Journal

Psalm 12 - No place for dishonesty

Posted on June 17th, 2008, in the evening

Continuing my occasional series on Worshipping with the Psalms, here are my reflections on Psalm 12...

A Psalm about the power of words, contrasting the deceitful words of the wicked and the pure words of the LORD.

'Everyone lies to his neighbour' says David as he takes up his theme. The godlessness of the wicked is revealed in the pride of their words - 'we own our lips - who is our master?'

False and boastful words are linked to the opppression of the weak and needy and the LORD comes to their defence. His response is "words [that] are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times."

The last verse also has speech in view. The wicked get away with their dishonesty only while 'what is vile is honored among men.' What we esteem is as important as what we actually involve ourselves in.

This is another psalm that it's hard to make sense of in the context of contemporary corporate worship. But I'm beginning to realise that contemporary corporate worship has a rather limited vocabulary when compared with the many situations of life.

Sometimes it ought to be said in worship: dishonesty leads to oppression, this is utterly opposed to God and his truth overcomes. Our contemporary sung worship has a little way to go before we're ready for sentiments like that.

Even so, there's a principle we can take on here - that the worship of our lives must be truthful, that we should root out dishonesty from our lives.

I was rather taken aback to notice this week the stern warning to liars at the end of Revelation 21. But reflecting on these two passages together I can see the fundamental incompatablity of dishonesty with the worship of God.

How could there be anything dishonest when we meet God face to face? (Rev 22.4) And if that's the case then dishonesty has no part in worship now.