Latest / Reformed Thinking / The Pure Words of the Lord (Psalm 12) | John Calvin

Transcript

The Pure Words of the Lord (Psalm 12) | John Calvin · Reformed Thinking

0:00
Welcome to Reformed Thinking, and you found the Deep Dive, our
0:03
space where we really try to get into some significant material.
0:07
Today we are taking a deep dive into John Calvin's commentary on
0:10
Psalm 12. As we look at this ancient text,
0:13
our goal, our mission really is pretty straightforward.
0:16
We want to grasp David's lament, his sorrow over this widespread
0:21
societal decay he sees, and then his earnest plea for God's help,
0:25
and finally, God's steady declaration of rescue.
0:29
It's a message that, well, it really speaks to many of the
0:31
challenges we see around us even now.
0:33
That's right, Psalm 12, when you look at it through Calvin's
0:36
perspective, it vividly portrays David's cry.
0:38
He's in the middle of this deep moral decay, oppression, and
0:41
then it shifts quite powerfully into this declaration of God's
0:44
unchanging character and, well, what God has promised.
0:47
The relevance for believers today living in times marked by
0:50
similar, you know, societal corruption, it's quite clear,
0:53
gives us a sort of framework for understanding and responding to
0:56
times like these. Before we jump right into the
0:58
heart of David's lament itself, let's just touch on the
1:01
superscription of Psalm 12. It says to the chief musician
1:05
upon the 8th, a song of David. Now this chief musician,
1:10
Calvin's commentary doesn't really detail who this was or
1:13
their specific role. There isn't much specific
1:15
information available, and Calvin doesn't really spend time
1:18
on it. It seems like for Calvin, the
1:20
focus stays really firmly on the meaning the message of the Psalm
1:24
itself, not so much the technical historical footnotes.
1:28
Precisely. Yeah.
1:29
He doesn't get bogged down in that.
1:30
And about the eighth, well, there are these two
1:32
interpretations floating around. Some scholars think it refers to
1:35
a musical instrument. Others lean towards it
1:38
indicating a tune, maybe a specific way of singing.
1:41
Calvin himself notes that the choice between these views is,
1:44
and this is his phrase of no great significance, right?
1:47
Doesn't really change the core message.
1:48
Exactly. His leaning is that it probably
1:51
refers to how the Psalm was meant to be sung, like a
1:53
direction for worship. And what this tells us about
1:55
Calvin's approach, I think, is that he really prioritizes the
1:59
theological substance, the practical application of
2:01
Scripture. If a detail doesn't directly
2:04
help us understand God or how we should live, he often just marks
2:07
it as secondary. He wants to get to the central
2:09
truths. And that perspective, that
2:11
interpretive stance, it really helps set the stage for what is
2:15
an urgent cry from David, a desperate one even.
2:18
He's not just, you know, writing poetry here.
2:20
He's putting himself in his plea right in the middle of immense
2:23
human distress, a world that feels like it's falling apart.
2:27
So David kicks off this Psalm by painting a scene of, well, truly
2:30
dire circumstances. He talks about a wretched and
2:33
forlorn condition and the utter overthrow of good order among
2:37
his own people. It's a really striking picture
2:39
of society just unraveling, not somewhere far away, but right
2:42
there in his community. And Calvin really focuses on the
2:45
specific elements of this moral decay.
2:47
David sees the merciful man vanishing, the faithful
2:50
individuals disappearing. Calvin interprets this pretty
2:53
bluntly. He says it means no longer any
2:56
beneficence or truth remaining among men.
2:58
Wow, that's stark. It is.
2:59
It's not just that, you know, a few good people are hard to
3:02
find. It's a systemic absence, the
3:04
very practice of righteousness, of justice, the things that
3:08
should hold society together. It's just stopped.
3:11
That points to a really profound spiritual and moral decline
3:15
affecting the whole social body. Imagine a society where
3:18
kindness, honest dealings, they just aren't happening anymore.
3:23
That's the kind of decay David's describing seen through Calvin's
3:25
eyes. Calvin in the In his commentary,
3:27
he breaks down this unrighteousness into two
3:31
distinct types, violence and deceit.
