Hello friends. Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible study. We are in the book of Psalms all this year. If you want to go back to see the other Psalms studies, there is a search box you can type in Psalm and the number and see what all we have been studying. If you are on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on VIEW WEB VERSION. It should look like this:
When you click View web version as shown above, it will take you to a page that looks like this:
On the right sidebar you will see a search box and Blog Archive. You can either type in the blog title in the search box and click on the search button, or you can scroll through the blog archive and click on any title you want to open up. You can see a close up of that below:
Today we are going to cover Psalm chapter 12, which was written by David. This is a psalm of lament. If you have not done so, please take a few moments to pray and ask Holy Spirit to open up your understanding to what He is saying in this passage. Read through the eight verses of this chapter and then come back to this study with your Bible still open, so we can discuss it today.
I will not be writing out this whole chapter for today's lesson, but I am going to break down these eight verses. It is important to take our time and carefully observe what is happening in each verse and watch the transition from lamenting and sorrow turn to hope and promise.
Verse 1
David begins the verse by saying Help, or SAVE, LORD. David is in distress. He does not see anyone around him honoring God, loving God, or doing things that would please Him. Have you ever been there? Maybe you feel like you are the only one in fellowship with God on your job, in your family, or in whatever situation you might be facing. Are you looking around to find the faithful and instead see others claiming to be one thing and yet living their lives to please themselves?
David is not the only one who looked around and felt like he was the only one saved by God. Do you remember Elijah? He has been threatened by Ahab's wife, Jezebel to kill him so he ran for his life. He went to Beersheba and left his servant there, but then he went on to the wilderness a day's journey away. He wanted to move as far away from Jezebel as he could because he knew she did not make idle threats. The angel of the LORD strengthened him there and he was able to go 40 days and 40 nights on that one meal. He went to Mt. Horeb where he found a cave and he stayed there. God asked him what he was doing there. Remember this?
1 KINGS 19:10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
Do you remember what God told him? Here he is hiding out in a cave, talking to God our Creator, and instead of asking for a miracle or thinking back to how God had moved before, he was distraught. He tells God that he is the only one left that will serve God. God saw it a different way.
1 KINGS 19:18 Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
In other words, God is saying you are not alone. You are not the only one left to serve Me. I have 7,000 others in Israel who have not compromised, have not served the idols of Baal. You know Jesus told us in the New Testament that He has other sheep. The chosen ones were of Jewish descent, but they rejected Him, and it was opened to whosoever will. Now, Gentiles, like you and I are able to freely come and join the flock of God.
JOHN 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.
David says here in verse one that he is the only with faith in God that he can see. He looks around him and the people are compromising, serving themselves, and dishonoring God. Are you in the same situation? Do you think there are fewer people God has redeemed than who are living for themselves?
ROMANS 11:1-5 (1)I say then, Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. For I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (2)God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, (3)Lord, they have killed the prophets, and digged down Thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. (4)But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. (5)Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Make no mistake about it, God has a reserve of people that belong to Him. Throughout every generation, in every nation, and every tribe, God has carved out His own. Even if it gets hard, and the journey seems long, and the battle hot, trust and believe God has His people saved back for His purpose and His plan.
Verse 2
David gives us a clear picture of what it is like in his culture. The people are full of cursing, deceit, fraud, false flattery, and wrong motives. They speak one way to your face and they are trying to sabotage you behind your back. Does this sound familiar in our culture? Do we know people who will lie to our face, looking us straight in the eye, and find nothing wrong with that? I know I have seen this very same type of behavior in my little corner of the world. It is true today as much as it was in the day David wrote this psalm.
Verse 3 and 4
In the third verse, David makes a proclamation of what God will do to these people who speak great things against God's people. They make their bold statements of how they will prevail against the ways of God. Inverse four they say, "Our lips are our own: who is Lord over us?" They will soon see and I pray they see it now and can repent, then wait and find out in the day of judgment!
Verse 5
The first part of this chapter is a plea for God to help and save or deliver. David felt that there was no good or faithful people left on the earth. Now God is going to make a statement. He reassures His people that He is going to stand up against the evil men in the land. He will set His people in safety and security. We do not have to fear the naysayers. God is going to fight for us. This is God's promise to all of us facing adversity in our lives.
Verse 6
David describes God's words as silver tested in a furnace and purified seven times. Seven is the number of completion. We know God's Word is true and He will bring it to pass. Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. That is a beautiful picture of God's love for us. He is protecting us, shielding us from the fiery darts we keep reading about. We must keep our confidence in God and what He can do about our situation. His words are pure. There is nothing defiled about what He says. He has stood up and is coming to the aid of His children.
Verse 7
I want you to underline this verse in your Bible! Claim this promise for yourself and for your children and your family. This is a beautiful promise of God. It reads, Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. So do not let anyone tell you that just because this is in the Old Testament it does not apply today. The Word of God says from this generation, when David was speaking this out of his mouth, until forever! That covers us in this season of our lives. Claim that promise! You are not alone and even if you were the only one believing God for anything, He has you!
Verse 8
David ends the psalm with saying the wicked walk wherever they want. The vilest of men are exalted. We live in a day and age where sin and abominations are praised and celebrated. Men and women are compromising because of a twisted theology leaders in the churches are spouting out. The things that are wrong and go against God's Word are seen as alternatives to the way God ordered things to be. Instead of standing up for truth and sharing God's love and wisdom with the world, many use their influence to further confuse those who hear their messages. God is not pleased. He does not want it to be this way. In closing, let's read what the prophet Isaiah said about this very thing.
ISAIAH 5:20-24 (20)Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (21)Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (22)Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: (23)Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! (24)Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.
We will see that one day God will set all things right, but until then, we must keep following God and doing those things that are right and pleasing in His sight, even if we feel like we are the only ones doing so. Keep shining the light and being the example and witness God wants you to be in the dark places He calls you to.
I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
No comments:
Post a Comment