For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters

Paul describes the nature of humanity towards the end of the age before Jesus returns. They will be proud, blasphemers, love themselves and so on. But more importantly, they may be associated with believers and so lead some gullible believers away from the true faith. They may also be always learning but never can find the truth.

Paul reminds them to follow his doctrine. He uses his own example of persecution and sufferings at various places to show that the Lord had saved him in all those cases. Since there will be more evil and more false teachings, it is important to remember what we were taught as young Christians, and by whom and be assured of our salvation through Jesus Christ.



2 Timothy 3
Perilous Times and Perilous Men

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

The Man of God and the Word of God

10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord

The Day which is coming is described as one that will burn the proud and the wicked. But those who fear God, they will be able to trample on the wicked ones. They will also be blessed and healed. The people are reminded of the Law of Moses, its statutes and judgments. God also mentioned that He will send Elijah just before those days to warn His people.



Malachi 4
The Great Day of God

1 “For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3 You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant,
Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
6 And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

Let all the Earth Keep Silence before Him

Habakkuk was given the visions, but he may have had doubts, so God persuaded him that those things will come to pass. Then God describes the proud man as a person who cannot be satisfied, he will covet and try to enlarge his possession. The wicked man will oppress others as he build his status but the oppressed will cry out. God warns that the nations or people trying to build their greatness will do so in vain. God will also turn on the oppressors and those who gain advantage over their neighbours with unjust means. Finally God warns against idolatry, saying that there is no benefit in these idols which are lifeless.



Habakkuk 2

1 I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.

The Just Live by Faith

2 Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.
4 “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.

Woe to the Wicked

5 “Indeed, because he transgresses by wine,
He is a proud man,
And he does not stay at home.
Because he enlarges his desire as hell,[a]
And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied,
He gathers to himself all nations
And heaps up for himself all peoples.
6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,
‘Woe to him who increases
What is not his—how long?
And to him who loads himself with many pledges’?[b]
7 Will not your creditors[c] rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.
9 “Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house,
That he may set his nest on high,
That he may be delivered from the power of disaster!
10 You give shameful counsel to your house,
Cutting off many peoples,
And sin against your soul.
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
And the beam from the timbers will answer it.
12 “Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed,
Who establishes a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts
That the peoples labor to feed the fire,[d]
And nations weary themselves in vain?
14 For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor,
Pressing[e] him to your bottle,
Even to make him drunk,
That you may look on his nakedness!
16 You are filled with shame instead of glory.
You also—drink!
And be exposed as uncircumcised![f]
The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you,
And utter shame will be on your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you,
And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.
18 “What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The molded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mold should trust in it,
To make mute idols?
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’
To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
Yet in it there is no breath at all.
20 “But the Lord is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

My Soul will Weep in Secret for your Pride

The Lord God used the illustration of a sash, buried in the grown, to explain to Jeremiah the relationship between Himself and His people, Jerusalem and Judah. The sash represents the people and is supposed to be tied around the waist of the master, who represents God. When the sash if far away from God, it is ruined and is worthless, just like the people who turn away from God. God is more angered that His people worship and serve other gods than anything else. His intention for His people is that they would willingly be His people, praise Him and glorify Him.

The next lesson, God uses wine bottles as analogy. God declares that He will fill the wine bottles, that is let His people get so drunk that they will destroy each other. This shows God they have tested God so much that at this point, God has let go of them and they will continue with their natural destruction.

The judgment that awaits them is captivity by the northern invaders. They will be scattered across the wilderness. The captivity will be shameful and humiliating. The reason is because their wickedness include pride as well as idolatary. God has called for them to repent from pride by humbling themselves. They have forgotten their true God, and trusted in falsehood instead of glorifying God. As a result their judgment of captivity will be painful like a woman in labor.




Jeremiah 13
Symbol of the Linen Sash

1 Thus the Lord said to me: “Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2 So I got a sash according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist.

