Psalm 12 (NIV)
Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;
those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
2 Everyone lies to their neighbor;
they flatter with their lips
but harbor deception in their hearts.
3 May the Lord silence all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue—
4 those who say,
“By our tongues we will prevail;
our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”
5 “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord.
“I will protect them from those who malign them.”
6 And the words of the Lord are flawless,
like silver purified in a crucible,
like gold refined seven times.
7 You, Lord, will keep the needy safe
and will protect us forever from the wicked,
8 who freely strut about
when what is vile is honoured by the human race.
For me, a part of the power of the Psalms is in their timeless relevance. While their original contexts may be millennia distant, and culturally and linguistically distinct from my own setting, they describe common human experiences. Psalm 12 could be a comment on so much of our contemporary Western world: widespread lies, flattering lips that speak with deception, boastful tongues, the oppression of the weak, the moans of the needy. “The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honoured among men.” (v.8) Yet the same Psalm that describes our world so accurately and succinctly also offers a glimpse of hope and words for prayer. Arise, Lord, and protect the innocent. Protect us from such wickedness. Let Your flawless words burn brightly again.