Latest / Reformed Thinking / Pure Words in a World of Lies (Psalm 12) | Matthew Poole

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Pure Words in a World of Lies (Psalm 12) | Matthew Poole · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to reformed thinking. Glad to be here.
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This is the deep dive segment. It's where we take significant
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writings, really get into them and pull out the key insights.
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Yeah, the idea is to cut through all the noise, really.
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Exactly bring you what's most valuable.
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We try to find some, you know, memorable facts and hopefully
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have a good conversation along the way.
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That's the plan. So today we're opening up
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Scripture Psalm 12A. Powerful one.
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And we're looking at it using Matthew Poole's commentary as
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our guide. Now this Psalm comes from a
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really difficult time for David. Under King Saul's rule, during a
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period of, well, great distress for David, right?
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Poole helps us see it was written during Saul's pretty
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terrible government and his persecution of David and and
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others who were loyal to him. So our aim today is to really
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uncover David's cry to God, a cry for help in a time when
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society itself felt like it was falling apart.
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Yeah, a time of real decay. Poole's commentary is great for
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helping us see just how bad things were.
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It really sketches out the landscape David was living in.
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OK, so let's try to picture this scene Poole describes.
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This isn't just, you know, a king making a few bad choices.
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No, not at all. Poole calls it Saul's I'll
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government. It was actively harmful.
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Right. Harmful specifically to David
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and, as Poole says, other good men who favored him.
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So goodness itself was being targeted, pushed aside.
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It paints a picture of society where basic decency was
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diminishing, where the normal supports people rely on were
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just gone. It suggests isolation,
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antagonism towards righteousness, a really tough
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environment. And it's crucial to get this
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background. David isn't just complaining
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vaguely about life being hard. No, it's specific.
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It's this oppressive reality he's in.
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Pool notes David felt destitute of human comfort.
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Think about that feeling like no one around can offer any real
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solace or help. That's a deep kind of isolation.
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No human support available. The usual places you'd turn for
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help closed off. Yeah, fundamental lack.
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And that kind of desperation, well, it pushes you.
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David's opening isn't quiet. It's blunt.
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Hell LP Lord. Almost a shout, isn't it, given
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the context Poole lays out? Definitely.
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Poole explains it as a plea to save me and other good men from
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the Saturday and rage of wicked men.
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He's asking for rescue. Not just for himself, but for
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others too caught in the same dangerous situation.
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And Poole highlights why he cries out to God specifically.
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He says Saul, the king, will not help us.
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And other people, they cannot help.
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They lack the power, or maybe the will in that climate.
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Which makes it, as Poole puts it, a fit season for the God to
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help when all human options are exhausted.
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When earthly support is just gone, God is the only recourse
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left. It really speaks to how broken
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things were, institutions, relationships, all failing.
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And David observes this moral unraveling directly.
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He says the godly man ceaseth. That sounds pretty final.
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What does pool say that means? Pool sees it as pointing to a
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wide spread loss of mercy and humanity.
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It wasn't just a few people going astray.
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So basic kindness was disappearing.
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Seems like it. Think about David and his
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friends, Poole notes. They were sorely and causelessly
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persecuted, banished from our homes and friends, and yet few
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or none piteous. Wow, no pity, even when unjustly
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banished. That shows a real coldness in
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society. A lack of basic human
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compassion, it leaves the vulnerable totally exposed.
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It's a bleak picture. It gets worse, doesn't it?
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The Psalm adds. The faithful fail from among the
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children of men. Right, Poole says.
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This isn't just about religious devotion declining, it's about
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something more basic. Like everyday honesty.
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Exactly. Poole mentions a loss in common
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honesty in their words and dealings with men.
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Imagine a society where you can't trust what people say in
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everyday interactions. Agreements, conversations, Yeah,
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you just can't rely on them. Truthfulness itself is eroding.
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It shatters trust, makes everything precarious.
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Suspicion becomes the norm. And this sets up that stark
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contrast with God's truth later on.
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Absolutely. When human honesty fails so
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badly, it really highlights the need for something or someone
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reliable. So this lack of honesty, this
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failure of the faithful, leads directly into the kind of speech
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David complaints. About the wicked speech, what
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does the Psalm say? Verse 2 They speak vanity.
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Everyone with his neighbor pool helps us untack vanity.
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What does it mean here? Not just pride.
