PSALM 12: The words of men v the WORDS of GOD (Psalm 12:1-8)

David cries to the Lord for help, because he is surrounded by faithless, ungodly people, whose speech is just idle chatter, empty gossip, flattery and two-faced lying (v1-2). He asks God to judge those who speak wickedly, using their words to deceive and manipulate others to get their own way; unrestrained by the truth or by any authority, they proudly speak as if they are their own gods, with the right to define and create their own reality, believing that they will prevail (v3-4). When you bring your problems to God, He will respond, and so the Lord answers David by personally promising that He will arise to protect and preserve the poor and needy ones, especially the believers, who are being oppressed by these evil-speakers (v5). These destructive talkers spoke as they pleased, but they could not stop the LORD God from speaking as He pleased. Having received this PROMISE of God, David declares that all of God's WORDS are pure, precious and perfect: “The WORDS of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified 7 times" (v6). The picture is taken from the process of purifying silver in a furnace or oven built of clay. The clay furnace represents the human element. The silver represents the Divine message, which is to be conveyed through the human channel. The fire, which ensures the absolute purity of the silver, its accuracy as the Word of God, represents the Holy Spirit. The ‘7 times’ indicates the absolute perfection of the Holy Spirit’s work. Each time the silver is heated more purities are removed, so that after 7 times the result is pure silver – the pure Word of God produced through a clay vessel. Thus, this passage assures us that the complete accuracy of the Divine Message in the Scriptures is due to the perfect operation of the Holy Spirit, overruling all the frailty of human clay and purging all the dross of human error from the flawless silver of God’s message to man. Thus, David teaches us that we are to value God's words far above the words of men, and hold fast to them and embrace them, rejecting all the evil words of men, which contradict God's Word, for God's words are fully tested, true and reliable. His words are more precious than all the silver and gold (Psalm 19:10-11, 119:14,72,89, 127,160,162). Moreover, God will PRESERVE His WORDS forever: “You shall keep THEM (His WORDS), O Lord, You shall preserve THEM” (v7), which is why we know the Bible we possess is the Word of God. His providential hand has protected the existence and integrity of His Word through the centuries (Matthew 24:35). Some translations say: “You shall keep US, O Lord, You shall preserve US” (v7). This is the response of God's people to His promise in v5. Both translations are true. God will keep both His WORDS and His PEOPLE. In fact, the means by which God preserves His PEOPLE is by their faith in His incorruptible WORD, which endures forever (1Peter 1:23,25), for His people are those who love and trust His Word, and are thereby united to it by faith, so that they are preserved (saved) by the power of His Word (2Peter 1:4, 1John 2:17). The Psalm ends with a reminder that although God has given us His precious words, we have to continue for a time in an evil world, that exalts foolishness and devalues His Word, which makes it all the more needful for us to hold fast to His Word, which saves our soul and sets us apart from the corrupt community surrounding us.