444_Man’s words vs God’s words Psalm 12 Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. 2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. 3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, 4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?” 5 “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” 6 The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. 7 You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. 8 On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man. In the early 1940s, World War II was crushing Europe. A young German pastor named Dietrich Bonhoeffer stood before his small underground congregation. The Nazi propaganda machine was in full force, filling the airwaves with lies, half-truths, and a twisted version of morality that exalted power, crushed dissent, and redefined evil as good. In the face of that cultural pressure, despite the danger, Bonhoeffer boldly declared, “The Word of God is a sword, and it cuts through every lie.” Psalm 12 reflects not just David’s world, but that of today. Truth is scarce, flattery is a currency, and words are crafted to conceal, deceive, manipulate, and dominate, rather than to bless or heal. In such a world, God’s Word remains the only trustworthy anchor. The psalm begins with a cry of desperation: “Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.” Evil seems so widespread, so unchecked, that it feels like there’s no one left to stand for what is right. Yet there are always those, like the 7,000 in Elijah’s day, who haven’t bowed their knees to Baal—but they are in hiding. As Proverbs 28:28 puts it, “When the wicked rise, people hide themselves.” In this atmosphere, truth-speaking seems to be almost extinct. “Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.” These aren’t meant to politely pass over unpleasant realities or make the other person feel better when faced with embarrassment. These are calculated distortions and carefully planned flatteries. They arise from a double heart that says nice things to one’s face but conceals cruel and destructive motives. Whether in politics, media, business, or religious circles, words are denied their only true function, of being vessels of truth. They are used as weapons to influence and oppress others. Sound bites and spin are more powerful than facts. Image trumps substance. “With our tongue we will prevail,” they say. “Our lips are with us; who is master over us?” These words reflect arrogant independence, a belief that the speaker reshapes reality with clever speech and persuasive rhetoric. The tongue becomes an idol. But the