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No Pool says it means falsehood, something empty, lacking the
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solidity of truth. It's speech designed to mislead
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without any real basis. So it's lies, but maybe more
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than that. Like empty, insubstantial talk.
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Yeah, like rhetoric built on nothing.
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And it's deceptive and how it's delivered, too.
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How so? The Psalm says they speak with
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flattering lips and with a double heart.
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Flattery. Any double heart?
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What's Poole's take on that? He's pretty direct, he says.
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It means pretending one heart, a kind and upright heart when they
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really have another, even a cruel and deceitful heart.
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Pure hypocrisy then saying one thing meaning another, appearing
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kind while planning harm. Exactly.
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Poole actually suggests this was typical of Saul's fawning
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courtier. The people around the king
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trying to gain favor. Right.
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Saying whatever Saul wanted to hear or whatever would hurt
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David, even if it was cloaked in pleasantries.
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That makes the deceit even more dangerous, doesn't it, when it
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comes and disguises friendship or sincerity.
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It really does. It shows a deep internal
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corruption spilling out in their words.
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And they don't just flatter, they also speak proud things.
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Proud things. What does Poole make of that?
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He interprets it as great things or great words.
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It could be boasting, but also significantly threats.
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OK, so big talk, bragging or menacing?
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But here's a key insight from Pool These wicked people
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actually believed their words alone were enough.
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They thought they could achieve their aims just by talking.
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Really just with words, no need for action.
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That's the idea Pool highlights. They believe they could use
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words so cleverly, so effectively, that they wouldn't
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need to strike a stroke. As he puts it, they saw
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languages itself as a women powerful enough to destroy their
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enemies. That's quite some confidence in
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their own rhetoric, A chilling kind of arrogance.
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It absolutely is, and that arrogance culminates in their
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declaration in verse 4. What do they say with our
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tongue? Will we prevail?
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Our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us?
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Wow with our tongue will we prevail.
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So explicit confirmation of what you just said.
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They plan to win through talking.
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Yes, and Poole explains how they plan to prevail by raising and
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spreading slanders and evil reports against David.
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The goal being. To enrage Saul against David in
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the hearts of the people alienated from him.
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They knew how powerful false narratives in gossip could be.
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Turning the king and the public against him through lies.
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It's calculated. Very.
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And that phrase, our lips are our own, Poole says.
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It shows their belief that their words are at our own dispose to
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speak what we please. Total freedom, they think.
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No limits on what they can say. An absolute claim to autonomy
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and speech, like they have a right to say anything regardless
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of truth or harm. And then who is Lord over us?
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That sounds like a direct challenge to any authority.
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It is, Poole says. It signifies A practical
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atheism, almost a belief that no God or human ruler is truly
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above them or can hold them accountable for their words.
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Is this something they actually say out loud?
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Poole clarifies. Probably not always explicitly
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spoken. He calls it the language of
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their actions. So their behavior shows this
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belief. Exactly.
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Their willingness to lie, slander, flattered, deceitfully.
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It demonstrates that neither the fear of God nor the reverence of
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men can keep them from speaking whatsoever they please,
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especially if it serves their interests.
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They act as if they're accountable to NO1A.
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Self-made moral vacuum. Precisely, And living in a world
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dominated by that mindset, where words are weapons and
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accountability is rejected, well, you can see why David
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cries out. Help E Lord.
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Yeah, it sets the stage perfectly for needing some kind
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of intervention. And that intervention comes
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right after describing this peak of human arrogance and deceit,
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The Psalm pivots dramatically. To God's response.
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Yes, verse 5 starts for the oppression of the poor, for the
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sighing of the needy. God's action is explicitly
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linked to the suffering David has been outlining.
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The poor, the needy, those being crushed by Saul and his regime.
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Right Pool connects it directly back the poor, oppressed by
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Saul, often through the instigation and artifices of his
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fawning courtiers, those same flatterers with double hearts.
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So their wicked words were having real devastating effects
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on the vulnerable. Absolutely.
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And the sighing of the needy suggests this deep, ongoing
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suffering wasn't silent. It was a cry reaching heaven.
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It shows God hears those cries even when earthly powers ignore
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them. What does God declare?
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Now will I arise, saith the Lord.
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That word now is significant. Why now?
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Cool really emphasizes this, he says.
