Although many Psalms reflect personal struggle, problems and need, some of them reflect on the nations woes and tribulations. From the very beginning, the Israelite's maintained a community of consciousness; they looked on the entire people as a corporate personality. David reflected this feeling as he prayed for God to intervene and bring hope out of despair. That's exactly what we see in Psalm 12, where a godless society caused the psalmist to ask God for protection. All around the nation were arrogant people who spoke lies and caused people the people to fear.
What we see in Psalm 12 is that those who live close to God face pain as they feel deeply about the moral decline around them. Psalm 12 was composed by one who saw the almost universal hypocrisy that accompanied the nation's decay. Although the psalmist suffered, he was concerned more fundamentally about what such sin was doing to the nation.
When was Psalm 12 composed? Some scholars place it during David's lifetime. Some suggest that David wrote it as a young man when he was fleeing Saul's armies; others point to Absalom's rebellion when many of David's trusted friends turned against him. Either way, verses 1-4 appear be a prayer for help as evil was seemingly everywhere.
Like Elijah, the psalmist felt alone as God's servant. He singled out sins of speech as being prevalent in the land. In verse 5, God answered the sad cry and promised to give security to those who had been made to suffer. Prophecy and prose met as the psalmist addressed God and his answer to the people. God gave his instructions for the people and delivered his authoritative message. Verses 6-8 expressed confidence in God's answer.
Thankfully, unlike, peoples deceitful words, God's word can be trusted. Human speech might contain both truths and lies; but, repeatedly, God's Word had been proved to be pure. The expression of certainty ended with a prayer that God would defend his people from the evil ones who sought to exploit the weak and oppressed. Divine intervention was necessary to curb the widespread depravity in the land.
A few lessons can be learned from this Psalm:
1. God's Word Stands Firm - In spite of prolonged and severe conflict, the Word of God remains the one authoritative message to people. Blatant unbelief will seek to undermine its message, but God's Word remains fixed forever as the standard for conduct. God's Word is understood better and has spread more widely now than ever. We should hide it in our hearts so that we might not sin against God. We should wait on the Lord to fulfill his promises.
2. People usually deny God because they do not want such a God to exist - When we accept the fact of the God of the Bible, we also accept the demands that go with such a belief. When people shut their ears to the voice of obedience to this God, they must eliminate God or suffer terrible feelings of guilt. We need to keep burning in our hearts the truth that God lives; thus, life has beauty and responsibility.
3. Nations need God for survival - God is the only one who can rescue a decaying society. In the Bible Israel's ups and downs were tied to how they responded to God. When righteous individuals lead and the people follow, great rejoicing comes. However, unless a nation accepts the God of the Bible in its life, judgment will come thoroughly and perhaps quickly. No one can claim to be exempt from the moral laws that God has set up.
4. A greater age is coming for those who trust in Christ - Just as a person has moral and spiritual obligations, so does a nation. Folly and sin bring misery. We do not have power to gain God's favor by our moral achievement and effort. Only by repentance and trust in God's grace can restoration from sin become a reality. Christ frees us from sin. Being united to him gives us a future filled with hope - the hope of a new heaven and new earth where we will dwell in God's presence in restored relationship with him forever.
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