who can hold them accountable. The fact that God’s grace has permitted them time to repent is taken as proof that he is powerless before them.
God responds personally to the faithlessness (v. 5). The poor and needy are a litmus test of heart condition. Godly people will treat the less fortunate as fellow image bearers with dignity and a desire to show grace and love. Ungodly people will abuse and pervert the needs to their own ends.
1. God notices how the poor and needy are treated (v. 5a). He sees how we treat one another. He sees if we treat other who bear his image in respect and love. He sees if we act toward one another in godliness and righteousness. He sees our actions and our hearts.
2. God arises and sets himself against sin and faithlessness (v. 5b). While the bragging was that none can hold the faithless accountable – God begs to differ. He stands up and sets himself against those whose hearts, deeds, and words abuse the needy and rebel against God
3. God provides safety for those who trust in him (v. 5c). Longs implies bringing our desires and needs before God. Those who have trusted in God will not be ultimately disappointed.
Illustration:
The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:35-37 ESV)
Application:
How we speak and how we tend our hearts has consequences. Does anyone here particularly like the idea of God rising up and setting himself against you? We make too little of our sin and even less of the sin of our hearts that leak from our lips. I know this psalm was written asking for protection from evil men and not protection from other believers. What worries me is when we permit ourselves and other believers to act in ways that look like these faithless men.
Final Consequence vv. 6-8
This is the affirmation of praise. The psalm does end on something of a negative note, but we will get that that in a moment.
What does the purity of God’s words have to do with this (v.6)? The psalmist focuses on the purity of God’s words as the cure for the lies and flatteries. God’s word reveals God’s heart just as our words reveal ours. The perfect purity and truthfulness of God’s words and nature are the standard for Christian words and hearts. Furthermore, we can trust God to do what he has said here in this psalm and everywhere else in the Scripture.
The Lord is our guard and keeper (v. 7). The “them” is the poor, the needy and the godly who stand against the faithless. The combination of guard and keeper emphasizes God’s watchfulness over his children and his willingness to act on their behalf. He is not absent nor is he an observer only. God is our protector against the evil from the generation, or the world around us in which he calls us to live.
We are warned though, that wickedness thrives in this wicked world (v. 8). The world is fallen and evil. The world is growing worse and never better. Even as truth is cherished by those who are God’s, vileness is cherished by the world. The word, vile, here means that which has no eternal substance or value. All evil will perish. All evil mean will be punished.
Illustration:
The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever (Psalm 119:60). Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17).
Application:
How do we deal with faithlessness and lies? With truth. Every unrighteous and faithless word and deed, we expose to the truth of God and his word. Every vile thing is overcome with purity. We cannot permit evil to flourish in our hearts, in the hearts of our brethren or in our land. In every case, we expose sin to the word of God and bring it before God in repentance and for his grace and mercy. Even surrounded by evil, we trust that he will be our guard and keeper as we strive to live in truth and purity.
So What Now?
Bad times come to the good hearted. At times we will feel as if we are alone and surrounded by armies of evil, faithless men. But we are never alone. We can always pry that shortest and deepest prayer, “Save, O Lord.”
The Good God rises up against the bad hearted. Evil has no eternal worth or weight. Evil may seem to flourish. Lies may seem to prevail. But God has set a day when he will personally and permanently address each and every evil.
Good thoughts in bad times – That was how Spurgeon summed up this psalm. Our Good thought in any time is God himself. “Thou art my best thought by day or by night; waking or sleeping, they presence my light” (Be Thou My Vision). Our good thought is that God himself protects us and even disciplines us from evil hearts and evil speech even if it tries to well up within us. His gentle and powerful response is true and pure and trustworthy. Be warned that evil still abounds. Be assured that God is God still.
Benediction:
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17 ESV)
“Good thoughts in bad times” is the way Charles Spurgeon summed up the content of Psalm 12. Another theme runs through the psalm of faithless men pursuing good times with bad thoughts. The message of the Bible differs from many philosophies of men and false religions in that God is not pleased with good outer conduct alone. Rather, good conduct without good heart intention remains bad in God’s economy. In other words, we may fool men by acting good, but hide an evil heart. Yet, evil hearts overflow into actions & words. We find the psalmist this morning surrounded by faithless, evil men who by their very words set themselves against God & against God’s people. Psalm 12 is the prayer response of the psalmist.