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It indicates a speedy intervention, something
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happening sooner than they, the oppressors, imagine or expect.
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So it shatters their complacency.
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They think they're getting away with it, but God's timing is
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sudden. Exactly.
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It contrasts with the slow grind of their oppression.
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God's justice can be swift. And what will God do when he
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arises? He promises to set him the needy
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person in safety from him that puffeth at him.
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Puff at him. What does that mean?
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It's a fascinating phrase. Poole links it back to the
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wicked boasting about prevailing with their tongues.
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To puff at him means to despise him, to scorn him, hoping to
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destroy him with just a puff of breath or a parcel of words.
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So it's God directly countering their verbal attacks, their
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contemptuous speech. Precisely.
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It's a divine rebuke to those who dismiss and try to eliminate
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others with mere words, thinking they're invulnerable.
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God defending the verbally abused, the one scorned, Yes.
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And Poole suggests God's action could be twofold.
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He might speak comfortably to the needy, offering reassurance.
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Or he might speak in his wrath to the oppressor, bringing
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judgement on those who wield words like weapons.
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Either way, he's actively stepping in.
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It's powerful God rising up specifically against the misuse
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of words, against verbal bullying and oppression.
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It shows he's not indifferent, he's a shield for the victim and
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confronts the abuser. It offers hope that the
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dismissed find their refuge in him.
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OK, so God promises to arise and set things right.
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But you know, people make promises all the.
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Time, right? The thought occurs.
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Saying and doing are two things. We've all experienced broken
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promises. Exactly.
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People promise things they can't deliver, or maybe never intended
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to. How does the Psalm address that
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potential doubt about God's promise?
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It tackles it immediately in verse 6 by drawing a sharp
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contrast. Pool highlights this contrast.
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Unlike humans who OFT speak rashly what they cannot perform
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and deceitfully what they never intend, God is completely
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different. This distinction is key, then,
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moving from human unreliability to divine faithfulness.
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Absolutely central, the Psalm declares the words of the Lord
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are pure words. Pure words.
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What does that purity involve, according to Poole?
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He explains they are sincere without the least mixture of
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vanity or falsehood. Remember, vanity meant
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falsehood, emptiness. God's words have none of that.
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So they're genuine, truthful. And because of that, Poole says,
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they shall infallibly be fulfilled.
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Their purity guarantees their performance.
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OK, no dross, as Poole puts it. Right pure, from all manner of
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dross, from all folly or fraud or uncertainty, God is presented
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as holy and true in all His doctrines, threatenings,
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predictions, and promises. Total reliability, no hidden
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agendas, no mistakes, no changing his mind.
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That's the foundation David is resting on.
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And the Psalm uses an analogy to illustrate this purity, doesn't
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it? Something about silver.
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Yes, a really vivid one. God's words are as silver tried
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in a furnace of earth, purified 7 times.
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A furnace of earth, Poole explains.
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That's like a clay furnace, right?
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Used for refining metal. Exactly the kind of thing they'd
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used back then for intense purification work.
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Now picture silver going through that heat.
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To burn off impurities. Right, but not just once.
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The Psalm says 7 times. Seven times.
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Yeah, that signifies perfection and completeness, doesn't it?
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It does. It paints a picture of absolute
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refinement, every last tiny impurity removed.
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It speaks volumes about the utter reliability, the flawless
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nature of God's words. So when God speaks, His Word is
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perfectly trustworthy, tested and found, completely pure, No
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deceit, no error. That's the image It grounds this
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idea of divine truth and something tangible, relatable.
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It tells you God's words aren't just true, they're perfectly
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true, unlike the flawed human speech David was surrounded by.
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The vanity, the flattery, the double heartedness we talked
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about earlier. God's Word is the complete
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opposite. It's the bedrock of comfort for
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David in that chaos, the ultimate counterpoint to all the
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unreliable, destructive human words.
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It's firm ground. You've got the puff of breath
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from the wicked, empty, harmful words, and then you have God's
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Word, perfectly refined, tested, pure, carrying the weight of
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truth and promise. That contrast couldn't be
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clearer for David. This isn't just theology.
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It's his lifeline, the one certain thing.
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The assurance that what God says he will actually do His
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character is tied to the truthfulness of His words.
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He's not like humans who can lie or forget.
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His speech is an extension of his holy nature, utterly
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dependable in a. World where everything else
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seems shaky that offers real stability.
