Transcript:

Hi! Welcome to Psalms for Troubled Times, Episode Six. Today, I’m going to look at Psalm 12. My name’s Annette Bell, and I’m the host of Overcoming the Tribulation, which is mostly focused on preparing our hearts for the return of Christ. If you haven’t already subscribed, I invite you to hit the subscribe button and then click the bell to get notifications when I’ve posted a new video. Thanks.

OK, so I’m going to read Psalm 12.

Psalms 12

Psalms 12. For the director of music. According to sheminith. A psalm of David. Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, “We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips–who is our master?” “Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them.” And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. Oh, LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever. The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.”

The Godly Are No More

Verse 1 says, “Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.”

It sounds so similar to Micah 7, so I want to read that passage, too. Micah 7, starting in verse 2. “The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts his brother with a net. Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire–they all conspire together. The best of them is like a briar, the most of upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day the LORD visits you. Now is the time of their confusion. Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law–a man’s enemies are the members of his own household. But as for me, I watch and hope for the LORD, I wait for God, my Savior; my God will hear me.”

So, these passages are definitely not talking about people having left in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, but that wicked people have killed a lot of the righteous and there are very few left. That was the situation of Elijah. He noticed that Jezebel had killed all these prophets of God, and he thought he was the only one left. And he was fleeing his life from Jezebel, and really depressed, and feeling in despair. And he told God, like, “I’m the only one left” and, “I’ve been very zealous for the LORD God,” and, “they’ve killed the prophets,” and, “I’m the only one left.” And God said to him, I reserved seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

So, even though–we can’t imagine what it’s like to be in that situation, where we feel like we’re the only Christian left, the only God-fearing person left. And a few people have experienced that before. And maybe we will in the future, but God help us to abide in Him in that kind of situation and just trust in Him and call out to Him like that last verse says, “I await the LORD.”

Flattering and Deceptive Lips

Okay, back to Psalm 12. Verses 2-4 talk about people with flattering lips who deceive, and then also who boast. The person I think about when I think of flattering lips–I was trying to think of an example from the Bible–I think about Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. Potiphar’s wife thought that he was very attractive. She noticed she was very attractive, and she wanted to sleep with him. And so, she’d ask him, “Sleep with me!” And he said, “no,” and he’d run away. And the last time that she tried this, he ran away with his cloak stuck in her hand. And so, she’s like, “Oh, let me see, what can I do with this? I’m going to accuse him of trying to rape me.” So, that’s what she did. And he ended up being put in prison for at least two years. It could have been much longer–we don’t know. And it was all because of her flattering lips and deception. But God sought to bring Joseph out of the prison at the right time. Praise the LORD.

God Will Arise

Just like He did with Joseph, in verse 5, it talks about God arising to come to the aid of His oppressed people. He’s done this for Israel over and over again, especially for the whole nation of Israel when they were stuck in Egypt and they were oppressed as slaves. But then different times when they were in battle against enemies and He would bring in somebody who would help them overcome their enemy–maybe a judge, or later a king, that would have the wisdom to deal with the conflict–that God gave them. And also, individuals are saved from people’s oppression after they’ve gone through some struggle. So, I’m sure you can think of examples where God has, after you’ve been tested by people that really vex you and are harmful to you, that He brings them out of your life, so you don’t have to deal with them anymore. Praise the LORD! Ultimately, He is going to do this for us when He comes back again after the end of the Tribulation.

The Words of the LORD are Flawless

Verse 6 is saying that the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in clay seven times. So, we can trust God’s word; it’s perfectly pure and reliable. I love the way Jesus interacted with the Pharisees and the Sadducees, when they would say to Him, ask Him different questions, because of their unbelief; and He would say, “Have you not read?” And then He would share from the scriptures different passages about how they should have believed what He had already taught. But they weren’t, because they weren’t believing the words that were there, or the texts, the tenses that were there. We can trust His word. I’m so thankful that He gave us such a gift. Verse 7 is a prayer of trust: “Oh LORD, You will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.” Doesn’t mean that they’re not going to hurt us, once in a while, but ultimately, our souls are safe with Him. He said, do not fear when men kill you, but fear Him Who, after the body is killed, can destroy both soul and body in hell. I didn’t quote that exactly right, but you get the picture. That’s Matthew 10:28.

The Wicked Freely Strut About

The last verse describes today perfectly. The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored by men–among men. Praise God that it’s not going to last forever. Jesus will come back and He will reign, and He will be just. Amen.

Thank You

Thank you for watching my video on Psalms 12. I pray it was a blessing to you. If you liked it, please click the like button. Also, I welcome your comments and shares with other people. God bless you. Have a great day.