This summer we've been preaching through the Psalms, and today we're ready for Psalm 12.
It's another Psalm of David, according to the Shimoneth.
It's a Messianic Psalm, looking forward to God's vengeance one great day.
Psalm 12.
As I read this, we do so trusting that God's Word is inspired, it is inerrant, it's infallible,
it's clear, and it's sufficient for His people.
After I'm done reading, I'll say this is the Word of the Lord.
You can say thanks be to God.
Psalm 12.
Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains.
The loyal have disappeared from the human race.
They lie to one another, they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks boastfully.
They say through our tongues we have power.
Our lips are our own.
Who can be our master?
Because of the devastation of the needy and the groaning of the poor,
I will now rise up, says the Lord.
I will provide safety for the one who longs for it.
The words of the Lord are pure words,
like refined silver in an earthen furnace,
purified seven times.
Verse 7.
You, Lord, will guard us.
You will protect us from this generation forever.
The wicked prowl all around,
and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
You may be seated.
Pray.
Lord, your word is purified like silver seven times through the furnace.
There's no impurity, no imperfections in your word.
Lord, we pray, Lord, by the power of your Holy Spirit,
you will minister your word to your people today,
for our good and for your glory.
Amen.
Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
I want to talk with you today
about what the walk of faith is like.
I think Psalm 12 shows us the walk of faith
is not what many would hope or expect.
So what is the walk of faith like?
I want to share with you a story.
It's a true story that I heard just this week
from a little missionary book.
Take place in Egypt,
and the main character's name is Ramsey.
Ramsey wore the federal Egyptian uniform,
and he held a respected position
within the National Postal Service.
If you wanted to mail something into Egypt,
it will go through Ramsey's office.
Ramsey dreamed of owning a car himself one day,
and part of his culture was acceptable
to use some of the perks of your high position.
So when packages would come through,
he would shake them,
and he'd try to see what's inside the package.
Many times he would open them
and help himself to whatever it was
that was intended for someone else.
Culturally, Ramsey was Muslim,
lying, stealing.
These were normal parts of society.
To not do it would be weird and accepted.
It was a normal part of his walk
to steal and to lie about it.
This culture in which Ramsey lives
could be described in these words from Psalm 12.
Everyone lies to his neighbor, verse 2.
They say,
Who is Lord over us?
Verse 4.
Well, this one particular parcel
was intended for a Christian
who worked as a school teacher.
Ramsey shook it.
He thought there were some stacks of cash inside.
That's what it felt like.
So he opened it up,
and he was disappointed
because it was a New Testament.
It was the Bible.
Well, there's that Christian
living in this Muslim country
full of corruption
that never received his package,
never got the pure word of God.
And it felt to that Christian teacher
that wickedness is all around.
The wicked walk on every side,
and what is vile is exalted.
Verse 8.
Those verses describe
Denver Metro, Colorado, USA,
just as much as Muslim Egypt.
Everyone seems to lie to their neighbor.
Everyone's attitude seems to be,
who is Lord over me.
The wicked walk on every side
of every Christian, it feels.
And vileness is exalted in the land.
So what is the walk of faith like
for you and for me?
First observation from Psalm 12
is that your walk of faith,
it will be filled with lament.
You want to walk following Christ,
this walk of faith?
You should expect it to be filled
with lament.
Lament is to grieve,
to weep,
to bewail,
to mourn,
to express sorrow
with cries from your soul.
It's to cast up
pain-induced complaints
toward God.
Have you lamented recently?
I looked up how many psalms of lament
are there?
There are 42 psalms of lament.
Well, you know how many psalms
there are total,
150.
42 out of 150,
that's about one-third
of the psalms
are giving followers of God,
believers,
ways to pray through lament.
If,
to the extent of the psalms
are the prayer book
and the song book
of God's people,
which they are,
that's about one-third
of the emotions
we will feel
in the Christian life.
It's common
for it to be lament.
It's that common.
Well, what is it
that the psalmist laments?
Three things I see here.
In verse 1,
he laments
the feeling of loneliness.
To walk as a believer
feels very lonely
many times,
doesn't it?
He's praying,
Lord,
only you can save me.
I'm all alone.
In verse 1,
he says,
Help, Lord.
Save,
for no one is faithful anymore.
Those of faith
have all vanished
from mankind.
He laments
the feeling of loneliness.