3:33
He explains that real righteousness means, you know,
3:35
holding back from doing wrong, from causing injury and instead
3:39
cultivating peace. Mutual friendship uses this
3:42
really vivid image saying people should be neither lions nor
3:45
foxes I. Remember that.
3:47
What he means is they should avoid both the obvious
3:50
aggressive harm, like a lion attacking, and also the sneaky
3:53
deception, the hidden malice like a fox.
3:56
The absence of these qualities, this failure to avoid harm and
3:59
seek peace. That's what defines the
4:01
corruption David sees. It's a society where people are
4:05
either openly dangerous or, well, secretly treacherous.
4:08
Or maybe both. And from that general state of
4:10
moral collapse, David's lament then zooms in on the something
4:14
really specific, the pervasive nature of deceit and falsehood
4:17
and speech. David says everyone speaketh
4:20
deceit or falsehood with his neighbor.
4:22
They speak with lips of flattery, with a double heart.
4:25
That line, it really captures how insidious this is, how
4:28
deeply personal the problem feels.
4:30
It's not just about big public lies.
4:32
It's the everyday dishonesty that eats away at trust, right
4:35
at the foundation of human relationships.
4:37
That idea, the double heart, is particularly, well, unsettling.
4:40
Calvin calls it the fountain and 1st cause of deceit and
4:43
flattery. When you think about that, how
4:45
does this internal duplicity that's being sort of hidden
4:48
within their own breasts become so corrosive, not just for one
4:51
person, but for a whole society? Oh, it's absolutely central.
4:55
A double heart means people are double and variable in their
4:57
speech. Their words just aren't
4:59
reliable. They're inconsistent,
5:01
untrustworthy, because they aren't coming from a place of
5:04
genuineness. It lets them disguise
5:06
themselves, appear different from how they really feel.
5:09
They keep part of their true intentions hidden, as you said,
5:12
within their own breasts, and cover it all up with the varnish
5:17
of hypocrisy and affair outside like a match.
5:20
Exactly. And this isn't just about the
5:22
occasional white lie. Calvin sees it as a foundational
5:25
spiritual disorder. Our internal truth doesn't match
5:28
our external presentation. It's a complete lack of
5:31
sincerity. Think about it.
5:33
If sincere speech is supposed to be like a mirror in which the
5:36
uprightness of our heart may be beheld, then a double heart just
5:39
shatters that mirror. It reflects only distortion,
5:42
fakeness. It's a breakdown of trust, not
5:45
just with other people, but ultimately with God, because a
5:47
heart that's divided can't fully serve truth.
5:51
It really makes you think about how much of, say, modern public
5:55
discourse, politics, advertising, you name it, might
5:58
operate from this very double hearted place where the outward
6:01
show obscures the real motives. And interestingly, the Hebrew
6:06
word for flattery, Chelakov. It's even linked to the idea of
6:09
division. It reinforces this notion of
6:11
hidden feelings, a false front stemming right from that double
6:15
heart. So from that subtle poison of
6:17
flattery, the Psalm then shifts, doesn't it, to an even more
6:20
overt, more arrogant kind of speech, the kind that dominates
6:23
and oppresses. Precisely.
6:24
Calvin makes a distinction here. He talks about the tongue that
6:27
speaketh great or proud things. He says these aren't just your
6:29
average flatters, the mean, conceited persons among the
6:32
common people. No, David is focused on a much
6:35
more dangerous type, those who proudly boast of what they will
6:38
accomplish and mingle basifrontery and threatening
6:41
with their deceitful arts. So powerful people using words
6:44
to threaten and deceive. Yes, he describes them as great
6:48
calumniators of the court, people who lied designedly and
6:52
boasting of themselves, and they used big and haughty discourse
6:56
to just overwhelm the poor and simple.
6:59
These are powerful figures, twisting truth for their own
7:02
gain, using words not just to trick people, but to intimidate
7:05
them, to control them. And their sheer audacity as
7:08
well. It's chilling.
7:09
It's right there in their declaration.
7:11
We will be strengthened by our tongues.
7:13
Our lips are in our own power. Who is Lord over us?
7:18
Calvin sees this is the absolute peak of wickedness.
