SAVE, O LORD! That is what we need. A saving God! That is what you and I long for! Is there anyone what has proven himself to be the God of salvation beside our God! He wants to assure you of that today!
Maybe this was written when Saul and the rest of Israel was pursuing him. It was the covenant people that we after him. It was the covenant people who turned Jesus over to the Romans. This is not about people far away. This is about us.
David is living in a time of spiritual decay, and no one seems to rise above it. Like a whirlpool the culture sucks everyone down with it. There is no one who left.Abandoned. Alone. And he goes to God.
This is the difference between a cultural Christianity and real Christianity. One will complain about how bad culture and the church is becoming and grumble and moan to each other, but real Christianity will pray to God about the decay of culture or the decay of the church with expectation that God will answer. The unbeliever complains, and the believer goes to prayer or the prayer meeting.
The faithful have vanished!
- The prayer (1-4)
- The answer (5-8)
The prayer
Save O LORD! Why? For three reasons.
The first is that “… the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.” The godly are gone and faith vanished. He looks around and says, “There is no one that impresses you with a sense of holiness, righteousness, and deep character.
In our culture today its so easy to look for influencer, rather then faithful people. As one pastor remarked. Our grandparents fixed their eyes on heroes, we fix our eyes too quickly on idols. What do I mean? The difference is character. Character is no longer important in those whom we follow and idolize. What do you know about the character of the ones you follow? Our society is absorbed and obsessed with idols. Even in our leaders. You hear more people say, and I have heard this from my friends in the United States. A man’s character makes no difference when it comes to policy. That’s rubbish – in the world and even more so in the church. How can I trust a man to lead a nation when he cannot control himself.
Even in the church we listen to all kinds of pastors, but we know so little of their life. In the church we compare ourselves with others, and feel like we are doing good, and forget that God is the measure of holiness.
And when you use that measure there is only one godly one. Jesus our LORD! Who as David's grandson sang this song more fully!
And what happens when there is no more faithfulness – the next step in decay follows - lies flourish. In marriages in families, in society. When the godly vanishes, words become cheap. “Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;” We have more fine print than ever before. Is your word your bond? It is the gospel that changed the world and gave weight to our words. Without the gospel – without the word of God words are empty.
Secondly When we loose sight of the gospel “… with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.” The original is, ‘A heart and a heart’: one heart for the friends at church, another for the friends of the world; one for Sundays, another for working-days; one for the king, another for the poor. As one pastor says regarding this verse, “A man without a heart is a wonder, but a man with two hearts is a monster.”
The one who they were called to love – the neighbor, is the one that they are lying to. Again, we live in a world where words are cheap. Flattery is the trick of the day. You know what will get people on your side, and you speak to them. You are not worried about them being on Gods side! These prophets, pastors, and members only say what others want to hear or what is assumed to be proper instead of their true thoughts, feelings, and deeds. They never offend; they never confront. And no one ever grows – all are just puffed up.
Flattery empties a man of true character. Proverbs 26 says, “A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” Or Proverbs 28:23 “Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue.” Flattery and lies are the greatest tools in Satan’s workshop. The reason Christ died, is because we bought into Satan’s flattery that we could be equal to God.
And these lies lead to a plundering of the poor. Look down at verse 5, “Because the poor are plundered.” It is interesting that it uses the word plunder. It is a financial word.” Because of the lie, people are oppressed, life is scary, there is constant insecurity. We see this is places of sin… the poor are taken advantage of. There are people in our city who 50-100% interest on loans because they have nowhere else to go – so they go to what is called a load shark. And they are devoured by these loans.
As it is materially so often it is spiritually. We go anywhere else but to the LORD who can provide. We try to satisfy our needs and satisfactions with the what the world, or Satan, or sin offers – and in the end the price is death. We are willing to sell our soul to darkness, to find what we are looking for. But Our debt is against God – and God alone can satisfy. Satan is a loan shark. He will take your life and give nothing in return.
