The Psalmist’s Profession of Uprightness.
A Psalm of David.
101 I will sing of lovingkindness and [a]justice,
To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.
2 I will [b]give heed to the [c]blameless way.
When will You come to me?
I will walk within my house in the [d]integrity of my heart.
3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the [e]work of those who fall away;
It shall not fasten its grip on me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will know no evil.
5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will [f]destroy;
No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.6 My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a [g]blameless way is the one who will minister to me.
7 He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who speaks falsehood shall not [h]maintain his position before me.
8 Every morning I will [i]destroy all the wicked of the land,
So as to cut off from the city of the Lord all those who do iniquity.
At first, this psalm seems to be all about keeping oneself pure and upright, and so it is. But there’s a bit more to it than that. I was listening to something yesterday that talked about peer pressure, something we all fight, not just kids, and not just to do outright “evil” things. It isn’t enough just to try not to sin. Jesus called us to be salt and light in this world. It isn’t enough to promote good if we condone the dishonest works of others.
The psalmist mentions some of those, though perhaps not in the same terms. So let’s start in v. 5 with “secret slandering”, which we would call gossip. While David’s plan to “destroy” them might seem a bit extreme, that word could have been translated “silence”. That’s probably a bit more appropriate response, but the deed itself is no less dangerous. Gossip tears people down and can literally destroy them, so perhaps David wasn’t so extreme after all.
He continues to emphasize the importance of associating with the right people. We need people who will “minister” to us, or build us up, not those who will have a negative impact. Falsehood and deceit should have no place in our lives, and we should encourage our friends to leave it far behind as well. Do we just “cut off” those who are tempting us to do something we know we shouldn’t?
That depends on how stubborn they are I suppose. If we stand up for what is right, and they insist on continuing down the same path, then we need to be okay with parting ways, even if it isn’t permanent. But change needs to happen, one way or another. Perhaps they’ll come around, but if they persist, and they are dragging you down, then the change needs to be on your end.
So be careful what you condone, even if it is by your silence. Don’t be afraid to speak up for what is right, but always do it with grace and compassion in your heart. Otherwise, you’re no better than the clanging cymbal Paul warned the Corinthians about. Be different, and choose every day to be like Jesus.