Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. (Psalm 12:1)
The word translated as “help” would be better rendered as “save.” The Hebrew word הושיע hoshia denotes the need to be rescued from certain peril, thus the use of the word save. Most of you are familiar with a derivative of this word that conveys the same sentiment — Hosanna! So as this psalm begins, David implores the Almighty to save him because, godly men have seemingly disappeared.
The Hebrew word used to describe these men is חסיד chasid, which is often rendered as “devout ones” — those who are fully committed to serve God, even going above and beyond what He requires of them. In other words, these are people who are devoted to more than just the letter of the law; these are people who love God and their fellowmen. As he wrote this psalm, David feared that these people had disappeared from the earth.
When enough people are committed to some semblance of justice and righteousness, those who are truly devoted — i.e. the devout — are looked upon favorably. But when most people reject any kind of law or sense of righteousness, the devout are looked upon as extremists and fanatics and are subsequently persecuted by the masses. When this occurs, one of two things will happen; the faithful will draw closer to God or the weaker will buckle under the pressure, or as David put it, “the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.”
Messiah said that, in the last days, the lack of faithfulness among God’s people would become an issue. According to Him, deception would be so great that the vast majority of the world would be swept away by lies and, if it were possible, even the elect would fall prey to it. In that same message He predicted that, “Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). On another occasion He felt compelled to ask, “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” — a statement that connects directly with David’s observation about the lack of faithful men.
The point is this: as the majority of the world continues to reject truth and righteousness, those who are devoted to it will be scrutinized more and more by the world, meaning that the stage is set for the righteous to be labeled as religious fanatics and a threat to the well-being of society.
It would seem then that, very soon, we will all have to make a decision: either to draw closer to God and incur the wrath of wicked men or buckle under the pressure imposed upon us by this world. In consideration of the times in which we live, the words of Joshua seem to be appropriate for the day: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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