Psalms 12 Plea For Help In Evil Times

 

 

Plea for Help in Evil Times

¹Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind. ²They utter lies to each other; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. ³May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, ⁴those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are our own—who is our master?” ⁵“Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now rise up,” says the Lord; “I will place them in the safety for which they long.” ⁶The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure,

A David Psalm (The message)

 ^1-2 Quick, God, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down,     All the friends I depended on gone.    Everyone talks in lie language;    Lies slide off their oily lips.    They doubletalk with forked tongues.
 ^3-4 Slice their lips off their faces! Pull    The braggart tongues from their mouths!    I'm tired of hearing, "We can talk anyone into anything!    Our lips manage the world."  ⁵ Into the hovels of the poor,    Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:    "I've had enough; I'm on my way    To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched."  ^6-8 God's words are pure words,    Pure silver words refined seven times    In the fires of his word-kiln,    Pure on earth as well as in heaven.    God, keep us safe from their lies,    From the wicked who stalk us with lies,    From the wicked who collect honors    For their wonderful lies.

¹ Help, LORD, for ^(A)the godly man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. ² They ^(B)speak ^[b]falsehood to one another; With ^(C)flattering ^[c]lips and with a double heart they speak. ³ May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that ^(D)speaks great things; ⁴ Who ^(E)have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are ^[d]our own; who is lord over us?” ⁵ “Because of the ^(F)devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now ^(G)I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will ^(H)set him in the safety for which he longs.”  ⁶ The ^(I)words of the LORD are pure words;
As silver ^(J)tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. ⁷ You, O LORD, will keep them;
You will ^(K)preserve him from this generation forever. ⁸ The ^(L)wicked strut about on every side
When ^[e](M)vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Footnotes:

a.       Psalm 12:1 Or according to a lower octave (Heb Sheminith)

b.      Psalm 12:2 Or emptiness

c.       Psalm 12:2 Lit lip

d.      Psalm 12:4 Lit with us

e.       Psalm 12:8 Or worthlessness

Cross references:

A.     Psalm 12:1 : Is 57:1; Mic 7:2

B.      Psalm 12:2 : Ps 10:7; 41:6

C.      Psalm 12:2 : Ps 28:3; 55:21; Jer 9:8; Rom 16:18

D.     Psalm 12:3 : Dan 7:8; Rev 13:5

E.      Psalm 12:4 : Ps 73:8, 9

F.      Psalm 12:5 : Ps 9:9; 10:18

G.     Psalm 12:5 : Is 33:10

H.     Psalm 12:5 : Ps 34:6; 35:10

I.       Psalm 12:6 : 2 Sam 22:31; Ps 18:30; 19:8, 10; 119:140

J.       Psalm 12:6 : Prov 30:5

K.     Psalm 12:7 : Ps 37:28; 97:10

L.      Psalm 12:8 : Ps 55:10, 11

M.     Psalm 12:8 : Is 32:5

Psalms 11

Psalms 11 today:  

IN THE LORD PUT I MY TRUST.....

IN ALL THINGS AND IN ALL TIMES 

Those In Christ are Secure In Christ

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”

This is one of the greatest statements of the Scripture, of the most important for Christians experience and for spiritual health and even physical health and our well-being as Christian believers.

This is the GOOD NEWS, it’s the way of Saving Faith in Jesus Christ. This is the heart and soul of the Christian gospel.

All that Paul has said in Romans thus far, this verse is a summing up of the great argument about justification.

Why: “Therefore there is…”

The word “therefore” serves to tie the proceeding seven chapters with chapter 8 by serving as a link to everything that Paul has established. In the original this is very emphatic, indicating that what he is about to say is extremely important. It can be translated this way: “So, then, consequently.” I’ve picked just one verse from each of the first seven chapters to remind us where we’ve been…

1.    Romans 1:18 “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.”

2.   Romans 2:5: “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.”

3.    Romans 3:12: “All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

4.   Romans 4:13: “It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.”

5.  Romans5:1: “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.”

6.   Romans 6:11: “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

7.    Romans 7:24 “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

When: “Now…”

For the born-again believer there is assurance that there will be no judgment to come in the future but I want you to notice that we can and should experience this assurance right now in the present. Therefore there is today no condemnation. If you are redeemed then right now, at this very moment you are secure. One pastor put it this way: “No condemnation means there is neither judgment from God on me, nor annoyance with God with respect to me—neither on the last day nor today!”

Now we’ll add just one word to the phrase we’ve already learned: “Therefore, there is now…” Say it with me.

What: “No condemnation…”

The word “condemn” comes from two Greek words; one which means “down” and the other which means “to judge.” Literally it means to “judge down” and was used of the Roman emperor as he sat on a throne when prisoners were brought before him. As he heard their cases he would either “judge down” or “judge up.” I wonder if that’s where we get the “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” expression. Friend, if you have put your faith and trust in Jesus as you sacrificial substitute, the Almighty Judge gives you a “thumbs up.” God won’t “judge down” because He sent Christ to “come down.” The judgment we deserved settled on the Savior and now God’s blessings “rain down” on us. God has a gavel of grace for the believer as He pronounces this verdict: “No condemnation – you are now a saint, not a sinner; you are not unrighteous because I have declared you righteous.”

Note the words “NOW” ⁶⁸⁶  and “NO” ³⁷⁶²

·       A  little two letter word “NO”. That little word has a wonderful meaning in this context.  Mean “it is entire, it is complete, it is absolute.

·       Not even one shall be condemned to hell who is in Christ Jesus.

·       “Not even one therefore now adverse judgment and resultant punishment to those in Christ Jesus.”