7:21
The utmost height he calls. It right, they aren't just
7:24
defying human authority, they are effectively openly declaring
7:28
war against God himself. They actually believe their
7:31
falsehoods, their rhetoric, their manipulation gives them
7:33
enough strength to overthrow all law and equity.
7:37
It's like they think they're sovereign over truth itself,
7:39
accountable to nobody, not even God.
7:41
It's a breathtaking arrogance. It really is.
7:44
It's not just human pride, it's a full on rebellion against the
7:47
divine order. And David's personal experience
7:50
here is so important for understanding just how deep this
7:53
verbal malice goes. He finds these in venomed
7:56
tongues, these calumnies, he says they are more deadly than
7:59
swords and all other kind of weapons.
8:01
More deadly than swords? That's intense.
8:04
It is. He suffered far more injury,
8:06
more agony, from these deceptive, arrogant words than
8:09
he ever did from any physical attack.
8:11
It really highlights how destructive verbal wickedness
8:14
can be. It shreds reputations, shows
8:17
discord, breaks spirits. It can dismantle society in ways
8:20
that physical violence sometimes can't.
8:22
It's a vivid picture of the sheer ruin a corrupted tongue
8:26
can cause. OK, so broadening the picture
8:29
now, beyond just these individual interactions, this
8:31
pervasive moral decay, it naturally leads to widespread
8:34
oppression across the whole society.
8:36
Indeed, the moral decay shows up directly in the spoiling of the
8:39
needy and the groaning of the poor.
8:41
We are about injuries, the extortions and the devastations
8:44
inflicted by the ungodly. These wicked people don't just
8:47
talk deceitfully, they act on it.
8:49
They hold the poor entangled in their snares as a prey.
8:52
Like trapped animals. Exactly, and the scale of the
8:55
problem is huge. The ungodly possess the whole
8:58
land and range about through every part of it.
9:01
This leads to humanity being shamefully and basically
9:04
oppressed by their tyranny. And Calvin notes this corruption
9:09
often starts right at the top from Princess and then it
9:12
infects the whole people. The result?
9:15
The worthless and the refuse of men end up being exalted, put in
9:19
positions of authority. Just makes everything worse.
9:22
Right. This elevation of the base and
9:24
corrupt. It not only ramps up the
9:25
oppression, but also brings more dishonor on humanity, on the
9:28
very idea of justice. It means the very people who
9:31
should be leading and protecting are instead the source of the
9:34
deepest wounds. And it's really vital to
9:37
recognize, as Calvin stresses, the internal nature of this
9:40
corruption. This wasn't just happening
9:42
among, say, 4 nations or outside enemies.
9:45
That's such a key point, and it makes David's lament even
9:47
sharper, more painful. This deluge of iniquity, as
9:50
Calvin calls it, it prevailed in the Church of God.
9:52
Righteousness was utterly overthrown among the chosen
9:55
people of God. Within the Covenant community
9:57
itself. Yes, it was inside the very
10:00
community God had called to be a light.
10:02
It affected almost the whole body of the people.
10:05
The context here is really significant.
10:07
Calvin suggests the situation was likely during Saul's
10:10
persecution of David. That was a time when all from
10:14
the highest to the lowest had conspired to destroy an innocent
10:17
and an afflicted man. So it wasn't just external
10:19
attack, it was betrayal from within A.
10:22
Profound betrayal, a moral collapse of the very people who
10:26
carried God's name. The enemy wasn't just outside
10:29
the gates, they were in the heart of the community.
10:31
This overwhelming level of corruption where there's just
10:33
seemingly no human help left, it leads David to feel like there's
10:37
nothing around us but black despair.
10:40
This total lack of human aid, this complete desolation.
10:42
It forces him, as Calvin says, to betake ourselves to God.
10:46
This feels like a crucial turning point in David's
10:49
experience, right? He's run out of other options.
10:51
It absolutely is. And Calvin draws a very relevant
10:54
parallel for us, for you listening.
10:56
He says that believers today shouldn't be unduly discouraged
11:00
at the melancholy site of a very corrupt and confused state of
11:02
the world. Instead, we should bear it
11:05
patiently. Easier said than done sometimes.
