Psalm 12:1-8 “Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none”

Psa 12:1 To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
Psa 12:2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
Psa 12:3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
Psa 12:4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
Psa 12:5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
Psa 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Psa 12:7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
Psa 12:8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

The verses in this study tonight have impressed upon me our need to be grateful for the forgiveness that God grants his people as we grow in being able to hear the word and actively do what we ought to be doing unto our own flesh and bones, the body of Christ.

Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

And tonight’s study comes on the heels of the question posed in last week’s study of Psalm 11 – “How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?”, where we were reminded that in order to grow in compassion and love for the body of Christ we need to be dragged to our refuge (Christ and His body) where we are judged, and made to see that we are lacking in that living sacrifice of Christ and needing to fill up what is behind of his afflictions (the bird that needs to be washed seven times by the blood of the other dove).

Lev 4:17 And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

We are blessed beyond any today to know that this verse applies to us and that our sins are many, meaning all the sin of the world, and if we are given to acknowledge that complete forgiveness that we need for being guilty of all (Rom 2:4), we will be able to love much.

Luk 7:44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Luk 7:45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
Luk 7:46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Luk 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Luk 7:48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

It is through the critical stripes, trials and tribulations that God is giving that we are maturing in our Lord and being made able to comfort each other with the comfort that He comforts us with through this life which is preparing us through those events to be saviours who come up on mount Zion. The only way we will ever be able to bring healing to the nations will be through the comfort that God has given us in our own life through Christ, which is the experience we go through for their sakes.

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

2Co 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The obstacles that God allows to be in our way in this life are put there to demonstrate His sovereignty over the process of our growth as He gives the increase that manifests as a result of going through the fiery trials. He will not lose any through the fiery experiences that we must go through in order to be purified and become unified through those struggles.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Psa 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

1Co 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

We are not alone in this experience of evil through this life, and these trials are common to the body of Christ and to all men, however our trials are working together for good in our lives if Christ is in the midst of the fire, and that good as we have mentioned will be to bring healing to the nations.

Ecc 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Dan 3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

Tonight we will look at how God is maturing us to be as He is in this world, so that when Christ says “Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none”, we do come to understand that this is made possible through the relationship of love (obedience to his commands Joh 14:15) that God is building in the body of Christ who will be used to save the rest of world one day and lose none.

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

1Ti 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

Our first verse:

Psa 12:1 To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

It is revealing to see that God lets evil men wax worse and worse at the end of the age, in order for the new man to be formed within His people. Sheminith is a symbol of that new man as his names meaning suggest and he crys out, as do we “help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth”.

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Christ had many things to say about the faithful failing “from among the children of men”, and in this we learn that it is Christ alone who can bring us through this narrow way that leads to life and few there be that find it.

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Two stories that demonstrate who we are except by the grace and faith of Christ and written for our edification, exhortation and comfort today can be found in the new covenant (love not this land, this world, Christ tells us in 1Jn 2:15).

Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Act 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

We must identify with every word written in God’s word and see ourselves as the unfaithful “Ananias and Sapphira who kept back part of the price of the land” and with this mindset do away with the conceit in our flesh that would tell us ‘I would never withhold anything from Christ’. The truth is we are all Demas and Crescens and Titus withholding the land and go back into the world, except God chastens us and receives us through the scourging experience of grace and faith which is going to save few in this age and prevent us from continuing in sin. When we cease from sinning we are living our lives to fulfill the will of God which replaces the natural carnal will of man that wants only to fulfill the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes with hearts that are filled with pride. That is what we do first, to demonstrate that “the faithful fail from among the children of men” and that only Christ can be Christ as our hope of being able to go from glory to glory in this life.

Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Psa 12:2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

That’s what flesh is; it is all vanity, passing away, and not able to inherit the kingdom of God (Ecc 1:14, 1Co 15:50). So we all start off as the preacher says speaking “vanity every one with his neighbour” even with “flattering lips” and “with a double heart” do we speak.

The only way to destroy this unstable double-minded earthly man is to have him judged as we discussed last week, and it is through those fiery trials of judgment that we gain the singleness of mind that is found in Christ that does away with vanity and flattering lips.

Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity^G572 [singleness] that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus (a fleshly gospel, a health and prosperity gospel as opposed to acknowledging that ‘all is vanity’), whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Psa 12:3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
Psa 12:4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

Christ’s body acknowledges that we are the false prophets at first who worship God in vain (Mar 7:7) and wrap His words around the idols of our double minded hearts (Eze 14:3), that operate our flattering lips that have not yet been touched by the fiery coals that we need to have Christ minister to us in order to purify and circumcise the “flattering lips”, and the “tongue that speaketh proud things”(Isa 6:7).