Dear church, when we no longer see ourselves as poor, as living daily by grace – then we think we became deserving of our wealth, and the poor are poor because they are unworthy. Our Lord identifies with the poor. He was plundered to the end – till the literally clothes on his back were gambled away!
May the LORD cut off all the flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, “with our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us, who is master over us?” it reminds us of James chapter where he speaks of the power of the tongue to destroy lives, and set our whole course of life on fire. we have all experienced it. Always trying to justify ourselves. Always trying to find a way to get ahead. These mouths need to be shut. To say – no - your tongue will not save you. God will cut off the tongue that makes great boasts! How? We read in Romans, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be under judgment to God.
Before salvation can come, the mouths need to be shut. So that they look beyond their own tongues for salvation.
Answer
Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD; Don’t ever think God does not hear. By faith you are never ever alone! Think about it. Never will I leave you never will I forsake you, the Lord is my helper!
The LORD hears the cry of “save, O LORD” from verse 1. And he arises? Why? Because of the groans of the needy! Because of the lament of his people, he arises! O that we would we would cry out to the LORD in prayer! If you feel oppressed. Alone. Pray! That he would arise! And by his might.
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” What do you long for? Security? Hope? A place that no one can take, a place that even death will not steal from you. A home. That is what you come to the table here for. Amid the enemies, those who tell lies, he prepares the table for us. And he says, I will do it. I will place you in the place of safety far out of reach. This is the work of God. Through the faith which you profess today, your life is hidden with Christ in God! He has given us that place of safety.
What gives this security? How can you be sure of this? It is God word that gives you security. His word is true. God’s word to you is perfect today. A word that you don’t have to doubt. It is purified seven times. “The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. Mans lies and flattery will only devour, and leave a culture destroyed – but the word of the LORD is pure. Perfect. Seven times is the number of fulness. Of perfection. Yes this is the word of our Lord Jesus. It says, about him in 1 Peter 2:22 “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” There is not a hint of doubt, not smallest flaw of uncertainty. His character (no sin) and his words (no deceit) agree perfectly.
As one author states, “The word of God can be trusted in every sense. It is good, pure, and tested thoroughly. it has also been tested by students, scholars, critics, and doubters through the centuries – and the word of God still stands. It is like a mighty anvil that has worn out countless hammers that have pounded upon it. So, when I tell you on the basis of scripture, and God confirms it to you with a sign, that your sins are forgiven and that you are his! DO NOT DOUBT IT. Jesus the faithfful witness is for you. And you are safe in him. Pour out your hearts! And in Him be a people of the truth! NO lies nor flattery, no oppression can longer exist where this God dwells. When he arises!
You O LORD, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.” Who or what will the Lord keep. The people whom he has placed in safety, or his words? The closest referent is his word. The LORD will keep his word – and through that word he will guard us from this generation. We can take it as true that God will keep and preserve both His Word and His people. Because without his word his people would not be preserved.
One commentator says, “As silver enriches its owner, so does the Word of God enrich its lovers. Nothing so strengthens the intellect, clears the judgment, enlarges the views, purifies the taste, quickens the imagination, and educates the whole man.”
And I would like to say that it is the end of the Psalm. But the marginally irritating thing at first glance is that it is not the end. We might want to make it the end. But David sticks in one more verse. “On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of men!” It seems like nothing has changed!
O NO, everything has changed for David, even though nothing has changed in the world. His lament has been met with the indestructible hope and security found in the word! It reminds us of Jesus words in John 17, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” Or in romans 8 where he gives us a list of tragedies, like famine, nakedness, danger, sword and then he says, “IN all these things we are more than conquerors. He does not take us out of danger – but his word carries us through it! There is much that happened between the first and last verse of the psalm. God has arisen!
Yes, in Christ he is our safety! This is why we need this Supper, to be reminded of that again!
Amen