11:07
Oh, definitely. But his point is that our
11:09
condition is strikingly similar to David's back then.
11:12
When human uprightness, justice, truth, when they fail
11:15
completely, when all the avenues of human help are just blocked,
11:20
we are left with only one real option.
11:23
To turn to God. To turn to God, it's not just a
11:26
nice suggestion, it's a necessity born from the complete
11:29
absence of any other viable source of hope.
11:31
When everything around you seems to be collapsing and human
11:34
institutions are broken, your only direction left is upward.
11:38
OK, so after painting this truly devastating picture of societal
11:42
ruin, David shifts. He moves from just lamenting to
11:46
these urgent cries for help. He's not just observing the
11:49
decay anymore. He's actively calling on God for
11:51
speedy relief, for sucker. This isn't just description now.
11:54
It's a desperate prayer, an act of appeal for God to step in.
11:58
And David's requests are quite specific.
12:00
He asks for God to arise and intervene in this great
12:03
confusion in the world. He cries out.
12:05
Save me, O Jehovah. It's direct.
12:08
Very direct, not passive at all. It's a gut level appeal for
12:12
rescue from this overwhelming tide of wickedness, a call for
12:16
the Sovereign Lord to step into human history and make things
12:19
right. He recognizes that only divine
12:21
action can possibly reverse corruption this deep.
12:24
And he wants God to set in safety him whom he snareth.
12:28
That phrase, it seems to suggest more than just rescue, doesn't
12:32
it? It does.
12:32
It sounds like a desire for, well, full restitution for the
12:35
oppressed, restoration to safety for those caught in their
12:38
enemies traps. It's a desire for God to
12:40
completely reverse the injustice.
12:42
Not just pull someone out of danger, but put them back in a
12:44
place of security wholeness. It's a prayer for comprehensive
12:47
justice, really, not just escape.
12:49
That's a great way to put it. And David also pleads that God
12:53
will keep them. Thou will preserve him from this
12:56
generation forever, Calvin sees. This is David voicing his deep
13:00
confidence in God's guardianship.
13:02
It's a certainty that God will indeed protect his own, even
13:06
when they seem totally surrounded, overwhelmed by this
13:08
hostile, corrupt world. It's a declaration that God's
13:12
watchful care is constant, ongoing.
13:14
He also calls for God to cut off all flattering lips and the
13:18
tongue that speaketh great or proud things.
13:21
This isn't just like asking for punishment, is it?
13:23
It feels more like a plea for the very source of the societal
13:26
plague, the falsehood, the calm need to be removed.
13:30
Exactly. It echoes David's own
13:31
experience, like we talked about, where he found these
13:33
words more deadly than swords. His cry here is for the
13:37
eradication of the moral disease that so deeply infected his
13:39
people, a yearning for truth to be the norm again instead of
13:43
deceit. And this plea for God's action
13:46
and naturally brings up a crucial point that Calvin deals
13:49
with God's timing. When does God intervene?
13:52
Because it might seem to us like God delays, like he's slow to
13:55
act. Yeah, that's a common feeling.
13:57
Right, But Calvin explains that God's delay is an inaction.
14:01
It's not indifference either. He clarifies that God is
14:04
awakened by the calamities and the cries of his people.
14:08
Now, this doesn't mean God was literally asleep or unaware.
14:11
Rather, it implies a moment of divine readiness, an opportune
14:15
time in God's sovereign plan when his righteous anger is
14:19
fully stirred and he's poised to act decisively.
14:22
There's a period of what looks like an activity, but it's
14:24
actually a prelude to his intervention.
14:26
So this means, as Kelvin interprets it, that God often
14:29
intervenes right at the point of peak suffering.
14:32
It's when the injuries, the extortions of the devastations,
14:35
leave us nothing but tears and groans.
14:37
It's precisely then that the time is at hand when God intends
14:40
to rise up to execute judgement. It suggests that human despair,
14:44
the very moment when all human hope seems gone, becomes the
14:47
ideal stage for divine action. It really highlights God's
14:50
particular concern for the afflicted.
