In the history of humanity generations have ebbs and flows of righteousness and wickedness. And now that the earth is connected via the internet superhighway, the globe experiences these together. The ebbs and flows can last decades and even centuries.
Isaiah was in one of those times when it felt like this, even :
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Is 5:20).
But so was David here in Ps 12:
“Help, LORD, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race. They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts” (Ps 12:1-2).
“The wicked wander everywhere, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race” (Ps 12:8).
It is terrible days. And in many psalms, David asks plainly, “Where are you God? Why do you wait so long to act?”
In the meantime the wicked continue to speak and talk and say things (lies and deception) without restraint:
“They say, “Through our tongues we have power; our lips are our own–who can be our master?” (Ps 12:4).
But David knows God. He knows that
- God will rise up on behalf of the oppressed when the time is right
- The Lord will guard and protect the righteous from this generation
God feels deeply the cause of the oppressed and afflicted. David knows this. Evil is allowed for a time so that men will repent. But there is a judgment that will come from God when they will be dealt with.
Also it says that the Lord will guard and protect the righteous. It doesn’t mean that they won’t be harmed by the wicked. We see this is already happening by the very fact that there are oppressed and afflicted. But that he will in time deal with the wicked, and secondly that the righteous will be preserved and not entirely snuffed out.
Just as Elijah was sure he was the only righteous one left among the people, God had preserved for himself a remnant of 7000 (1 Kings 19:18). The light of the righteous will never be extinguished. The Lord will protect us.
God’s purposes will always prevail. Always.
