Psalm 12

¹Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases!
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
² They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

³ May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
⁴ Who have said,
“With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?”

⁵ “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the Lord;
“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

⁶ The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
⁷ You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

⁸ The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

We’ve seen a lot of enemies in the psalms so far, and we’re only 12 in. It’s not surprising that some people would give in to such overwhelming odds. When we don’t fully put our trust in the Lord, we may think that it’s better to go among our enemies, to be like them, to speak idly with flattering lips and a double heart.

Now I will arise

But, like always, God sees everything. He says that he shall arise. Again, when the word “will” is used with the first person, it is very emphatic. God’s not hemming and hawing, trying to decide what He should do. He comes to the aid of the poor and needy.

I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.

I think this is the most beautiful line of the psalm. Yearning is so much more than just wanting something. An online dictionary notes the distinction of the word “yearn”—“Yearn stresses the depth and passionateness of a desire.” And God will give it. Forever.

The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men

It seems odd to return to this sentiment when the poet has just expressed that God will protect those who need Him. I think it’s supposed to be a reminder to us. The point of this psalm wasn’t the promise that God will save His people (although that is an added bonus), it was that the righteous should not turn to the dark side. As long as things that are not righteous are said to be good traits, we will be tempted to give into that life. We need to remember that and stay true to God.