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Psalms 12:1-9
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12 1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל ־ הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד ׃ 2 הוֹשִׁ֣יעָה יְ֭הוָה כִּי ־ גָמַ֣ר חָסִ֑יד כִּי ־ פַ֥סּוּ אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים מִבְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם ׃ 3 שָׁ֤וְא ׀ יְֽדַבְּרוּ֮ אִ֤ישׁ אֶת ־ רֵ֫עֵ֥הוּ שְׂפַ֥ת חֲלָק֑וֹת בְּלֵ֖ב וָלֵ֣ב יְדַבֵּֽרוּ ׃ 4 יַכְרֵ֣ת יְ֭הוָה כָּל ־ שִׂפְתֵ֣י חֲלָק֑וֹת לָ֝שׁ֗וֹן מְדַבֶּ֥רֶת גְּדֹלֽוֹת ׃ 5 אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָֽמְר֨וּ ׀ לִלְשֹׁנֵ֣נוּ נַ֭גְבִּיר שְׂפָתֵ֣ינוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ מִ֖י אָד֣וֹן לָֽנוּ ׃ 6 מִשֹּׁ֥ד עֲנִיִּים֮ מֵאַנְקַ֪ת אֶבְי֫וֹנִ֥ים עַתָּ֣ה אָ֭קוּם יֹאמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה אָשִׁ֥ית בְּ֝יֵ֗שַׁע יָפִ֥יחַֽ לֽוֹ ׃ 7 אִֽמֲר֣וֹת יְהוָה֮ אֲמָר֪וֹת טְהֹ֫ר֥וֹת כֶּ֣סֶף צָ֭רוּף בַּעֲלִ֣יל לָאָ֑רֶץ מְ֝זֻקָּ֗ק שִׁבְעָתָֽיִם ׃ 8 אַתָּֽה ־ יְהוָ֥ה תִּשְׁמְרֵ֑ם תִּצְּרֶ֓נּוּ ׀ מִן ־ הַדּ֖וֹר ז֣וּ לְעוֹלָֽם ׃ 9 סָבִ֗יב רְשָׁעִ֥ים יִתְהַלָּכ֑וּן כְּרֻ֥ם זֻ֝לּ֗וּת לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם ׃
Psalms 12:1-8
esv
The Faithful Have Vanished 12 To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. 1 A Psalm of David. 1 Save, O Lord , for m the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. 2 Everyone n utters lies to his neighbor; with o flattering lips and p a double heart they speak. 3 May the Lord cut off all o flattering lips, the tongue that makes q great boasts, 4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?” 5 “Because r the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, s I will now arise,” says the Lord ; “I will place him in the t safety for which he longs.” 6 u The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. 7 You, O Lord , will keep them; you will guard us 1 from this generation forever. 8 On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.
Psalms 11:1-9
lxx
11 1 εἰς τὸ τέλος ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀγδόης ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ 2 σῶσόν με κύριε ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπεν ὅσιος ὅτι ὠλιγώθησαν αἱ ἀλήθειαι ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων 3 μάταια ἐλάλησεν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ χείλη δόλια ἐν καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν καρδίᾳ ἐλάλησαν 4 ἐξολεθρεύσαι κύριος πάντα τὰ χείλη τὰ δόλια καὶ γλῶσσαν μεγαλορήμονα 5 τοὺς εἰπόντας τὴν γλῶσσαν ἡμῶν μεγαλυνοῦμεν τὰ χείλη ἡμῶν παρ’ ἡμῶν ἐστιν τίς ἡμῶν κύριός ἐστιν 6 ἀπὸ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας τῶν πτωχῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ τῶν πενήτων νῦν ἀναστήσομαι λέγει κύριος θήσομαι ἐν σωτηρίᾳ παρρησιάσομαι ἐν αὐτῷ 7 τὰ λόγια κυρίου λόγια ἁγνά ἀργύριον πεπυρωμένον δοκίμιον τῇ γῇ κεκαθαρισμένον ἑπταπλασίως 8 σύ κύριε φυλάξεις ἡμᾶς καὶ διατηρήσεις ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα 9 κύκλῳ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς περιπατοῦσιν κατὰ τὸ ὕψος σου ἐπολυώρησας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων
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Sermon notes
The LORD's words are utterly pure and trustworthy Intro This feels like game over. Even the faithful ones are gone. Connects to Psalm 11 in that sense; the foundations really do seem to have been destroyed. Lies, smooth talk, deceit etc. In contrast, God's words are utterly pure; can't get purer 1. Everyone lies - but will God put things right (v1-4) v1 It seems like God's people have finally been extinguished v2 And all that is left is lies, flattery, 'double heart' [double speak] v3-4 God will punish the boastful tongue! Application Lies and deceit, and mixed motives, and smooth talk; the world, the church, the heart. If it were not for the saving blood of Jesus, the news that God will cut off flattering lips should terrify us, as we are guilty. The Bible and history teach us to remember that we don't know what we don't know - Elijah's 'I'm the only one'. Soviet russia. And even if everyone had vanished, our God can make things out of nothing and can raise the dead - so we trust him! 2. God promises to save, and his words are completely reliable (v5-8) v5 because of the little guy. Meaning of 'poor and needy'. (cf destruction of sodom and gomorrah; the 'great cry' Genesis 18.20) v5 answers the 'arise, O Lord' of Psalm 9.19 v5 - this has happened in Jesus. the OT is 'will do', the NT is 'done' (hence, baptism is continuous but discontinuous!) v5 the 'safety'/'salvation' which he 'pants for' v6 completely pure; can't get purer. This verse is the hinge, the reason for the confidence of v7-8 v7-8 contrast with v1-2. Since God's words are utterly reliable, we can trust his preservation of his people. 'Guard/keep' - cf Eden. or Psalm 121. Application So, we take God at his word. [ Significance of 'Adam' and 'Eve' as names.] And since we are people of the truth, we tell the truth [cf emphasis in Paul's letters]; bring stuff into the open, live in the real world. Isn't this all about Easter? On Good Friday, the Faithful One really has been extinguished! And then God says, I will arise! Let our God be true, and every man a liar. Glory of God: His words are completely pure and true. So trust him! Why we need careful Bible handling. Our lazy interpretations are not true; but his word, rightly received, is. He vindicates the upright! He arose for the afflicted man on the cross. FCF: The tongue and heart boastful of great things. Therefore, lies; false realities; false selves. Person of Jesus: He is the one saying truly, truly. My words will never pass away. The truth will set you free. He is the godly one, faithful one, removed from the land! Jesus is the poor plundered one, the needy one groaning from the cross. Work of Jesus: God will cut off all lying lips. That means all of us! But instead, Jesus is cut off. His crying voice is silenced on the cross. God arose (cf Psalm 9.19), and raised Jesus of Nazareth to the throne. Union with Jesus: Now we have the security for which we long - in the sure gospel word and the person of Jesus himself. His very presence represents and intercedes for us before the Father. We share his life of pure truth, so we live lives of pure truth; speaking the truth, confronting the lies, being unafraid of the truth. Wrap-up We can't get a surer place to stand than God's words.
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