Everything that God is doing throughout history
is aimed at the exaltation of His Son, the Messiah
and Lord, Jesus. But at nearly any
moment in history God’s people have been able to look around and see a world
that looks like anything but a world where Jesus reigns. And at times, as in this Psalm, there have
been times when it seems God’s people are in such a dwindling minority that
their very existence is in doubt. Around
them are people who, by their proud words and threats, seem to boast, “Who is
lord over us?” Wickedness prowls on
every side when vileness is exalted rather than the Son of God. The “poor and needy” yearn for safety in
these times. The answer to this yearning
is found in God’s words. His words are
pure and proven. The intimidation of the
empty words of men are no match for the promise of God who can and will always
keep His word.
This exaltation of the wicked is the subject of
vs.1-4.
·
v1: The seeming disappearance of the godly is
not only because of the words of the wicked; it is because fewer men choose to
be godly, desiring instead to join in the exaltation of what is vile. You may remember that Elijah lived in a time
like this (I Kings 19, cf. 19:10). He
thought that he was the only one left.
God reminded Him that there was, in fact, a remnant of several thousand
that He was protecting. That’s the idea
here. As David says, the godly cease,
the faithful disappear. But instead of
becoming discouraged as Elijah did, we need to put our trust in the Lord as
David does here.
·
v2: David describes the words of the
arrogant.
·
They speak idly. Their words are empty, meaningless. Let us consider our own conversations; are we
talking about things that matter? things
that glorify God and exalt what is good?
·
They speak flattery. The Hebrew means they speak “smooth”
words. This is the way of man. He has nothing to offer, he cannot make
promises of substance because he is man and not God. So what he does is to use the hypocrisy of
flattery so as to gain a following. This
is the nature of false teaching (Rom. 16:18; Jude 16). It is not to be the way of God’s men (1
Thess. 2:5).
·
They speak with a double heart. They were
deceitful, as the hypocrites, speaking one thing while they had other plans and
intentions in their heart.
·
v3-4:
David’s answer is to bring this to the Lord. He does not simply bemoan the fact, nor does
he allow discouragement to set in. But
he also realizes this is not something he can take care of himself. This kind of treachery requires the
Lord. But more than that, it is the
Lord’s issue. What these wicked talkers
are doing is challenging God. They are
in fact saying, “who is lord over us?”
The answer from God is found in vs. 5-8.
·
v5: First God makes a promise. “I will arise … I will set him (the poor and
needy) in the safety for which he yearns.”
This is good news. God is able to
make a promise and keep it, unlike the shallow men who oppress the godly. And this is enough to encourage the
godly. Why?
·
v6-7: Because the words of God are pure and proven. God never speaks the
lies of flattery or hypocrisy. And God
has never failed to keep His word. This
realization should be the ultimate encouragement to His people! Do we not find hope in the word of God? Do we not count on His keeping and preserving
promises?
·
v8: These closing words remind God’s people that
the problem they face living in a world of sinners will continue to be a
problem as long as vileness is
exalted. This term refers to what is
“worthless”. It is a reminder again as
to what must fill the lives and conversations of God’s people. Are our conversations filled with Christ who
is totally “worthy”? Do we allow the
vileness of the flat screen and the big screen to fill our minds? As long as that kind of emptiness is exalted
the wicked will be on the prowl. May it
not be so among the elect. Here is what
our Lord commands to be the nature of our words: “neither filthiness, nor
foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving
of thanks” (Eph. 5:4).
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