Context:
Psalm 12 is a lament psalm, specifically a community lament. Laments are expressions of grief about one’s situation or circumstances. It was written for public prayer and worship. Like all laments, Psalm 12 includes the lament (vv. 1-2), the statement of trust in God (vv. 3-5), and the affirmation of praise to God (vv. 6-8). Psalm 12 also includes imprecatory, the calling for God’s judgment against God’s enemies &/or his people’s enemies. The imprecation is found in the statement of trust as the psalmist prays to God for his intervention in the situation before the people.
Body – Psalm 12:1-8 – ESV
The Faithful Have Vanished
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.
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?”
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.
7 You, O LORD, will keep them;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.
Faithless Condition vv.1-2
This is the lament portion. The psalm is subtitled, “The Faithful Have Vanished.” Whatever may be going on at this time, the psalmist and other believers feel as if they are in the midst of a sea of godlessness. Sin and strife mark their world and their lives and they cry out for God’s intervention.
The psalmist declares the need to be saved (v. 1). He cries out for deliverance. Only God can deliver them. The Christian today can forget that God saves still. What I mean by that is we can act as if after we were saved in Christ from sin and death that we now must save ourselves from the evils of life. Wrong. God is our deliverer now and forever. As his children, it is still profitable for us to cry out for God to save us from evil and evil men.
1. An introduction to hyperbole: in the Hebrew culture and language one finds it a normal figure of speech to emphasize a point through exaggeration. It is not a lie, merely stressing an issue to make a point.
2. Save, because the godly are gone (v. 1a). The psalmist is praying this, therefor the godly are not gone. But the problems facing the godly in Israel are so great, it feels as if there are no godly men left. What is left are evil, faithless men oppressing the godly.
3. Save, because the faithful have vanished (v 1b). Again, there remain faithful men and women even if it is but a small remnant. But one can be surrounded by so much evil intent that it feels as if faithlessness reigns.
The psalmist explains more about what they need to be saved from (v. 2). He continues some hyperbole here, however, even children of God sin and lie and flatter.
1. Everyone lies (v.2a). This is a rebellion against God who is the ultimate expression of perfect truth. Every lie, no matter how small in our eyes, is a direct affront & insult to the person of God.
2. Everyone flatters (v. 2b). What is flattery? This is smooth, slippery words used to grease a situation. These are words that sound nice, but are used for sinful purposes.
3. Everyone speaks with a double heart (v. 2c). This is hypocritical speech. This is saying one thing and doing another. This is holding a brother accountable for what sin we permit in our own heart.
Illustration:
Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Matt 15:17-20
Application:
How we speak reveals our hearts. We are all guilty of sinful speech flowing from sinful hearts. We are really part of the “everyone” that is our problem. Yes, we should hold others accountable for sinful words, but not with a double heart that allows it in ourselves. In this, let us join the psalmist in crying out, “Save, O Lord.”
Fearsome Prayer vv. 3-5 (prayer of psalmist)
This is the statement of trust. The psalmist lifts his voice up and leads the community in prayer concerning the faithlessness seen all about.
The psalmist’s prayer is hoping for God to judge the faithlessness (v. 3). We find the imprecatory here. The psalmist asks for a very specific judgment that may be shocking. Does he really want God to disfigure the faithless? There is more hyperbole here and it emphasizes the sheer evil of evil speech. We tend to make too little of sin. Sin is rebellion against the Most High and deserves punishment.
1. Cut off flattering lips (v.3a). The lips that flow with smooth and slippery words from a slippery heart – the psalmist asks God to cut them off.
2. Cut out the boastful tongue (v. 3b). The tongue that boasts the words we find in the next few verses – the psalmist asks God to cut it out. The psalmist sees that boasting and flattery are sin and deserve punishment.