Number two,
he laments
that it's not just
the words
of the people
all around him.
It's their hearts.
He says,
Lord,
everyone's speech
and hearts
seem evil
all the time.
Verse 2,
Everyone lies
to his neighbor
and they speak
with flattering lips
and a double heart.
To flatter
is to confirm
your good opinion
to yourself.
It's to tell someone
what you know
they want to hear,
to praise and exalt them
in their own estimation.
And it's always
for malicious
and tense.
That's the double heart
behind flattery.
Proverbs 29.5
says,
A man
that flatters
his neighbor
spreads a net
for their feet.
Don't fall for it.
And the truth is
that if God
were not pleased
to dwell inside
of you and me
by grace,
our hearts
are prone
toward evil.
We're prone
to deceive
and to want
to be greedy
and envious
and then use
our tongues
to get that.
That's the bent
of every one
of our hearts
as well.
And it's lamentable.
It's lamentable
when we feel it
and experience it
and suffer it
from another
and when I see
that bent
in my own heart,
I want to lament
it all,
don't you?
The third thing
he's lamenting
in this psalm
in verse 4
is that this evil
is directly
toward God.
He says,
Lord,
they boast against you.
Don't you see it?
In verse 4,
they have said,
with our tongues
we will prevail.
Our lips
are our own.
Who is Lord
over us?
They have no thought
for God.
God.
Why would the Lord
allow Christians
or followers of God
in any generation
to experience
so much sadness
and so much lament
as we walk
this life on earth?
Getting to know you
and the hardest times
you've been through
in your life,
you've also shared
those times
of deepest lament
have been the times
when God taught me
the most to pray.
Isn't that your testimony?
Lament,
sadness in my heart,
it puts me down
on my knees
in prayer.
It's not the fun way
to learn it,
but God makes
his people
depend on him.
He makes us
cry out
and pray.
Lament
drives
prayer.
Even though
we're justified
by our own flesh,
we would not
turn to God
in prayer
so often
unless he made us
feel that lament
so deeply.
It's gracious.
John Bunyan
felt this.
He said,
the truths
that I know best
I have learned
on my knees.
I never know
a thing well
till it is burned
into my heart
by prayer.
prayer.
So what's
the walk of faith
like?
The walk of faith
will be filled
with lament.
But that lament
drives us
to pray.
Amen?
The second way
we can answer
that question
is this.
while the walk
of faith
is hard
and sad
it will feel
like lament
maybe a third
of the time
the Lord
will continue
to fuel
your walk
of faith
by his word.
This is one
of the promises
in Psalm 12.
It will be hard
but the Lord
will fuel
your walk
of faith.
He will feed
energize
and increase
your faith
as you walk
with him
and he will do
that by his word.
The word of God
is trustworthy.
This is the witness
David is bearing.
He's saying
I've tested it
it's true
hear my witness
believers.
The word of God
you can trust.
God will not
deceive you.
Do you see the contrast?
See the problem
in this Psalm
that's getting to David
is the deceitfulness
of man.
It's their tongues
their lips
their words.
That's the problem.
Look at the contrast
in verse 6.
Yahweh's words
are flawless
words.
Yahweh's words
are refined
like silver
in a clay furnace
seven times over.
You can trust
the word of God.
To purify silver
you would take
that chunk
that mineral
you would slide
it into a furnace
these clay furnaces
on the ground
would get
extremely hot
so that it would
melt
and the dirt
would separate
from the fine metal
and then you would
pull it out
let it cool
remove the dirt
and do it a second time
removing more impurities.
It would not take
seven times
till you had pure silver.
Seven is the number
of completion.
We know this.
So to say
the word of God
is that trustworthy
there is nothing
impure
in what God
has given his people.
His word
is purified
and it's precious.
You can trust
God's word.
We not only
read God's word
we must meditate
we must let it
be our fuel
we must take it in
so that it can
energize
and sustain
and increase
our faith.
Thomas Brooks
one of the Puritans
he wrote this
remember that it is
not hasty reading
of God's word
but serious
meditation
on holy
and heavenly
truths
that makes them
prove sweet
and profitable
to the soul.
It is not
the mere touching
of the flower
by the bee
that gathers honey
but her abiding
for a time
on the flower
that draws out
the sweet.