14:52
He steps in when their need is greatest, when their cries are
14:54
loudest. And Calvin really emphasizes
14:56
this truth. The greater the confusion of
14:59
things in the world is, God is so much the readier to aid and
15:02
sucker His people, and that it is then the most proper season
15:06
for Him to interpose His assistance.
15:09
That's quite a paradox for our human way of seeing things,
15:11
isn't it? It really is when things look
15:14
their absolute worst, when society seems like total chaos.
15:18
That's when God is nearest most prepared to act.
15:22
This insight is meant to really strengthen the faith of
15:24
believers, to remind them that even in the darkest hours, God's
15:28
intervention isn't far off. It's a doctrine designed to
15:30
support faith during overwhelming trials.
15:33
It suggests that the very depth of human brokenness can actually
15:36
trigger the clearest displays of divine power.
15:38
Which then naturally calls for patience from us when God's
15:41
guardianship is sometimes hidden.
15:43
As Calvin puts it, when his actions aren't immediately
15:45
visible in their effects, the faithful are urged to wait
15:49
impatience until he arrives. And this isn't a passive,
15:52
hopeless waiting, is it? It's more like an act of trust,
15:55
a steadfast endurance that acknowledges God is at work even
15:58
when his hand isn't immediately obvious.
16:01
It means recognizing that God operates on a different
16:04
timetable, with a different perspective than we often have.
16:07
OK, this brings us to a really crucial turning point in Psalm
16:10
12. It's a significant shift, moving
16:13
from David's lament and the description of human suffering
16:17
to God's direct response, a divine declaration that changes
16:21
everything. And what a declaration it is.
16:23
God himself speaks, he states with authority.
16:26
Quote Because of the spoiling of the needy, because of the
16:29
groaning of the poor, I will now arise, as Jehovah will say, I
16:33
will set in safety him whom he snareth.
16:36
Well, not a prophet speaking for God, but God himself.
16:39
Exactly. God himself addressing the chaos
16:41
directly, personally. It's a powerful direct assurance
16:44
of his intervention. And that adverb, Now in the
16:47
declaration, it seems to carry a lot of weight.
16:49
It highlights that God is awakened, as Calvin said, by the
16:52
calamities, by the cries of his people, and he's choosing this
16:55
precise, divinely opportune murmur to act.
16:58
Yes, it doesn't mean instant gratification for our human
17:02
timelines, maybe, but rather a divinely chosen, fitting moment
17:06
in His sovereign plan. It signals a shift from that
17:09
patient waiting to active divine movement.
17:12
And this declaration? It signifies God's direct,
17:15
personal commitment. He's going to grant full
17:18
restitution, restore to safety those who are unjustly
17:22
oppressed. It's a promise that the victims
17:24
won't just be rescued from their current situation, but they'll
17:27
also be made whole. They'll receive back what was
17:29
taken, be reestablished in security.
17:32
It goes way beyond just rescue. It speaks to a restoration of
17:35
justice and order. And immediately after this
17:37
powerful statement, the psalmist introduces this central
17:40
illustration about God's declarations, a really striking
17:43
simile meant to help us grasp the nature of divine truth.
17:47
It truly is striking, the simile says.
17:48
The words of Jehovah are pure words, silver melted in an
17:52
excellent Crucible of earth, purified 7 times.
17:55
It's such a powerful image of refinement, of absolute
17:58
integrity. OK.
17:59
Breakdown the meaning for us. What does this comparison really
18:02
tell us about God's words, especially when we contrast them
18:06
with the deceitful human words we were just talking about?
18:09
Well, this comparison underscores that God's words are
18:12
absolutely reliable, truthful, and free from any deceit or
18:16
impurity. Think about refining silver.
18:18
You put it in the Crucible, subject it to intense fire and
18:22
all the dross, all the impurities that get burned away.
18:25
What's left is pure shining metal.
18:27
That's the image here. God's words aren't mixed with
18:30
any human flaw, any hidden agenda, any potential for
18:33
deception. They are as pure as that
18:36
precious metal, untainted, utterly trustworthy, a stark
18:40
contrast to the double hearts and flattering lips operating in
18:43
David's world. They are inherently true.
18:45
And what about the seven times purification part?