3 And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, 4 “Take the sash that you acquired, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates,[a] and hide it there in a hole in the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.

6 Now it came to pass after many days that the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. 11 For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’

Symbol of the Wine Bottles

12 “Therefore you shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Every bottle shall be filled with wine.”’

And they will say to you, ‘Do we not certainly know that every bottle will be filled with wine?’

13 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land—even the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with drunkenness! 14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together,” says the Lord. “I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy, but will destroy them.”’”

Pride Precedes Captivity

15 Hear and give ear:
Do not be proud,
For the Lord has spoken.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God
Before He causes darkness,
And before your feet stumble
On the dark mountains,
And while you are looking for light,
He turns it into the shadow of death
And makes it dense darkness.
17 But if you will not hear it,
My soul will weep in secret for your pride;
My eyes will weep bitterly
And run down with tears,
Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.
18 Say to the king and to the queen mother,
“Humble yourselves;
Sit down,
For your rule shall collapse, the crown of your glory.”
19 The cities of the South shall be shut up,
And no one shall open them;
Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it;
It shall be wholly carried away captive.
20 Lift up your eyes and see
Those who come from the north.
Where is the flock that was given to you,
Your beautiful sheep?
21 What will you say when He punishes you?
For you have taught them
To be chieftains, to be head over you.
Will not pangs seize you,
Like a woman in labor?
22 And if you say in your heart,
“Why have these things come upon me?”
For the greatness of your iniquity
Your skirts have been uncovered,
Your heels made bare.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?
Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.
24 “Therefore I will scatter them like stubble
That passes away by the wind of the wilderness.
25 This is your lot,
The portion of your measures from Me,” says the Lord,
“Because you have forgotten Me
And trusted in falsehood.
26 Therefore I will uncover your skirts over your face,
That your shame may appear.
27 I have seen your adulteries
And your lustful neighings,
The lewdness of your harlotry,
Your abominations on the hills in the fields.
Woe to you, O Jerusalem!
Will you still not be made clean?”

The Burden Against Tyre

This is a prophecy against Tyre in the land of Cyprus which include the famous port city of Tarshish. This city has been known since ancient times and was still flourishing during the time our Lord was on Earth. It tells of the pride of Tarshish which the Lord is determined to bring down. A few more specifics about the prophecy that it is likely to be the Chaldeans or Babylonians who will bring them down. It also mentions that Tyre will first be forgotten for seventy years, then the Lord will bring a final judgment.



Isaiah 23
Proclamation Against Tyre

1 The burden against Tyre.
Wail, you ships of Tarshish!
For it is laid waste,
So that there is no house, no harbor;
From the land of Cyprus[a] it is revealed to them.
2 Be still, you inhabitants of the coastland,
You merchants of Sidon,
Whom those who cross the sea have filled.[b]
3 And on great waters the grain of Shihor,
The harvest of the River,[c] is her revenue;
And she is a marketplace for the nations.
4 Be ashamed, O Sidon;
For the sea has spoken,
The strength of the sea, saying,
“I do not labor, nor bring forth children;
Neither do I rear young men,
Nor bring up virgins.”
5 When the report reaches Egypt,
They also will be in agony at the report of Tyre.
6 Cross over to Tarshish;
Wail, you inhabitants of the coastland!
7 Is this your joyous city,
Whose antiquity is from ancient days,
Whose feet carried her far off to dwell?
8 Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city,
Whose merchants are princes,
Whose traders are the honorable of the earth?
9 The Lord of hosts has purposed it,
To bring to dishonor the pride of all glory,
To bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.
10 Overflow through your land like the River,[d]
O daughter of Tarshish;
There is no more strength.
11 He stretched out His hand over the sea,
He shook the kingdoms;
The Lord has given a commandment against Canaan
To destroy its strongholds.
12 And He said, “You will rejoice no more,
O you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon.
Arise, cross over to Cyprus;
There also you will have no rest.”
13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans,
This people which was not;
Assyria founded it for wild beasts of the desert.
They set up its towers,
They raised up its palaces,
And brought it to ruin.
14 Wail, you ships of Tarshish!
For your strength is laid waste.
15 Now it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

16 “Take a harp, go about the city,
You forgotten harlot;
Make sweet melody, sing many songs,
That you may be remembered.”
17 And it shall be, at the end of seventy years, that the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire, and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. 18 Her gain and her pay will be set apart for the Lord; it will not be treasured nor laid up, for her gain will be for those who dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for fine clothing.