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So flowing from this confidence in God's pure word, the Psalm
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then turns to a promise of preservation in verse 7.
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What's the promise? Thou shalt keep them, O Lord,
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Thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.
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OK, thou shalt keep them. Who are them?
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Does Pool shed light on that? He does.
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He offers two interpretations which actually worked together
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quite well. Was the first one.
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The first possibility is that them refers back to the poor and
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needy mentioned in verse 5. The ones God promised to set in
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safety. Exactly so.
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God promises to guard them, the vulnerable, from the crafts and
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malice of this crooked and perverse generation.
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And not just for a little while, but forever.
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A lasting protection for his people against the ongoing evil
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around them. Assurance they aren't abandoned.
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Right, that's one interpretation.
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The second one is maybe even broader.
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What's that? That them refers to God's own
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words or promises from verse 6, the pure words like refined
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silver. So God will keep his own words.
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Yes, he will observe and keep his own words, ensuring they are
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fulfilled not just for David personally preserving him,
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bringing him to the throne, but also for his descendants from
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generation to generation. So God is faithful to his people
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and faithful to his promises across time.
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Both interpretations really underline God's faithfulness,
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His integrity in action and in speech.
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His plan isn't derailed by human wickedness.
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But the Psalm doesn't end there on a high note, does it?
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It seems to swing back to the grim reality.
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It does. Verse 8 gives this stark
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picture, the wicked walk on every side.
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On every side. What does that phrase convey?
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Pool probably has insights here. He definitely does, he says.
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It points to several things. First, they're sheer great
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numbers. They seem to be everywhere,
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filling all places. So an overwhelming presence of
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evil from David's perspective, yes.
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Second, Poole says, it indicates their freedom and safety.
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They aren't being restrained or punished.
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They go about boldly and securely.
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Implying a breakdown of justice. They act with impunity.
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Seems like it, which would be incredibly discouraging for
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those trying to live righteously.
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What else does walk on every side suggest?
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Poole also mentions their proficiency and success.
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They seem to grow worse and worse, and prosper in and by
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their wickedness. So their evil deeds are actually
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working out for them in a worldly sense.
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They're succeeding through corruption.
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That's the appearance, which again is disheartening.
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And finally, Poole says it points to their incessant and
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unwearied industry and doing mischief to good men.
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They're relentless, constantly active and causing harm.
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Yes, this pervasive, successful, relentless wickedness really
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underscores why David needed God to intervene so urgently.
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The pressure must have been immense.
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And the Psalm adds one more factor that makes it even worse,
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right? This situation is exacerbated
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when the vilest men are exalted. Vilest men.
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Who does Poole identify them as? He explains Vilest Men or
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Vilenesses covers all manner of wickedness, lying and
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slandering, godlessness, oppression, cruelty and the
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like. He notes the Hebrew word can
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mean glutton or drunkard, but here it's broader.
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Any truly despicable person. So it's not just that bad people
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exist, but that they're in positions of power.
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Exactly. Cool states that under Saul's
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misgovernment, these vile persons and vile practices were
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both advanced and encouraged. The leadership itself was
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promoting corruption. That's the charge, and Poole
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says this destroyed the very foundations of society.
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This complete moral collapse, starting from the top, is the
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ultimate reason God's health is essential.
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When leadership rewards vileness, everything unravels.
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It paints a picture where trusting human systems, human
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words, human leaders is just impossible, which makes the
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contrast with God's pure, reliable word even more
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striking. Pool really helps us see the
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depth of the crisis and the solidity of the hope.
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David found. Hashtag give outro.
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Yeah, looking at Psalm 12 this way, with Pool's help, it really
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does throw that contrast into sharp relief, doesn't it?
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Human deceit. Arrogance.
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Words like puffs of breath versus God's truth.
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Pure as refined silver, utterly reliable.
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It shows that even when society seems to be crumbling, when
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leadership is corrupt, there's a solid place to stand at God's
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character in his promises. And that leaves us with
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something to think about, perhaps in our own world, with
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all its confusing messages, it's misleading words, authorities
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that sometimes fail us. Where do you place your trust?
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Where do you find that real safety, that certainty?
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What hope does the absolute purity and reliability of God's
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words offer you today, especially when you encounter
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the falsehoods, the the vanity of our own age?
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Something to reflect on. Definitely something to
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consider.