What does Psalm 12:1 reveal about the state of society without God? “Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.” Setting the scene • David looks around and can scarcely find anyone still committed to God’s truth. • His cry, “Help,” sets the tone—when genuine believers disappear, divine intervention is urgently needed. What vanishes when the godly vanish • Moral compass – Without godly examples, right and wrong become negotiable (cf. Judges 21:25). • Truthful speech – The next verse describes neighbors who “speak with flattering lips and a double heart” (v. 2). • Covenant faithfulness – Loyalty in relationships erodes (v. 2b; compare Proverbs 20:6). • Reverence for authority – Disregard for God leads to disregard for all rightful authority (Romans 13:1-2). Visible symptoms in a god-empty culture – Deceptive language and propaganda (Psalm 12:2-3). – Prideful autonomy—“With our tongues we will prevail…who is lord over us?” (v. 4). – Oppression of the weak (v. 5); cf. Proverbs 29:7. – Celebration of evil and suppression of truth (Romans 1:28-32). Consequences that inevitably follow 1. Social fragmentation—“faithful have vanished,” leaving no mutual trust. 2. Legal injustice—laws bend to favor the loudest, not the righteous (Isaiah 10:1-2). 3. Spiritual blindness—people call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). 4. Imminent divine judgment—God hears the oppressed and promises to act (Psalm 12:5). Echoes in the rest of Scripture • Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.” • 2 Timothy 3:1-5 lists the traits of “perilous times” strikingly similar to Psalm 12’s setting. • Matthew 5:13-16 shows the remedy: God’s people as salt and light restraining decay and dispelling darkness. Hope amid decline • God’s Word stands pure—“The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined…purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6). • The Lord Himself guards the remnant—“You, O LORD, will keep us; You will forever protect us from this generation” (v. 7). • Revival begins when a remnant cries, as David did, “Help, O LORD”—and lives out faithful obedience (2 Chronicles 7:14). |
    |