The Burden Against Babylon

The prophetics warnings about coming destruction were not only given to Israel and Judah but also to the instruments that God used to bring judgement on His people, including the Assyrians and the Babylonians. In this chapter it is the description of the destruction of Babylon in a terrible fashion comparable to Sodom and Gomorrah.

This chapter describes the conquest or invasion of Babylon by a great army. It is described as "wrath and fierce anger". The people will see the enemies amassing but will be powerless and fearful. The pain would be like a "woman in childbirth". In this prophecy, even the instrument to bring judgment to Babylon is named, they are the Medes. The aftermath of this judgment is described as the place becoming desolate where only wild animals will live there.




Isaiah 13
Proclamation Against Babylon

1 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2 “Lift up a banner on the high mountain,
Raise your voice to them;
Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.
3 I have commanded My sanctified ones;
I have also called My mighty ones for My anger—
Those who rejoice in My exaltation.”
4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains,
Like that of many people!
A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together!
The Lord of hosts musters
The army for battle.
5 They come from a far country,
From the end of heaven—
The Lord and His weapons of indignation,
To destroy the whole land.
6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand!
It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore all hands will be limp,
Every man’s heart will melt,
8 And they will be afraid.
Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them;
They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth;
They will be amazed at one another;
Their faces will be like flames.
9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes,
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not give their light;
The sun will be darkened in its going forth,
And the moon will not cause its light to shine.
11 “I will punish the world for its evil,
And the wicked for their iniquity;
I will halt the arrogance of the proud,
And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold,
A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens,
And the earth will move out of her place,
In the wrath of the Lord of hosts
And in the day of His fierce anger.
14 It shall be as the hunted gazelle,
And as a sheep that no man takes up;
Every man will turn to his own people,
And everyone will flee to his own land.
15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through,
And everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
16 Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
Their houses will be plundered
And their wives ravished.
17 “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not regard silver;
And as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces,
And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb;
Their eye will not spare children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride,
Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It will never be inhabited,
Nor will it be settled from generation to generation;
Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there,
Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.
21 But wild beasts of the desert will lie there,
And their houses will be full of owls;
Ostriches will dwell there,
And wild goats will caper there.
22 The hyenas will howl in their citadels,
And jackals in their pleasant palaces.
Her time is near to come,
And her days will not be prolonged.”

The Haughtiness of Men shall be Bowed Down

The first part is a prophetic look into the reign of God on Earth. In that time, God's presence will be established again in Jerusalem, and people from all over the world will come and worship. They will learn from the living God, and there will be no more wars between people. This sounds like the time of the 1000 year reign of Messiah on Earth.

The second part brings the reader back to the present time when this was written. Isaiah calls on the people to return to God explaining that they have been following the religion of their neighbours and enticed by their riches and power. He warns of a day in future when God's judgement would humble the proud. That they would be so terrible that nothing can stand, not the mountains nor the fortified walls. In that day, the idolaters would be brought low and God will be exalted and glorified.




Isaiah 2
The Future House of God

1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the Lord’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And all nations shall flow to it.
3 Many people shall come and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
And rebuke many people;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore.


