293 – Psalm 12 – Yahweh speaks

In Psalm 12:1-4 David calls on Yahweh for help. He cites the fact that godly men have ceased. The men that have replaced the godly, have with clever speech, oppressed their neighbors. Interestingly, David records for us what Yahweh Elohim (God) has to say about it.

Psalm 12:5-8 (NKJV)

           5       “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,

    Now I will arise,” says [Yahweh];

    “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

           6       The words of [Yahweh] are pure words,

    Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,

    Purified seven times.

           7       You shall keep them, O [Yahweh],

    You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

           8       The wicked prowl on every side,

    When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Yahweh declares He will arise. Why will He arise? He will respond to the “oppression of the poor” and the “sighing of the needy”. Yahweh is a personal God or another way to say it is He is the God of the individual. All throughout the Bible we see God dealing with the nations and the individual. Yahweh very clearly declares He will set the oppressed and needy person in the “safety for which he yearns”. God is a good God. Where is this place of safety I wonder? Consider a few verses.

Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV)

           10       The name of [Yahweh] is a strong tower;

    The righteous run to it and are safe.

Psalm 91:1-2 (NKJV)

           1       He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

    Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

           2       I will say of [Yahweh], “He is my refuge and my fortress;

    My God, in Him I will trust.”

What do you suppose verse six means when it says that Yahweh’s words are pure? Well, actually the rest of verse six gives us the answer when it says they are “like silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times”. If you consider the glosses (range of meaning) for the Hebrew word in the Gesenius’Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament you find: pure; clear; unmixed, unalloyed; purity. God’s word is pure and it is sure. What He has said He will do, He will indeed do period! 

David responds with what he knows about Yahweh. He is confident that Yahweh will not only do what He said He will do but that His “preservation” is everlasting. Even though David acknowledges in verse eight that the wicked continue to prowl he knows Yahweh is faithful. The name of Yahweh certainly is a strong tower. He truly is able to rescue the oppressed and needy. Sometimes it amazes me that the Old Testament saints trusted in Yahweh and yet post-New Testament man, even the believer, struggles to trust in God and His word.

I hope you are spending time getting to know God. I promise you you cannot do that without spending time in His Holy Word. Read it, study it, understand it, believe it, and obey it. You will be amazed at how enriched your life will become.

Can I say that Yahweh is good? He is righteous and worthy of all praise, worship, and adoration!