These verses speak of the unruly tongue spoken of in James that is deceived into thinking it does not have to bring our thoughts into subjection unto Christ and will not let anyone rule “over us”. The end result of the way that seems right unto a man is a great fire, a great fall, and Babylon crashing to the ground, as we will read here in James.

Jas 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
Jas 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word (2Co 10:5), the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Jas 3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body [symbol for us today of running with horses through Christ (running with men in the court first, then running with Christ in the heavens) Jer 12:5].
Jas 3:4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth [symbol of our ability through Christ to overcome the false doctrines of Babylon by being led into all truth with the comforter which is the governor Eze 27:25, Joh 16:13].
Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Jas 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell [this fire can be both positive and negative, but when it is the coals from the altar of God spoken of in (Isa 6:6) it is going to set “on fire the course of nature” the first man Adam].

God has made us subject to this vain tongue for so long, so that the contrast will be there when we see the results of the new purified tongue that is now subject unto God and able to bring forth living waters as a result of the tree of life abiding within us (Joh 7:38, Jas 3:11).

Pro 3:18 She is a tree of life [the church, the body of Christ] to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Psa 12:5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffethH6315 at him.
Psa 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

These two verses show the mercy that God has upon us by destoying the beast by the breath of life that He puffs at us so that the words which are initially wrapped around the idols of our hearts can become the purified words “The words of the LORD [which] are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times”

puffethH6315 [H8686 = Hiphil] pûach
BDB Definition: 1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to exhale or breathe
1b2) to puff, snort
1b3) to excite, inflame
1b4) to puff, pant for it
1b5) to breathe out, utter
1b6) to blow, blast

Strong’s: A primitive root; to puff that is blow with the breath or air; hence to fan (as a breeze) to utter to kindle (a fire) to scoff: – blow (upon) break puff bring into a snare speak utter.

Eze 21:31 And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.
Eze 21:32 Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.

Psa 12:7 Thou shalt keep^H8104 [guard/hedge] them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve^H5341 [guard/hidden] them from this generation for ever.

In order to be kept/preserved, we must be of the generation which is judged in this age, and only by this chastening and scourging and much tribulation and being dragged to Christ do we cease from sinning and start to truly lay up store in heaven and trim our lamps and make our selves ready for the return of Christ; is, was and will be.

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Psa 83:3 They [“them from this generation”, within and without] have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

1Pe 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

To be of “them” that “Thou shalt keep… [and] preserve from this generation”; “for ever^H5769” is simply telling us that “them” that God keeps^H8104 “keep those things which are written therein” (Rev 1:3) and preserve^H5341 the word or keep as a watchman the word so that we can be of that generation^H1755 who have the gold of God purified in their heavens. Interesting to note the word d’or in French looks very similar to this word for generation^H1755.

Psa 12:8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

As long as we are in this flesh, “wicked walk on every side” (within and without) because God allows “the vilest men” to be exalted in the earth today, again to create contrast and to remind us that our calling is on the backs of their unbelief and that we can only overcome those chief of sinners within us through Christ. Had God not dragged us, being purified in this age, in this generation, we would have continued in our sin and died (Joh 8:24, 1Jn 3:3) and not been preserved from this wicked and adulterous generation that we are in today.

When we all first read the words “Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none” (Joh 18:9), we did not understand that we would have to be shown so much about “the vilest men” within us who could only be dethroned by the brightness of his coming.

We had no idea what we would have to suffer as Paul learned (Act 9:16), so that “the wicked” who “walk on every side” within us could be destroyed and through that destruction of the man of sin, a new life would be born that exalts only God and gives God all the glory for every part of this purification process that we are called unto.

Christ will convince His wife that His love is stedfast for her, and that His desire for her is perfect and holy, as is his ability to save her so that she can drink that cup and be matured through this life so that she can go out and do what Christ has done for us, saying, “Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none”. Saviours will come up on mount Zion (Oba 1:21).

Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Our prayer is that God will help each and every one of us to not neglect so great a salvation by stirring up His spirit, within this little flock, not only providing for the physical as God provides the means, but through encouragement, comfort and exhortation — which is the true spirit of prophesy that we abundantly need as His children in this ever darkening world.

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

2Ti 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

1Co 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

1Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.

One last question: who is it to whom Christ is giving us to say, “that none shall be lost”?

Joh 18:9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.