Psalm 12

Psalm 12:1–8 ESV

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.

This is a very emotional psalm. Emotion can sometimes get bad rap in the church. But situated in it’s correct context, such as the psalms, they can be a very beneficial help to us. There is a psalm for nearly every human emotion. They were written to create space for us to express the full range of those emotions to God and then for God to speak back to us.

In this what is called lament psalm. They express deep sorrow, grief or regret. They are some of the most beautiful of the psalms. They provide a way for us to sing our stuggles to God. There are both individual lament psalms and communal lament psalms. This is a communal lament.

Faithlife Study Bible (Psalm 12)

the psalmist here speaks for a faithful community living in a faithless generation. He petitions Yahweh for salvation, asking Him to destroy the liars who are prevalent (vv. 1–4). Then Yahweh responds, revealing His intention to deliver the needy (v. 5). The psalmist praises the purity of Yahweh’s promise (v. 6). He then addresses Yahweh again, expressing confidence that He will guard the faithful community from the wicked who surround them (vv. 7–8).

The palmist is asking God to deliver retribution. “cut off the tongue of the liar” But God shows that He is more interested in RESTORATION. “ but because the poor are plundered, now I will rise”.

As we worship this morning let us sing not only to God, but for one another when we feel we cannot sing at all!!