"The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation forever. The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.”
Psalms 12:6-8
First, the Lord reminds us that His Holy Word is pure and precious, and that He will always preserve it from the sinful teaching and deceptive “theology” of false teachers who seek to pervert it. That’s comforting, because such teachers abound today even in formerly Christian colleges, seminaries and pulpits.
Many of these retain the name of Christian or evangelical or even the historic name of a Christian denomination, but they seek to undermine, pervert, and destroy the purity of the precious Word of God in their teaching and preaching. Instead of calling us to repent of our sinful attitudes and behavior and find forgiveness in Jesus, they promote vile, disgusting, sinful behavior and all kinds of twisted ideas as normal and acceptable
God reminds us and assures us that He will “preserve His Words forever” from them. They will not succeed in their evil project.
The last verse simply observes a fact: When sinful, disgusting, vile behavior is exalted, when it is given public approval, there will be wicked people coming out of the woodwork and prowling around looking for victims.
We don’t have to look very far for proof that the Lord knew what He was talking about. But what’s the solution? How do we respond, now that our society has become what it is?
The answer is the same as it always was: the Law and the Gospel, the faithful, loving proclamation of God’s call to repentance and of His offer of salvation, forgiveness, and restoration. Jesus saves, still, today!
Lord, forgive us for being part of a society that exalts vileness. Deliver us and our children and grandchildren from the wicked who prowl on every side. Give us pastors and teachers who hold up the truth and purity of Your precious Word. Reveal Yourself to us, in us, and through us to the world that surrounds us. Save and deliver the next generation, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles