LIVING IN TROUBLED TIMES
Text: Psalm 12
It was a dangerous time. The nation was under attack from all directions. Leaders were corrupt and did many vile things. The religious leaders were unfaithful to God, and led God’s people astray. People were killing their own family members. Those in power were defiling themselves with alcohol and prostitutes. Deceit and treachery were rampant. Human life was not valued. No one could be trusted.
Sounds a lot like today, doesn’t it? Would it surprise you to find out that I am talking about what was going on in Israel 3000 years ago? The last verse of the book of Judges summarizes the times very well, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) It was during times like this that Saul became the first king of Israel.
Saul was the people’s choice, not God’s choice. Saul made mistake after mistake, and eventually fell out of God’s favor. David was selected by God to be the king of His people, and after defeating Goliath on the battlefield as a lowly shepherd, David became popular with the people and with Saul. As the crowds praised David more and more, Saul became jealous and began to hate David. He tried to kill David on several occasions. David had to flee for his life. Some think that it was during this time that David wrote Psalm 12.
David complains to God about the spiritual condition of his people. “Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth! Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.” (Psalm 12:1, 2) David feels alone, as if he is the only righteous person left in the land. The people were doing whatever they wanted. The king was corrupt and trying to kill him. The king’s advisors were telling lies about David, and trying to flatter their way into a favored position on the king’s cabinet. David goes on to describe their arrogance and pride, “May the Lord cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues. They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content. Our lips are our own – who can stop us?”” (Psalm 12:3, 4)
God hears David’s prayer, and answers him in verse 5. “The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”” David expresses his confidence in God and his promised deliverance. “The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation, even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.” (Psalm 12:6 – 8)
So what does this Psalm have to do with us today? We live in troubled times just like David did. Listen to how the apostle Paul describes the days that he lived in 2000 years ago. I want to read this to you in a modern translation. “You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” (2 Timothy 3:1 – 5) The “last days” that Paul is describing is the time period between the first and second comings of Christ. He was living in the last days, and so are we. Reading this scripture is like reading the newspaper.
Let me describe the way things are in the United States of America, in the year 2011. We live in a time when it is not popular or politically correct to be a follower of God. God and His people are mocked by the media. We are portrayed as narrow-minded, bigoted, judgmental, and self-righteous phonies. Christian values and morality are scoffed at, and organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Freedom From Religion Foundation push legislation to ban the 10 commandments, religious holidays, and prayer in public places. They are trying to pass laws that will make it illegal for pastors and churches to speak out against homosexuality and other sinful behavior.
We live in a time where right is called wrong and wrong is called right. A generation ago, the public would have never tolerated such things as homosexuality, polygamy, adultery, and fornication, but today, they are glorified on our tv sets. The media is brainwashing our children into believing that it is normal to have sex with multiple partners or others of the same sex. They are being told that there is no such thing as absolute truth – that truth depends solely upon what you think is right in the moment. As a result, morality has gone the way of the dinosaur, and those that are godly are feeling more and more like David did way back when he wrote Psalm 12.
So what should our response be? I believe that we can look back to see what David did about his situation to get some pointers about how we should deal with ours. The first thing that David did is the same thing that we should do – pray. In verse 1, David cries, “Help, Lord!” We need to be people of prayer. When we see the corruption and godlessness that surround us every day, we need to cry, “Help, Lord!” We need to pray for one another so that we will be strong and not influenced by the world. Jesus told His disciples that they needed to “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) We also need to pray for those around us that are responsible for leading us in a godly way. Paul tells Timothy “that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” So we need to pray for our president, our congressmen, our state and local leaders. Pray for the judges. Pray that they will make godly decisions and uphold what is right.
Secondly, David believed God’s Word, and we should too. The Lord promised David that He had heard the cries of the righteous, and that He was going to act in verse 5. Let’s not forget that we have promise after promise that Jesus will return someday to deliver us from the wicked world that we live in. He promises to punish those that are wicked, and bless those that are righteous. God’s Word tells us this is so. David believed it. Paul believed it. We should too.
Finally, in light of the ungodly society that we find ourselves in, we need to do everything that we can do to live beyond reproach. Yes, the public opinion of Christianity may be that we are self-righteous and judgmental phonies. We should live our lives in such a way to disprove that. Listen to what Peter told the church almost 2000 years ago. “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil." Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!” (1 Peter 3:8 – 17)
Just like David, we live in troubled times. But just like David, we should pray about it, believe what God has said, and live like a man or woman after God’s own heart. One day, the Lord will return and deliver us from this wicked world, and punish those that rebel against him, but until that day, we should live as godly and blamelessly as we possibly can, trusting Him to keep His Word.