The faithless brag about their faithlessness (v. 4). Their hearts are so full of evil that they take pride in that evil.
1. We will prevail with our tongue (v. 4a). These faithless men believe that their evil will win the day against the godly – but worse – will win against God himself.
2. Who can master us or our lips? (v. 4b). They brag that there is no one who can hold them accountable. The fact that God’s grace has permitted them time to repent is taken as proof that he is powerless before them.
God responds personally to the faithlessness (v. 5). The poor and needy are a litmus test of heart condition. Godly people will treat the less fortunate as fellow image bearers with dignity and a desire to show grace and love. Ungodly people will abuse and pervert the needs to their own ends.
1. God notices how the poor and needy are treated (v. 5a). He sees how we treat one another. He sees if we treat other who bear his image in respect and love. He sees if we act toward one another in godliness and righteousness. He sees our actions and our hearts.
2. God arises and sets himself against sin and faithlessness (v. 5b). While the bragging was that none can hold the faithless accountable – God begs to differ. He stands up and sets himself against those whose hearts, deeds, and words abuse the needy and rebel against God
3. God provides safety for those who trust in him (v. 5c). Longs implies bringing our desires and needs before God. Those who have trusted in God will not be ultimately disappointed.
Illustration:
The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:35-37 ESV)
Application:
How we speak and how we tend our hearts has consequences. Does anyone here particularly like the idea of God rising up and setting himself against you? We make too little of our sin and even less of the sin of our hearts that leak from our lips. I know this psalm was written asking for protection from evil men and not protection from other believers. What worries me is when we permit ourselves and other believers to act in ways that look like these faithless men.
Final Consequence vv. 6-8
This is the affirmation of praise. The psalm does end on something of a negative note, but we will get that that in a moment.
What does the purity of God’s words have to do with this (v.6)? The psalmist focuses on the purity of God’s words as the cure for the lies and flatteries. God’s word reveals God’s heart just as our words reveal ours. The perfect purity and truthfulness of God’s words and nature are the standard for Christian words and hearts. Furthermore, we can trust God to do what he has said here in this psalm and everywhere else in the Scripture.
The Lord is our guard and keeper (v. 7). The “them” is the poor, the needy and the godly who stand against the faithless. The combination of guard and keeper emphasizes God’s watchfulness over his children and his willingness to act on their behalf. He is not absent nor is he an observer only. God is our protector against the evil from the generation, or the world around us in which he calls us to live.
We are warned though, that wickedness thrives in this wicked world (v. 8). The world is fallen and evil. The world is growing worse and never better. Even as truth is cherished by those who are God’s, vileness is cherished by the world. The word, vile, here means that which has no eternal substance or value. All evil will perish. All evil mean will be punished.
Illustration:
The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever (Psalm 119:60). Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17).
Application:
How do we deal with faithlessness and lies? With truth. Every unrighteous and faithless word and deed, we expose to the truth of God and his word. Every vile thing is overcome with purity. We cannot permit evil to flourish in our hearts, in the hearts of our brethren or in our land. In every case, we expose sin to the word of God and bring it before God in repentance and for his grace and mercy. Even surrounded by evil, we trust that he will be our guard and keeper as we strive to live in truth and purity.
So What Now?
Bad times come to the good hearted. At times we will feel as if we are alone and surrounded by armies of evil, faithless men. But we are never alone. We can always pry that shortest and deepest prayer, “Save, O Lord.”
The Good God rises up against the bad hearted. Evil has no eternal worth or weight. Evil may seem to flourish. Lies may seem to prevail. But God has set a day when he will personally and permanently address each and every evil.
Good thoughts in bad times – That was how Spurgeon summed up this psalm. Our Good thought in any time is God himself. “Thou art my best thought by day or by night; waking or sleeping, they presence my light” (Be Thou My Vision). Our good thought is that God himself protects us and even disciplines us from evil hearts and evil speech even if it tries to well up within us. His gentle and powerful response is true and pure and trustworthy. Be warned that evil still abounds. Be assured that God is God still.
Benediction:
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17 ESV)