Sermon Tone Analysis

!!! Help Lord!!

!!! Psalm 12

!!!  

!!! Introduction:

Another Psalm of David when David is crying out to God for help from his enemies

 

No real occasion given for the writing of this Psalm

 

Rather than follow an outline of this passage what I think I will do is point out and talk about some things that stand out to me in this Psalm

 

!!! I.                   David’s cry about the lack of righteousness and righteous      v. 1

1.      David’s proof:  Look at the talk of those around me vv.

2-3

  Look at how there is wickedness everywhere v.8

 

2.

David’s discouragement:  Things were getting worse and wickedness was prevailing.

Here is my thought:  Every generation of Christians seems to get the idea that they are the worst generation that has ever lived.

Christianity is being pushed out.

Many examples of people in Scripture thinking that in their generation the righteous were few and things were over with, in every one of them God had a remnant and used that remnant to bring about a radical change in that generation.

The message is that there is always hope.

Elijah is our current Sunday morning study:

1 Kings 18:22 “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD”

1 Kings 19:14 “And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword.

I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

1 Kings 19:18 “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Eventually God would use that small remnant to start schools and preach the truth and draw the nation back to Himself.

Judges is a great example of a few and God’s using them

List some of the Judges:  Gideon, Samson, Deborah,

 

Daniel and his friends:  They seem to have been the only righteous people in Babylon:  At the image of Nebuchadnezzar they were the only ones who refused to bow.

At the time of the lions den Daniel was the only one who seemed to pray to God.

When we begin to look at society around us and get discouraged that righteousness is outnumbered by wickedness we need to be encouraged that there is hope, and that God just might use us to turn around this generation that we live in!!!

 

!!! II.

There is an interesting Contrast between the words of men and the words of God vv.

2-4, 6-7

 

1.

The words of the wicked vv.

2-4

Idle words = vain word = false and hollow = cannot be trusted

            Words that may or may not be truth

 

Flattering lips and double heart:  Words designed to us others

Proud things:  Words that are self focused

Arrogant things:  “Who is lord over us?”

They will be cut off:  They use words and display an attitude that they cannot back up.

2.

The words of God vv.

6-7

They are pure:  In contrast to the idle words that cannot be trusted

Matthew 5:18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

Psalm 19:7-8      The law of the LORD /is/ perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD /is/ sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD /are/ right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD /is/ pure, enlightening the eyes

 

Psalm 93:5 “Your testimonies are very sure”

 

Psalm 111:7-8 “The works of His hands /are/ verity and justice; All His precepts /are/ sure.

They stand fast forever and ever, /And are/ done in truth and uprightness.

They are like tried and purified silver:           

They have been put to the test and proven again and again

 

They are kept:  Like we saw earlier

They are preserved:  Interesting that even when David thought the righteous were dwindling, God said He would preserved His word.

Paul in 2 Timothy 2:8-10

Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, /even/ to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.

10Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

!!! III.

We again see God rising up on behalf of His people v. 5

 

In Verse 5 we see God “arise” in response to the cry of the poor and oppressed

 

Psalms 3:7 “Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God!”

 

Psalms 7:6 “Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for me /to/ the judgment You have commanded!”

Psalms 9:19 “Arise, O LORD, Do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged in Your sight.”

Psalms 10:12 “Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand!

Do not forget the humble.”

Couldn’t help but think of God’s message to Moses at the burning bush:

Exodus 3:7-10

And the LORD said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who /are/ in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

8So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.

9Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

10Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Aren’t we glad that the Lord love to rise up on behalf of His people in need?!

 

!!! IV.              Wickedness encourages wickedness v. 8

 

This is not a profound statement.

We have all seen this take places.

One sin leads to another

            When wickedness is allowed to continue it breads more wickedness

 

See in Garden of Eden

            Genesis 3:9-13