Stay with God's word
meditate upon
God's word
receive his
heavenly truth
as that sweetness
as you take it in
soak it up
let it be your fuel
to walk with him.
Well not only
is God's word
trustworthy
he also fuels you
through his word
because his word
is extremely personal
in his word
he gives you himself.
Notice this
in verse 5
because of the
oppression
of the weak
and because of
the groaning
of the needy
I will now
arise
says the Lord
I will set him
in safety
from those who
malign
or puff
at him.
The Lord's word
is personal
he pledges
himself
he personally
hears your cry
and he personally
rises up
to come to save.
That's the source
of our energy
it's God
coming in
through his word
by faith
to dwell with his people
and to sustain
and preserve
and save you
once again.
the beauty
of Hebrew
poetry
in verse 5
is that
there's some
puffing going on.
Now who does
the puffing
different interpreters
have taken
different ways
I think both
are part of that
beautiful Hebrew
poetry
so you need
to hear them both.
On one hand
the Lord
says I will
set him
in safety
from those
who are
puffing
at you
you know
picture like
a dog
slobbering
and salivating
breathing in
and out
through their nose
coming to devour
you
God will
save you
from that
but I also
like how the
Christian Standard
Bible
has translated
I think it
handles the
Hebrew very well
also
which puts it
this way
God says
I will provide
safety
for the one
who longs
for it
or puffs
or breathes
it in
I'm panting
like a deer
as the other
psalm says
for God
to come
save me
so God's
word is
trustworthy
God's word
is personal
and God
specifically
pledges himself
to preserve
your walk
of faith
look at verse
seven
you will
preserve them
you will
keep them
Yahweh
David as the
king of Israel
he knows his
limits
he's just a
man
he can't
fight all the
evil that seems
to have spread
throughout the
whole kingdom
it has to be
the Lord
to preserve
his own
people
and he
trusts
and he
prays
you will
do this
Yahweh
because you've
promised
to do
this
the Lord
will continue
to fuel
your walk
of faith
by his
word
so stay
in his
word
number
three
we see
in Psalm
12
that it
is impossible
to walk
by faith
unless
God preserves
you
did you
notice how
this Psalm
ends in
verse 8
it ends
with even
more lament
begins with
lament
and it ends
with lament
the wicked
walk on
every side
when what
is vile
is exalted
among the
sons of
man
if we
follow the
history of
redemption
throughout the
Old Testament
it only gets
worse for
the next
generation
after David
throughout the
Old Testament
we hear
cries of
lament
Jeremiah's
whole preaching
ministry was
a ministry
of lamentation
they're lamenting
the failure
of the vineyard
the failure
of God's
old covenant
people to
bear the
fruit that
God requires
of them
in Micah
7 2
we read
that the
faithful
have been
swept from
the land
hear the
similarity
there is
not one
upright person
that remains
Micah
wrote
everyone lies
in wait
to shed
blood
they each
hunt each
other with
nets
it's impossible
for God's
people to
walk with
him and to
please him
and to bear
the fruit
unless God
himself puts
it in them
the Lord
Jesus when he
came to the
earth as the
son of the
owner of the
vineyard he
explained why
a righteous
walk is
impossible
in our
human condition
under the
curse of
Adam the
first federal
head
in Matthew
12 33
Jesus said
either make
the tree
good and
its fruit
good or
make the
tree bad
and its
fruit bad
for the
tree is
known by
its fruit
you brood
of vipers
how can you
speak good
when you
are evil
for out of
the abundance
of the heart
the mouth
speaks
have you
lamented the
words that
have come out
of your
mouth
recently
I have
that's even
more convicting
because it's
the overflow
of my heart
I need the
Lord to
purify my
heart
Jesus said
the good
person out
of his
good
treasure
brings forth
good and
the evil
person out
of his
evil treasure
brings forth
evil I
tell you on
the day of
judgment people
will give
account for
every careless
word they
speak for
by your
words you
will be
justified and
by your
words you
will be
condemned
in the
first coming
Jesus comes
to bring
grace and
to accomplish
that that
work that he
can offer
freely to all
will have
faith in him
but he's
warning even
in that first
coming there
is a greater
judgment and
the second
coming of
God is the
day when
psalm 12 will
finally be
fulfilled the
vengeance of
the Lord will
be poured
out the
wrath of
God will
be upon
those whose
unclean heart
is exposed by
their unclean
words you
need a clean
heart before
Christ returns
the walk of
