Psalm 12 follows directly from Psalm 11. When the foundations are shaken what can Your people do? This lament is not about faithlessness outside the covenant community, but mourns the tactics of a faithless Church, pastors who substitute platitudes and flattery for the Word of God, substituting optimism for faith, boasting for courage, and man's words for the Word of God.
1 Save, Lord (Yeshua - Jesus)!
for the saints have failed and the amen corner is corrupt. (faithless means literally, those who amen)
2 Shepherds (pastors) speak flattering lies,
they say one thing, mean another.
3 Lord, silence this flattery,
tongues boasting,
4 "What we say is what we are.
We make our own reality."
5 Here's the true Word of God:
"Because the needy are afflicted
I hear their crying and arise.
I will save them from your hot air!"
6 God's word is pure,
like silver rolled in dirt,
yet smelted seven times.
7 Lord, as You preserve your Word,
preserve us, too, from this man-made faith forever.
8 Walk around the wicked always
until their depravity bubbles up.
(Psalm 12 -- My translation based on Hebrew)
Yippeee kiyi-yay!
It's a brand new day!
Saddle up -- let's ride
with the get-along, go-along gang.
Well the times they got pretty tough,
and the old-time religion just waren't enough;
so just to keep the pilgrims happy
we made up somethin' a lot more snappy.
Enough with all this covenant love,
we got the orders from up above,
the bishop that is, God don't care,
He's gone and left us in the air.
Yippeee kiyi-yay
It's a brand new day!
Saddle up -- let's ride
with the get-along, go-along gang.
We know what folks need in times like this,
something we control and can't dismiss,
optimism's better by far than faith,
I make my own truth by what I say.
So give me a pastor with flattering lips,
who can teach me a few of his shibboleths,
tell me how my life can be successful,
that's what I need, that's where I'm faithful.
Yippeee kiyi-yay
It's a brand new day!
Saddle up -- let's ride
with the get-along, go-along gang.
You can have the poor, they're the first to go
when money's scarce and adversity blows.
We'll edit the Scriptures, take out the stuff,
that we decide doesn't measure up.
People wrote the Bible, didn't they?
We're people, too, and it's a brand new day.
It ain't boasting if you can do it.
Let's find a tradition and get down to it!
Yippeee kiyi-yay
It's a brand new day!
Saddle up -- let's ride
with the get-along, go-along gang.
Now, don't despair when God goes silent.
We've got a new Word that ain't so violent.
No cross, no blood, no sacrifice,
Just friends and fellowship --now ain't that nice.
Forget everything you thought you knew
You tell us what it means to you.
We've got it all for your small pledge,
Our religion gives YOU the edge.
(From heaven: .. of the blade, that is)
Yippeee kiyi-yay
It's a brand new day!
Saddle up -- let's ride
with the get-along, go-along gang.
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