What does Psalm 28:3 teach about the deceitful nature of the wicked? Text of Psalm 28:3 “Do not drag me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors while malice is in their hearts.” Observation: A Split Between Words and Heart • “Speak peace” – pleasant, reassuring talk • “Malice in their hearts” – concealed hostility and intent to harm • The verse exposes a deliberate divide: outward friendliness masks inward evil. Roots of Their Deceit • The heart is “more deceitful than all else” (Jeremiah 17:9). • From the heart flow “evil thoughts… deceit” (Mark 7:21-22). • Romans 3:13: “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” Sin’s corruption begins within, then works its way to the tongue. Expressions of Deceit Described Elsewhere • Flattery that hides an ambush (Proverbs 29:5). • False friendship for personal gain (Psalm 55:21). • Hypocrisy cloaked in religious appearance (Matthew 23:27-28). • Lying to the Holy Spirit, as with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:3-4). Consequences Awaiting the Deceitful • God “repays evil to my enemies; in Your faithfulness destroy them” (Psalm 54:5). • “Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips… will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 19:5). • Revelation 21:8 places “all liars” with those cast into the lake of fire. The Lord sees behind the façade and judges according to truth. Contrast: The Character of the Righteous • Speak “truth each one to his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25). • “Walk blamelessly, speak truth in his heart” (Psalm 15:2). • Display integrity even when no one is watching (Proverbs 11:3). Application: Guarding Our Hearts and Tongues • Invite God’s searching eye: “Search me… test me” (Psalm 139:23-24). • Align words with inner reality; refuse flattery or double talk (James 3:10-12). • Put away “all deceit” and “long for pure spiritual milk” (1 Peter 2:1-2). • Fill the heart with Scripture to crowd out malice (Colossians 3:16). • Depend on the Spirit’s power to bear the fruit of sincerity and love (Galatians 5:22-23). Psalm 28:3 unmasks the wicked: they sound peaceful but harbor malice. God’s people must refuse that duplicity, letting truth reign in both heart and speech. |
    |