faith is
impossible by
our own
strength but
even in
psalm 12 the
Lord promises
I am faithful
forever look
at verse 7
one more
time I
will preserve
them this
is referring
to the
people of
God who
have faith
in God
and he
says from
this generation
forever
every generation
that rises up
and is evil
within that
there has been
a remnant
a people set
apart for the
Lord that
receive him by
faith and he
promises to
preserve you
it's impossible
for us to walk
by faith unless
he does
well here's the
good news from
psalm 12
it is possible
for you and
me to walk
by faith because
the Lord Jesus
Christ has made
this lament
his own
it is possible
for you and
me to walk by
faith because
Jesus came to
the earth and
the lament in
psalm 12 he
made it his
own in verse
5 we read that
it's because of
the oppression
of the weak
because of the
groaning of the
needy the Lord
says I will
now arise
the Lord arose
in the fullness
of time and he
came to earth and
he took on flesh
and he had
compassion on the
multitudes that
were groaning
and needy
and the Lord
Jesus Christ he
arose to
experience even
the sting of
deceit the
lament in verse
two is flattering
lips and a
double heart
in Matthew
15 verse 8
and 9 quoting
Isaiah 29 13
Jesus said
they draw near to
me with their
mouth and they
honor me with
their lips but
their heart is
far from me in
vain do they
worship me teaching
as doctrine rules
made by men
Jesus saw their
double heart he
saw their flattering
lips he felt that
sting and he
lamented it the
Lord Jesus Christ
also arose from
heaven to
experience the
screech of evil
men boasting that
there's no Lord
over us we just
heard the passage
in Matthew 21
Jeremy read Jesus
telling this parable
of God's people the
vineyard and the
father the owner of
the venue saying I
will send my own
son and in Matthew
21 37 finally he
sent his son to
them saying they
will respect my
son but when the
tenants saw the
son they said to
themselves this is
the heir come let
us kill him and
have his inheritance
and they took him
and threw him out
of the vineyard and
killed him Jesus
came with all the
authority of heaven
he declared to them
I am the promised
Messiah I am God
and they said we
will have no Lord
over us they
carried him out and
killed him the very
son of God the
Lord Jesus Christ
arose to experience
the burn of
loneliness in verse
one he laments
there is no one
faithful his was a
wicked and faithless
generation that same
crowd that had cried
Hosanna very soon
started crying crucify
him even the
disciples John
Gill commented
they were
faithless one
betrayed him
another denied
him all forsook
him and fled and
even at his death
they lost all hope
in Jesus
our Lord Jesus
experienced deceit
boasting
loneliness
holiness and you
and I are the ones
guilty of every one
of those toward him
had he left us on
our own
we read in Ephesians
2 2 that you
church once walked
according to the
course of this world
but our Lord Jesus
Christ in the words
of Hebrews 12 to the
author and perfecter of
our faith who for the
joy that was set before
him endured the cross
despising the shame
the Lord Jesus was
cut off
and buried
but then the Lord
Jesus arose and he
is now seated at the
right hand of the
throne of God
in verse 3 of Psalm
12 the psalmist
asked for God to take
justice into his own
hands he says Lord
may you cut off all
flattering lips and a
boasting tongue
David's a warrior and a
king in ancient times
and this was a practice
that continued all the
way up until the Roman
Empire maybe later
you capture your enemy
and you cut off their
tongues
usually it was it was to
make an example to
others
here's someone who
practiced treason
they spoke out against
the kingdom
cut off their tongue
a person who would speak
blasphemy against God
that's what they deserve
that very tongue
will be cut off
you can never speak
blasphemy again
it's a show of force
when a person's tongue
was cut off
normally they would not
bleed to death right
away but in those
ancient times they would
often become infected
and swell up making it
very difficult for them
to swallow or eat and
so they would die
eventually
David's prayer for the
Lord to cut off the
tongues of the wicked
is not answered
and David doesn't take
matters into his own
hands with the sword
and do that for God
either
I've meditated on
how did that part of
this psalm get fulfilled
if ever
maybe you're a little bit
ahead of me
you process faster
why did the Lord
not cut off the tongues
of the wicked
it's because he's coming
again
and on that day
when he returns