The elect of God, those whose name has been written down before the foundation of the world will be saved. And not only will they be born again, they will be kept  saved. How? There is NO condemnation brought  against them.  Every believer in Christ Jesus will be saved forever.  Becaue God has declared the saved person saved, and free from the curse of the Law.

You can fall, but you’re not condemned. You can struggle, but you’re not condemned.  You can stray off the path, but you are not condemned because God has said He will not condemn those who are in Christ Jesus.

God is not going to discard any believer because of struggling in life.

Listen every “Christian” NOW and for ever will never be brought into condemnation. There is no kind of act whereby a Christian can get himself in that he will be so judgment as to lost his salvation.

Your POSITION, your standing with Christ, your status with Christ, can never again come under condemnation. You can’t be brought under sentence, conviction, disapproval, blame and you can’t be censure again for your sin.

Listen you get this in your brain, you mind, your thinking. Don’t let the devil put past sins in your head and mind and allow it to bring you down in your spirit. You should never feel or believe you will again be under the curse of the Law. Do not allow yourself to feel it.

Listen if the devil comes to you and tries to convict you, and to make you feel that you are condemned, stand up and say, “THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION TO THEM WHICH ARE IN CHRIST JESUS.”

Most of Christian’s trouble with life is to allow themselves to believe that  due to some sin they have committed in the past, 10 years ago that somehow they are put back under condemnation. WRONG.

In this sense you cannot “fall away.” In this sense there is “no falling away,” from grace. It cannot happen. NO CONDEMNATION” IS JUST THAT. It is an absolute word, How many preachers are trying to detract from it.  

Theologican call this doctrine: “The Final Perseverance of the saints.”

Psams 10

Psalm 10

1. Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2. In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3. He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
4. In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5. His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
6. He says to himself,
"Nothing will shake me;

 I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

 

7. His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
8. He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims.
9. He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
he lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless
and drags them off in his net.

10. His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.
11. He says to himself, "God has forgotten;
he covers his face and never sees."
12. Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.

 

13. Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
"He won't call me to account"?

14. But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.

15. Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.

16. The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.

17. You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them,
and you listen to their cry,
18. defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth,
may terrify no more.

EXPOSITION

Verse 1. To the tearful eye of the sufferer the Lord seemed to stand still, as if he calmly looked on, and did not sympathize with his afflicted one. Nay, more, the Lord appeared to be afar off, no longer "a very present help in trouble," but an inaccessible mountain, into which no man would be able to climb. The presence of God is the joy of his people, but any suspicion of his absence is distracting beyond measure. Let us, then, ever remember that the Lord is nigh us. The refiner is never far from the mouth of the furnace when his gold is in the fire, and the Son of God is always walking in the midst of the flames when his holy children are cast into them. Yet he that knows the frailty of man will little wonder that when we are sharply exercised, we find it hard to bear the apparent neglect of the Lord when he forbears to work our deliverance.  Charles Spuregon

Whole Psalm. There is not, in my judgment, a Psalm which describes the mind, the manners, the works, the words, the feelings, and the fate of the ungodly with so much propriety, fulness, and light, as this Psalm. So that, if in any respect there has not been enough said heretofore, or if there shall be anything wanting in the Psalms that shall follow, we may here find a perfect image and representation of iniquity. This Psalm, therefore, is a type, form, and description of that man, who, though he may be in the sight of himself and of men more excellent than Peter himself, is detestable in the eyes of God; and this it was that moved Augustine, and those who followed him, to understand the Psalm of ANTICHRIST

. But as the Psalm is without a title, let us embrace the most general and common understanding of it (as I said), and let us look at the picture of ungodliness which it sets before us. Not that we would deny the propriety of the acceptation in which others receive it, nay, we will, in our general acceptation of the Psalm, include also its reference to ANTICHRIST. And, indeed, it will not be at all absurd if we join this Psalm with the preceding, in its order thus. That David, in the preceding, spoke of the ungodly converted, and prayed for those who were to be converted. But that here he is speaking of the ungodly that are still left so, and in power prevailing over the weak ALMUTH, concerning whom he has no hope, or is in a great uncertainty of mind, whether they ever will be converted or not. Martin Luther.

Psalms 9 "I Will Prasie You, O LORD"

"I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart, I will show forth all thy marvelous works."

"I will be glad and rejoice in thee; I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High"

"When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fail and perish at thy presence."

"And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that see thee."




John Calvin on Psalms 9:2

• 2.I will rejoice and exult in thee.Observe how the faithful praise God sincerely and without hypocrisy, when they do not rest on themselves for happiness, and are not intoxicated with foolish and carnal presumption, but rejoice in God alone; which is nothing else than to seek the matter of their joy from the favor of God, and from no other source, since in it perfect happiness consists. I will rejoice in thee
• We ought to consider how great is the difference and opposition between the character of the joy which men endeavor to find in themselves, and the character of the joy which they seek in God. David, the more forcibly to express how he renounces every thing which may keep hold of or occupy him with vain delight, adds the word exult, by which he means that he finds in God a full and an overflowing abundance of joy, so that he is not under the necessity of seeking even the smallest drop in any other quarter. 
• Moreover, it is of importance to remember what I have previously observed, that David sets before himself the testimonies of the divine goodness which he had formerly experienced, in order to encourage himself with the more alacrity to lay open his heart to God, and to present his prayers before him. He who begins his prayer by affirming that God is the great source and object of his joy, fortifies himself before-hand with the strongest confidence, in presenting his supplications to the hearer of prayer.

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Psalms 8

 O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above (upon) the heaven. 

 

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visit him?