18:47
What does that signify beyond just being, you know, really
18:50
pure? The seven times isn't just about
18:52
quantity. In biblical numbering, 7 often
18:54
signifies perfection, completeness.
18:56
So it means God's words are perfectly pure, completely free
18:59
from dross or deceit. They've been thoroughly tested,
19:02
proven to be without any flaw. Unlike human words, which are so
19:06
often full of flattery, duplicity, hypocrisy, God's
19:10
words are fully refined. They stand as the very
19:13
embodiment of truth. There's no hidden meaning, no
19:16
underlying deception, no possibility of error in them.
19:19
So it really highlights that God promises nothing in vain or for
19:23
the purpose of disappointing man.
19:25
Whatever he promises in Word, he will perform.
19:27
Indeed, God neither can deceive nor lie.
19:31
This really sets His word apart from all human speech, and it's
19:34
foundational to so much of Reformed theology, isn't it?
19:37
It speaks to God's very nature. It absolutely does, and this
19:39
concept of pure words, it then serves as an essential
19:42
foundation for our faith, for our hope.
19:44
David, through this description, is really celebrating God's
19:47
faithfulness, his steady character in performing what he
19:49
has promised. This description is meant to
19:52
uphold the faith and hope of the godly, especially during times
19:55
of distress or when there seem to be delays and God acting.
19:58
It's a necessary truth to hang on to when circumstances seem to
20:01
contradict God's spoken word. Because it directly counters our
20:05
human tendencies, right? We're so quick to call in
20:08
question his fidelity to his promises and murmur just as if
20:12
He deceived us when we don't see immediate results or when things
20:15
get tough. Precisely when doubt starts to
20:18
creep in, when the weight of the world makes us question if God
20:21
is really paying attention, the understanding that the words of
20:25
the Lord are pure acts like a shield.
20:29
It cuts off the occasion of our distrust.
20:31
As Calvin puts it, it serves as this constant anchor, reminding
20:35
us that our perception of delay or difficulty doesn't negate
20:38
God's truthfulness or his perfect timing.
20:41
It guards our hearts against unbelief.
20:42
It reassures us that God's Word stands firm regardless of our
20:46
sleeting circumstances. In this analogy, this picture of
20:48
refined silver, Calvin admits it's far below the dignity and
20:52
excellence of God's Word itself. Yes, he acknowledges that.
20:54
But he says it's very well adapted to the measure of our
20:57
limited and imperfect understanding.
21:00
It helps us appreciate its inestimable value.
21:03
It makes something almost incomprehensible, the sheer
21:06
truth and purity of God's Word, a bit more tangible for our
21:09
human minds. That's a good way to summarize
21:11
it. It brings it down to earth for
21:12
us. OK, so moving from the purity
21:14
and certainty of God's promises, let's transition now to their
21:18
practical impact on believers. What does this actually mean for
21:22
God's people in their daily lives, especially living in a
21:25
world still, you know, mired in corruption?
21:28
Well, it brings a firm assurance of God's guaranteed safety and
21:31
preservation for His people. David, filled with this deep
21:35
trust, he boasts of the certain safety of all the godly.
21:38
Why? Because God, who neither can
21:40
deceive nor lie, allows himself to be their guardian.
21:44
So it's more than just a hopeful wish.
21:47
Much more, It's a confident declaration about God's
21:49
protective nature, his active watchfulness over those who
21:52
belong to him. It's a statement about God's
21:55
character and his ongoing care for his own people.
21:57
And God's assurance is clear, almost like a direct echo of
22:01
David's earlier plea. Thou, O Jehovah, will keep them
22:05
that will preserve him from this generation forever.
22:08
And you might notice there's a subtle shift in number there.
22:11
It goes from them, the godly, to him, the singular.
22:14
Yeah, I noticed that. What does Calvin make of that?
22:16
Well, Calvin notes it could just be a common Hebrew way of
22:18
speaking for stylistic reasons. But he also suggests it could
22:22
point to the small number of good men left in that corrupt
22:25
time. Oh, OK.
22:27
The implication being that even if only one Goodman should be
22:30
left alive in the world, yet he would be kept in perfect safety
22:33
by the grace and protection of God.
