Psalm 12

What is the most dangerous weapon?

In the 1960s and 1970s you may think that it was the nuclear weapon. It’s destructive power to kill thousands in a second terrified the entire world

Today you may think that it is the gun. It is debating in the halls of government every day.

We hear things like Guns kill Kids. Countered by things like Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. or if guns are outlawed than only outlaws will have guns.

Let me tell you something today we aren’t talking about the politics of gun control or nuclear proliferation.

But neither gun nor nuke is the worst weapon.

The Tongue is the most dangerous weapon.

James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

The most dangerous and destructive weapon is the tongue.

David understood this and faced this in his life.

This is the topic of Psalm 12. I don’t think anyone can pinpoint what David is talking about in Psalm 12

The faithful disappear.

Psalm 12:1 Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

I know that it feels like Christianity is fleeting. Not as many people come to church as in 70s. When I was a child kids came to church by the bus load. All the businesses were closed on Sunday. Don’t think that this is a new problem. Don’t think that God is done or that he is losing. David felt the same way you do. The same way that I do. I thank God for every soul saved. It is a joint effort between us and the Spirit. We have to share the gospel and the Holy Spirit has to move the heart.

Elijah thought he was the last follower of God.

1 Kings 19:14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

That sounds like some Christians I know today. It sounds like Christians in the day before the reformation. This isn’t something new.

God opened Elijah’s eyes to the truth.

1 Kings 19:18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.

The truth is that God has His people. I know that while a traditional church like Port Crane may minister to the preference of Seasoned Saints other churches are growing with youth. Don’t condemn them. They may be able to help Seasoned Saints and we may have the opportunity to lead young people to the LORD.

The faithless are gossips.

Psalm 12:2 They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

One must think that David was more comfortable with the sword than with gossip.

Gossip (the flattering tongue) will be prevalent during the end times.

Daniel 11:32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

I wonder if what Daniel was talking about was social media. Social media hasn’t been around that long. But boy! It is the center of Gossip if Gossip was a problem in David’s day I can’t imagine he would be thrilled with what happens today. Gossip starts and it is put out there as fast as possible and we have made Gossip viral.

Voltaire by Boice

God has kept and will keep and preserve His Word. “The French atheist Voltaire…once said, ‘In twenty years Christianity will be no more. My single hand shall destroy the edifice it took twelve apostles to rear.’ He wrote that in fifty years no one would remember Christianity. But in the year he wrote that, the British Museum paid the Russian government five hundred thousand dollars for a Bible manuscript while one of Voltaire’s books was selling in the London book stalls for just eight cents.” (Boice)

Possible situations

Saul’s court -

1 Samuel 21:11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?”

Remember Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands

This led to jealousy this led to Saul hunting david throwing spears at his head and killing priests

The gossip about insane David.

1 Samuel 21:13–15 So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

Nabal’s words

1 Samuel 25:10–11 Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?

Those words almost started a war.

1 Samuel 25:12–13 So David’s young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words. Then David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies.

Thank God for the words of Abigail.

1 Samuel 25:23–26 Now when Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground. So she fell at his feet and said: “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant. Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal.

She goes on but this woman is amazing. She somehow cooks a mean for Davids men. A feast that included 200 loaves of bread. Nabal was a fool. How do you make 200 loaves of bread and 200 cakes without your husband knowing.

The gossip about David and the Amalekites.

1 Samuel 30:6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

While David was away from Ziklag the Amalekites came an attacked Ziklag burning it to the ground and kidnapping women and children. David’s wife Abigail remember we just talked about her was one of the ladies taken and all the talk went against David

The gossip of the Ammonites.

2 Samuel 10:1–5 It happened after this that the king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon. And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

This gossip, they are trying to spy on us so we are going to humiliate them did start a war. Words are powerful especially gossip words. Words caused David a lot of problems.

Tamar: Amnon and Absalom

2 Samuel 13:21–22 But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. And Absalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad. For Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

Imagine the gossip that must have happened after the Tamar incident in David’s family. I believe that this is all a result of the Bathsheba incident. This led to murder. Absalom murdered Amnon. The tongue is worse than any weapon.

David morns Absalom.

2 Samuel 19:1–4 And Joab was told, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people. For the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.” And the people stole back into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. But the king covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

The gossip that followed David about Absalom almost cost him the crown.

2 Samuel 19:5–7 Then Joab came into the house to the king, and said, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. Now therefore, arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.”