God’s Faithfulness to His Oppressed People

Temple Baptist Church - 3-26-2023

Psalm 12

Introduction:

A. King David spent a lot of time crying out to the Lord in times of trouble. This Psalm is one of those written during such a time. I thank the Lord that His ears are open to the cries of His people in times of trouble. Verses 2 and 8 give a brief description of the time of this Psalm while verses 3-7 give a blessed hope to the oppressed.

B. Each one of us has our personal battles that rage in our souls. I am speaking of spiritual battles which are the most important to win. If we lose our spiritual battles, we lose our spiritual values and, therefore, our spiritual usefulness.

1. We need an Anchor. The song writer said, “My anchor holds in the midst of the storm.” An anchor in the shifting sands of human theology.

2. We need Spiritual Stability. An anchor is of little use when it remains unused. People must be spiritually stable in instable times.

3. This Psalm is well fitted to the days in which we live.

C. I want to outline this Psalm as it is a good way to properly interpret and, therefore, rightly divide it. We will not study it in minute detail as that would take several messages. I just want us to get a little help in these last perilous times in which we live.

1. A Fearful Prayer. Verse 1. “Help, Lord!”

a. The Godly Cease. As people get farther away from God, godliness becomes a spectacle. The worldly look at us like a calf looking at a new gate. People of God bow to the peer pressure of this world.

b. The Faithful Fail. Because of this separation from God, the “as the manner of some is” has changed to “as the manner of most are”.

c. The Wicked Continue. 2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2. A Flattering Lip. Verse 2.

a. They Speak Vanity. Much to do about nothing because what they speak has no eternal value. People are vain because secular humanism breeds vanity.

b. The Speak Flatteringly with a Double Hear. Speaking what people want to hear instead of speaking what people need. The pulpits are full of such men.

c. They Speak Falsely. 2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (It is false teaching that leads astray.)

3. A Frightful Judge. Verses 3-4.

a. He is Listening. Verse 3. As God knows our thoughts afar off, He hears what is being said. Be careful little lips what you say because Almighty God

b. His is LORD. Verse 4.

c. The Reward of the Wicked. 2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

2 Thessalonians 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

4. A Faithful Lord. Verse 5.

a. The Lord’s Protection. He watches over His children.

b. The Lord’s Purpose. He has a plan for our lives.

1) We are to Continue in the Faith. Colossians 1:22-23 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: (23) If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

2) We are to Continue in Prayer. Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

3) We are to Continue in Doctrine. 1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

4) We are to Continue in Brotherly Love. Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.

5) We are to Continue in Labor. James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

6) We are to Continue in Fellowship. 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

5. A Future Promise. Verses 6-7.

a. The Purity of God’s Word. Verse 6.

b. The Perpetuality of God’s Word. Verse 7.

2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

6. A Fact Present. Verse 8.

a. The Presence of the Wicked. Wickedness and wicked people surround us today. We live in a world of perversion.

b. The Power of the Wicked. Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.