22:35
That's an incredibly comforting thought, especially for anyone
22:38
feeling isolated or outnumbered in a world where righteousness
22:42
seems to be fading. It really is.
22:44
It means God's care isn't dependent on how large the
22:47
faithful community is, but solely on His own unchanging
22:51
character and promise. And this brings us back to the
22:53
concept of the corrupt generation that David mentions,
22:56
coupled with this renewed call for patients from believers.
23:00
Right. This generation, as Calvin
23:02
explains it, refers to the great multitude of ungodly persons and
23:06
almost the whole body of the people living in the same age as
23:08
David. This isn't just about a few bad
23:10
apples. It really shows how pervasive
23:13
the corruption was even among God's chosen people, the
23:16
Israelites. It.
23:17
Sounds like it was everywhere. It was so widespread that David
23:20
kind of lamenting and reproaching them almost lumps
23:24
them all together. It signifies this deep rooted
23:26
unrighteousness, not just isolated incidents, a systemic
23:30
problem right within the community God called His own.
23:33
And the phrase forever at the end of verse 7 that encourages
23:37
believers to extend their confidence in God far into the
23:41
future, recognizing that God's health, his protection, will
23:45
continue as long as the wickedness persists.
23:47
Exactly. This isn't a promise of a one
23:50
time rescue from some short term problem.
23:53
It's an assurance of ongoing perpetual protection in a world
23:56
that remains fallen. It gives a long term
23:58
perspective. It does, and this concept helps
24:01
believers not get discouraged by the vast multitude of the
24:04
ungodly. It helps us accept that the
24:06
spiritual war is not prepared against us for a short time
24:08
only, but that we must daily engage in the conflict.
24:11
That's a pretty realistic view of the Christian life in a
24:14
fallen world. It is.
24:15
It prepares us for enduring opposition.
24:18
It reminds us that our faith isn't just for the peaceful
24:20
moments, but for the ongoing struggle against
24:23
unrighteousness. It means maintaining a spiritual
24:26
posture of readiness, knowing that the conflict is continuous.
24:30
So it really circles back to that council to wait impatience
24:34
until he arise, especially when God's guardianship is sometimes
24:37
hidden and is not manifest in its effects.
24:40
What does it mean for God's hand not to be manifest in those
24:43
moments? It sounds like we're called to
24:44
an active faith, one that sees beyond the immediate
24:47
circumstances, beyond the visible outcomes.
24:50
I think that's right. It means trusting in God's
24:52
underlying governance even when the flood of calamities seems to
24:55
be rising higher and higher all around us.
24:57
Our faith isn't ultimately in what we can see, but in the
25:00
unseen yet constant reality of God's rule and His pure Word.
25:04
OK, so to sort of recap our deep dive today into John Calvin's
25:08
commentary on Psalm 12, we've really seen David's vivid
25:12
portrayal of a society just consumed by moral decay, by
25:16
injustice, a truly dire situation that drives him to
25:19
cast all his hope entirely upon God.
25:22
We've heard his direct plea to a sovereign God.
25:25
And then, crucially, that steady declaration of God's Word is
25:28
perfectly pure, absolutely reliable, standing in such stark
25:31
contrast to the deceitful words of humanity all around him.
25:34
Which leaves us with a rather compelling thought to consider.
25:37
Maybe if the sheer prevalence of human deceit and wickedness is
25:41
precisely what awakens God to act as Calvin suggests.
25:45
What does this tell us about our own prayers, and maybe about our
25:48
perspective on his timing, especially in a world where
25:51
truth still seems to be, well, struggling so openly?
25:54
It leaves us perhaps with the powerful idea that the very
25:56
depth of human brokenness might not be a sign of God's absence
25:59
at all, but rather maybe it's an indicator that his righteous
26:02
intervention, his arising, could be nearer than we perceive.
26:05
That's a challenging thought to end on.
26:07
Thank you for joining us on this deep dive into Calvin's
26:09
commentary on Psalm 12. We really trust these insights
26:12
resonate with you today. Wherever you're listening.
26:14
Until next time, keep thinking Reformed.
26:16
Keep seeking truth.