The Psalms 12: The Faithful Have Vanished

Psalm 12 is a psalm of Lamentation, but it is also a psalm of hope in the end. It’s helpful to see that even when there’s reason to lament, there’s also reason to hope for the future. Too often we get caught up in just focusing on the lamentation, and we fail to see the other side of it. I know that I fall prey to that, just as much as anyone else. So I’m thankful for this opportunity to remember that there’s another side to lamentation.

Let’s get into the psalm!

To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
1 Save, O Yahweh, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.

The word which starts this whole thing off is the Hebrew word ‘hoshiah’ (הוֹשִׁ֣יעָה) which comes from the root word ‘yasha’ (ישׁע), and that is where the word Yeshua/Jesus comes from. So here we see the psalmist (David) calling out for salvation. It’s not readily apparent when we read it in the English but if we were reading it in the Hebrew we would be able to read this verse and make a connection to Jesus. While this isn’t what David would’ve been specifically going for while writing this psalm (so let’s not make too much of it), it’s helpful for us to be able to look at the Hebrew expectation of salvation, and how Jesus came to bring salvation.

We read that the godly have ceased to exist. The word here translated as ‘godly’ is the word ‘chesid’ (חסיד) which is most often translated as ‘saints’, or ‘godly’ but it is also very often translated as ‘merciful’. In fact, it comes from the root word of ‘chesed’ (חסד), which has the primary meaning of ‘mercy’. So, in effect, David is calling out to Yahweh for mercy because there is no one left on the earth who is being merciful.

Very often we view Jesus only in the light of His death, burial and resurrection but when we do this and we don’t see the mercy He came to proclaim we’re missing out on the actual gospel which Jesus Himself proclaimed while He was walking in Israel in the first century. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t at all want to downplay the death, burial and resurrection; on the contrary, I want to build it up by pointing out another part of the gospel which is often overlooked. Out of reverence for the great work that Jesus did by dying on the cross and then being resurrected three days later, we tend to gloss over His teachings as a part of His gospel. In fact, because of this we very often view the gospel as a thing which wasn’t known until after Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. We read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and think that’s all that there is to the gospel. We don’t allow that when Paul was writing to the Corinthians, maybe this is something they needed to be reminded of because they had heard teachers which were denying this part of the gospel.

The truth is, if we limit the gospel to the death, burial and resurrection of Messiah then we’re discounting that the writer of Hebrews said that the same gospel was preached to Israelites after they had left Egypt and were at the base of Mount Sinai. And we’re also discounting that Jesus, Himself, was said to have preached the gospel throughout His earthly ministry (Matt 4:23, Matt 24:14, Mark 1:14, Luke 4:17-18, Luke 8:1, Luke 20:1, etc.). Are we to believe that Jesus taught of His death, burial and resurrection for the entirety of His ministry and yet everyone was surprised when it went down the way that it did? Or, is it possible that the gospel is something bigger, and that part of that is, in part, an answer to verse in question? Is it possible that Jesus was preaching that Yahweh had finally brought Salvation from all of the godless? I’ll leave it to you to ponder over that one.

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

When we read this verse it’s important to remember what it is that we are supposed to doing. It’s easy to just read this and go, “well yeah, lying is bad.” But it’s always important to back that up. It’s really easy to rest in our knowledge when we feel like we have a decent understanding of something. At least, that’s how it happens to me…

In Ephesians 4:25 we read something important in reference to this verse, “Therefore, putting away lying, "LET EACH ONE OF YOU SPEAK TRUTH WITH HIS NEIGHBOR," for we are members of one another.”

3 May Yahweh 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?"

The first part of these verses is enough to make you wince. We’ve all been a part of trying to flatter someone. Thankfully, it appears that it’s more than just flattering someone that leads to David asking to have your lips cut off by Yahweh. I think, though, the more important part here is probably the end of verse four. There we see that those with flattering lips and a boasting tongue say that they will shake off their masters by deceit. “Who is master over us?” While I wouldn’t build a doctrine around this, there appears to be a similarity between this statement and what we read in Revelation 13:4 which reads, “who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with Him?” The Revelation 13:4 reference is, itself, sits in opposition to Exodus 15:11 where the questions that is asked is, “Who is like You, O Yahweh, among the gods?”. The fact is that, in ancient times, this was a common way of referring to deity. So I think that it’s possible that when we read in verse four that those with flattering lips and a tongue that boast are asking, “who is master over us?” we’re seeing them try to set themselves up above God, and this is why David is asking for their lips and tongues to be cut off.

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

This is one of those verses that we could all take heart in. If you find yourself facing hard times, Yahweh is just about to stand up and place you in safety. Stay close to His heart.

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

Seven is the number of completion in the Hebrew mindset. Being purified seven times is being purified until the purification is complete. Silver was, at the time, rarely purified more than 2 or 3 time so saying this silver is purified 7 times is an extreme amount of purity. That’s how pure God and His words are!

7 You, O Yahweh, 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.

While at the end of this psalm we see David pointing out that ‘evil’ is everywhere, we have him starting out by proclaiming that God will keep His Word forever. And He will guard His people forever. So, when you look around and you see the wicked and the vile thriving in this world, remember that your King is about to arise and He’s got His hand overtop of you, holding back even more that you don’t see. Not only is our Creator watching over us but we are also being strengthened by the same refining fire that purifies silver.

So, even if you’re facing tribulation (and we will have tribulation in this world) this is working toward an end. And God’s Word is always true!

Be blessed as you go about your day, and rest in the purity of God’s perfect Word.

This was first posted at my personal blog at the following address:

http://thepoiema.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-psalms-12-faithful-have-vanished.html