The Day of the Lord

5 O house of Jacob, come and let us walk
In the light of the Lord.
6 For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob,
Because they are filled with eastern ways;
They are soothsayers like the Philistines,
And they are pleased with the children of foreigners.
7 Their land is also full of silver and gold,
And there is no end to their treasures;
Their land is also full of horses,
And there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land is also full of idols;
They worship the work of their own hands,
That which their own fingers have made.
9 People bow down,
And each man humbles himself;
Therefore do not forgive them.
10 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust,
From the terror of the Lord
And the glory of His majesty.
11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled,
The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down,
And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
12 For the day of the Lord of hosts
Shall come upon everything proud and lofty,
Upon everything lifted up—
And it shall be brought low—
13 Upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up,
And upon all the oaks of Bashan;
14 Upon all the high mountains,
And upon all the hills that are lifted up;
15 Upon every high tower,
And upon every fortified wall;
16 Upon all the ships of Tarshish,
And upon all the beautiful sloops.
17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down,
And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low;
The Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
18 But the idols He shall utterly abolish.
19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks,
And into the caves of the earth,
From the terror of the Lord
And the glory of His majesty,
When He arises to shake the earth mightily.
20 In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver
And his idols of gold,
Which they made, each for himself to worship,
To the moles and bats,
21 To go into the clefts of the rocks,
And into the crags of the rugged rocks,
From the terror of the Lord
And the glory of His majesty,
When He arises to shake the earth mightily.
22 Sever yourselves from such a man,
Whose breath is in his nostrils;
For of what account is he?

He Who Gives to the Poor will Not Lack

The collection of verses here encourages us to stay with doing the right things and not forsaking God's laws. It warns against trying to get rich using wicked means such as by hurting or oppressing others. A more severe warning is that those who causes righteous people to sin, will themselves be considered sinful and punished.

There are a number of verses of rich vs poor but this is more than the monetary status. Instead it refers to whether the people are doing the right things or not. For example, there is no point in being rich because the wicked things done will incur judgement. On the other hand, those who obey God's laws, whether poor or not to begin with, will incur blessings. There are encouragement to be generous and walk in integrity. There are warnings about being proud and causing strife.



Proverbs 28
1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,
But the righteous are bold as a lion.

2 Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;
But by a man of understanding and knowledge
Right will be prolonged.

3 A poor man who oppresses the poor
Is like a driving rain which leaves no food.

4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
But such as keep the law contend with them.

5 Evil men do not understand justice,
But those who seek the Lord understand all.

6 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

7 Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son,
But a companion of gluttons shames his father.

8 One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion
Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.

9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
Even his prayer is an abomination.

10 Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
He himself will fall into his own pit;
But the blameless will inherit good.

11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding searches him out.

12 When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory;
But when the wicked arise, men hide themselves.

13 He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

14 Happy is the man who is always reverent,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

15 Like a roaring lion and a charging bear
Is a wicked ruler over poor people.

16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor,
But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.

17 A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit;
Let no one help him.

18 Whoever walks blamelessly will be saved,
But he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.

19 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!

20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

21 To show partiality is not good,
Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

22 A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,
And does not consider that poverty will come upon him.

23 He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward
Than he who flatters with the tongue.

24 Whoever robs his father or his mother,
And says, “It is no transgression,”
The same is companion to a destroyer.

25 He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

27 He who gives to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

28 When the wicked arise, men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.

Better to be of a Humble Spirit with the Lowly, Than to Divide the Spoil with the Proud.

The LORD God created all people, good and evil; wicked and righteous. We plan our own ways but ultimately God has the final say in our direction. As we begin to trust more in ourselves, we trust the Lord less, and we also become proud of ourselves. These are the things that displeases the Lord. Rather God wants us to seek him and depend on His ways.

Another interesting concept from this chapter is that earthly kingdoms and kings are determined by God. As such God sees it an abomination for kings to commit wickedness - this probably extends to modern elected leaders too. Hence all authority on all the Earth, whether from individual decision making to governing of the nations, are all the prerogative of God.

Several recurring theme that we have read up till now are also here including:
Slow to anger:
32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Pride:
5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces,[a] none will go unpunished.
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Mouth:
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Surrender our ways:
9 A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
28 A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.



