The other day I was watching a video on YouTube, and my daughter Lucy happened to glance at it as she went by. She proceeded to tell me that it wasn’t real, that the whole thing was created by AI. That not only disappointed me because I had been impressed with what I saw, but made me wonder what else had I seen that wasn’t true, that was in reality a type of lie. That also reminded me of the many times I had heard things in the news that the news media wanted me to believe, but turned out to be false, to be a lie. It doesn’t matter what side of the political aisle it was coming from, both sides have put out lies to serve their agenda. Even friends and family will sometimes tell you things that make you wonder who you can trust. Our psalm for this week, written by David, describes a time in his life when he felt that he couldn’t trust anyone. Let’s look into the psalm and see what he had to say.
We don’t know when this psalm was written. It could easily have been before David was king, when he was on the run from King Saul and his men, and he had to be very wary of who to trust. It could also have been written when he was king, as many would try to flatter and twist the truth to get in good with him. David lamented to the Lord the moral collapse all around him. However, he knew that there was one thing he could trust, as we will see.
As David looked around, he saw that good, godly, and faithful men and women seemed to be vanishing from society. Instead, they were being replaced by a society which did not value the truth (vs. 1-2). Instead of speaking the truth, what came out of their mouth was lies. They also resorted to flattery, which is a type of lying, along with having a double heart, which is a way of saying they were hypocrites and duplicitous.
This is by no means limited to the days of David. As we look around society today we see the truth being mocked, flattery is celebrated, and sincerity is rare. We are surrounded by lies - our neighbors, colleagues, even our family. Also from advertisers, politicians, the news, and social media. Flattery, boasting, and manipulation are also types of lying. God warns us in II Timothy 3 that the last days are marked by moral decay and self-exaltation.
These people run around saying that they can say whatever they want, that no one has the right to tell them what they can do or not do (vs. 3-4). This is the essence of rebellion against God, and we see this in modern humanism and self-worship today. In the last number of years we have seen some who even deny that there is such a thing as a lie, as “everyone has their own truth”. They feel that what may be true for me is not true for them, and “their truth” might not line up with someone else, but it’s true for them just because they say so. Just as David prayed, there is coming a day when God will cut these people and their lying lips off. Words reveal the heart (Matthew 12:34), and God will judge every idle word.
Yahweh steps in and speaks in verse 5. Because these people oppress the poor and needy, He will rise. They may boast in their wickedness, but God hears and responds to the cries of His children, the righteous. He is not a distant God who doesn’t care. Instead, God is attentive to His faithful remnant. When society collapses into immorality, which we see so much of today, God is not silent. He promises to act.
David picks back up his psalm, and reveals to us exactly where we can find something that is always truthful and reliable, and that is in God’s Word, the Bible (vs. 6-7). This is contrasted with the false and corrupt words of men. God’s Word is pure, tried, refined, and preserved forever. Just as silver is refined seven times to be completely pure, God’s Word is perfectly trustworthy. People might wonder what is wrong with a little deception if it gets their desired result. It is what Satan used with Eve. Deceptive speech is countered, though, by God’s Word. We can rest in the promises of the Bible. God’s Word is not like the empty words of deceivers. It is purified and refined.
God Himself has promised to keep and preserve His Word, the Bible, from generation to generation. When society’s words are corrupt, the Bible is our anchor. It does not shift with culture, politics, or trends. Many people and nations have tried to destroy it and rid it off the world, but they have all failed. God’s Word will remain forever!
As today’s psalm closes, it ends with a sober observation (vs. 8). Though God’s Word is pure and preserved, the wicked still strut their vileness. Though not intended to be pessimistic, it is a realistic conclusion. Until Jesus returns, wickedness will continue to rise. However, the Bible remains the believer’s refuge. We are not promised cultural victory in this age before His return, but we are promised preservation, truth, and God’s nearness. We should continue to cling to the Scriptures, along with guarding our speech. Our words should reflect God’s truth, not the world’s corruption. We should not be discouraged, but trust in God’s timing while we stand on the purity of His Word.
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