Proud Things and Pure Words

2016-01-17

Psalm 12 gives an interesting comparison between the words of the wicked, and the Word of God. Let us look at this psalm together!

Fake People With Ill Motives

The human author David saw great injustice in his day (Psalm 12:1, 5). Most people he saw did three things (Psalm 12:2).

  1. The spoke “vanity”: This means that they spoke only on useless subjects. Social media and most conversations are consumed with this. This is the tamest of what these people were doing.
  2. They had “flattering lips”: This is like when one may flatter their boss in order to get what they want. This is lifting up other people with words, but for selfish gain.
  3. They had a “double heart”: We would use the phrase “two-faced.” Someone is nice to you one minute, but the next minute they are stabbing you in the back!

The LORD’s Response

God seems to have strong feelings about this: He is going to cut off the flattering lips and proud tongue (Psalm 12:3)! This may give us an interesting visual, but how we use our tongues can really offend God.

Enter irony: The proud and the flatterer answer with, “With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?” (Psalm 12:4). Lips are our own? Not true! God created our lips and tongues, and we revolt against God with both. As creator and owner, He even owns our bodies, and we as creatures are to serve the Creator!

God will avenge the downtrodden every time. The LORD is the advocate of those who cannot help themselves (Psalm 12:5). The proud and the flatterer will face their Maker.

God’s Word is Pure

Unlike the words of the human race, the Words of God are pure and preserved (Psalm 12:6-7)! The Bible has been preserved for millennia, and the words of mere men have perished in the wind. What can we do? Speak God’s Words, praise His name, and share the good news of Jesus Christ. With a heart for Christ, we can depart from the ways of human pride, help the downtrodden, and make an eternal difference in someone’s life. Don’t speak proud things, speak God’s pure words.