Proverbs 16

1 The preparations of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the spirits.

3 Commit your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established.

4 The Lord has made all for Himself,
Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.

5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Though they join forces,[a] none will go unpunished.

6 In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

8 Better is a little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice.

9 A man’s heart plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.

10 Divination is on the lips of the king;
His mouth must not transgress in judgment.

11 Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s;
All the weights in the bag are His work.

12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
For a throne is established by righteousness.

13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And they love him who speaks what is right.

14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,
But a wise man will appease it.

15 In the light of the king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.

16 How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.

19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And sweetness of the lips increases learning.

22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.
But the correction of fools is folly.

23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.

24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.

26 The person who labors, labors for himself,
For his hungry mouth drives him on.

27 An ungodly man digs up evil,
And it is on his lips like a burning fire.

28 A perverse man sows strife,
And a whisperer separates the best of friends.

29 A violent man entices his neighbor,
And leads him in a way that is not good.

30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things;
He purses his lips and brings about evil.

31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.

32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.

The LORD Protects the Righteous and Needy in Godless Society

The Enemy is constantly preparing to battle us. But David's perspective is that God is greater, God can see all. God is also righteous and will punish the wicked and upholds the upright.

The next psalm talks about the declining of God's people. They become more worldly and participate in false flattery. God cares for the needy and poor and ensures their safety, in a society where the wicked dominates and men values vile things.


Psalm 12

To the Chief Musician. On an eight-stringed harp.[b] A Psalm of David.

 1 Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases!
         For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
 2 They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
         With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
       
 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
         And the tongue that speaks proud things,
 4 Who have said,
         “With our tongue we will prevail;
         Our lips are our own;
         Who is lord over us?”
       
 5 “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
         Now I will arise,” says the LORD;
         “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
       
 6 The words of the LORD are pure words,
         Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
         Purified seven times.
 7 You shall keep them, O LORD,
         You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
       
 8 The wicked prowl on every side,
         When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.


Psalm 11

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 1 In the LORD I put my trust;
         How can you say to my soul,
         “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
 2 For look! The wicked bend their bow,
         They make ready their arrow on the string,
         That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
 3 If the foundations are destroyed,
         What can the righteous do?
       
 4 The LORD is in His holy temple,
         The LORD’s throne is in heaven;
         His eyes behold,
         His eyelids test the sons of men.
 5 The LORD tests the righteous,
         But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
 6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
         Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
         Shall be the portion of their cup.
       
 7 For the LORD is righteous,
         He loves righteousness;
         His countenance beholds the upright.[a]

God’s Triumph over Evil

How often do we think that it seems evil is triumphing since the wicked people get all the victories? The psalmist expresses these thought and questions to God. He asks God about where the judgement is since the wicked people continue to boast their ways. Then the psalmist calls upon God for action, reminding God of His commitment to the helpless and fatherless and to justice.


Psalm 10

A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil

 1 Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?
         Why do You hide in times of trouble?
 2 The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;
         Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
       
 3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
         He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.
 4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
         God is in none of his thoughts.
       
 5 His ways are always prospering;
         Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
         As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
 6 He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
         I shall never be in adversity.”
 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
         Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.
       
 8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
         In the secret places he murders the innocent;
         His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
 9 He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
         He lies in wait to catch the poor;
         He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
 10 So he crouches, he lies low,
         That the helpless may fall by his strength.
 11 He has said in his heart,
         “God has forgotten;
         He hides His face;
         He will never see.”
       
 12 Arise, O LORD!
         O God, lift up Your hand!
         Do not forget the humble.
 13 Why do the wicked renounce God?
         He has said in his heart,
         “You will not require an account.”
       
 14 But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
         To repay it by Your hand.
         The helpless commits himself to You;
         You are the helper of the fatherless.
 15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
         Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
       
 16 The LORD is King forever and ever;
         The nations have perished out of His land.
 17 LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
         You will prepare their heart;
         You will cause Your ear to hear,
 18 To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
         That the man of the earth may oppress no more.