Flattery – Not Welcomed Here! Series

Psalm 12: 1 – 8

Flattery – Not Welcomed Here!

1 Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. 2 They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak. 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, 4 Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?” 5 “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” 6 The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation forever. 8 The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

There is one sinful thing that we all cannot get enough of, and that is flattery. Who doesn’t want to hear something nice about yourself? It can almost be an addiction to always want to hear about how great you are. However, there is a big difference between someone just saying something nice to you and the person who anxiously is waiting to butter you up. We are so susceptible. We do not know that this person would betray you in an instance if it benefited them.

In the bible these types of people are referred to as ‘double minded’. It is interesting that this evil person is said to have a ‘heart and a heart’. They say one thing and mean another. It is a person who tells a string of calculated lies. These people have a different agenda than what you may perceive.

They are children of the Devil. Deception is always in connection with the Serpent. As the American Indian’s would say, ‘he speaks with forked tongue.’

From the bible you can see a few guys who loved flattery. Would you like to grow up and be like them? Off the top of my head I can think of two men who loved to hear about how wonderful they are. They love to hear that they are God’s gift to the world. These two guys are Saul and Absalom. In reading about their lives I for one do not want my life to turn out the way theirs did.

If you have had to deal with people who shovel out this type of garbage then this Psalm was written for you. You are not alone in seeing and despising this type of interaction.

1 Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. 2 They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

It is a sad day for all who are trying to follow our Holy Lord’s direction when it appears as though all godly men have disappeared. As we read in the bible this concern has been an ongoing problem. Look at some of these verses;

. Hosea 4.1-2, “Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed.

We see people consider the way of truth by commenting, ‘The truth is what I say it is’. It is their way or the highway. It starts at the top. Probably the least trusted people in the United States are politicians. They will tell you and promise you anything in order to get into office. Do you think that they want to serve others or themselves? I know you know the answer.

,Micah 7.2-6, “2 The faithful man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net. 3 That they may successfully do evil with both hands- The prince asks for gifts, the judge seeks a bribe, and the great man utters his evil desire; So they scheme together. 4 The best of them is like a brier; The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; Now shall be their perplexity. 5 Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom. 6 For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.