you know what happens
every knee
shall bow
what's the next part
every tongue
shall confess
that Jesus Christ
is Lord
amen
he fulfills
Psalm 12
my last encouragement
to you is that
the Lord
who walked by faith
who made this lament
his own
he calls you and me
to follow him
the Lord
walked on earth
by faith
according to his
human nature
and he calls you
and me
to follow him
trusting his word
maybe some of you
have had to be
in sales
or been a recruiter
and it's very hard
to not pull a bait
and switch on people
when you're recruiting
you promise something
better
something good
and you under deliver
you notice how
Jesus invites you
and me to follow him
Luke 9 23
if anyone
would come after me
let him deny himself
take up his cross
daily
and follow
me
God is real
God deals with truth
Psalm 12
a psalm of lament
is real
it's for real people
like you and me
and so you can go to God
because
there's no bait and switch
he's up front
it's going to be
full of lament
it's going to be
a cross daily
follow me
Yahweh's words
are flawless
words
as refined
in a clay
furnace
purified
seven times
and God's word
says
in Romans 8 1
there is
therefore now
no condemnation
for those
who are in
Christ Jesus
and who walk
according
to his spirit
Romans 6 4
Christ was raised
from the dead
through the glory
of the father
why
so that you
and I
may walk
in newness
of life
I started off
telling you about
Ramsey
who took away
that package
so the Christian
school teacher
never could get
his Bible
well Ramsey's name
was changed
to keep him safe
by the Bible
International League
Bible League
International
and Ramsey
didn't just
throw that
package in the
trash
he kept
this New Testament
and he started
reading it
from the very
beginning of the
cover
so he read
through the
gospel according
to Matthew
then he read
through the
gospel
the life and
work of Jesus
according to
Mark
then Luke
by the time
he got to the
gospel according
to John the
fourth time
he changed his
reason for wanting
to read it
at first he was
wanting to mock
and just understand
this is what
Christians believe
how crazy
by the fourth
time he said
this is what
I believe
I do believe
Jesus is the
son of God
how could he
not be what
I just read
and then he
kept reading
to get his
question answered
because he knew
if Jesus is the
son of God
but I'm a
sinner
I'm full of
vileness
my lips
are deceiving
there's no hope
for a person
like me
how could I
ever be saved
and this burden
was not lifted
but he kept
reading God's
word
finally the
Lord by his
Holy Spirit
answered Ramsey's
question
when he got
to Acts 16
30
that Philippian
jailer
who put these
believers in
prison
a corrupt
government
official just
like him
he asked that
question
what can a
person like
me do to
be saved
and they
preached the
gospel to
him
believe in
the Lord
Jesus Christ
and you
will be
saved
well Ramsey
got saved
by faith
in Christ
he looked
up that
Christian
school teacher's
address
found some
other Christians
bought a
copy of the
New Testament
from them
gave it to
that Christian
apologized to
him
joined the
Christian
fellowship
in Egypt
and now
he is
one of the
biggest
distributors
of Bibles
he gives
out New
Testaments
to Egyptian
Muslims
as much
as the
Bible League
International
can supply
him with
he is
giving them
out
so that
more people
can hear
the good
word
this is
the word
of God
purified
seven times
over
and it is
enough
for God
to use
to save
a person
like me
of course
he can
save you
that is
Ramsey's
testimony
and that is
why we are
here church
2 Corinthians
6 16
the word
of God
says that
you Christians
you are
the temple
of the living
God
even as
God said
I will
dwell in
them
and I
will walk
in them
I will
be their
God
and they
will be
my people
it's
through the
word of
God
he walks
with us
he ministers
among his
church
we just
sang and we
exhort each
other
speak oh
Lord
till your
church is
built
and the
earth is
filled
with your
glory
and by
grace
we'll
stand
on your
promises
and by
faith
we will
walk
as you
walk
with us
you can
walk by
faith
because the
Lord
walks with
his
people
he
feeds
his
people
he
ministers
to us
by his
word
and so
as we read
in Hebrews
12 1 and 2
let us also
lay aside
every weight
and sin
which clings
so closely
and let us
walk
no let us
run
with endurance
the race
that is set
before us
looking to
Jesus Christ
the author
and the anchor
of our faith
amen
let us
spend some
time in
prayer
praising
the Lord
trusting
him
thanking
him
that he
turns
our
lament
into a
fulfilled
promise
that we
rest in
by faith
yet again
today
amen