Dealing with hypocrisy

 Psalm 41:1–13 (ESV):  

1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! 

In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; 

2  the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; 

he is called blessed in the land; 

you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 

3  The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; 

in his illness you restore him to full health. 

4  As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; 

heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 

5  My enemies say of me in malice, 

“When will he die, and his name perish?” 

6  And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, 

while his heart gathers iniquity; 

when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 

7  All who hate me whisper together about me; 

they imagine the worst for me. 

8  They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; 

he will not rise again from where he lies.” 

9  Even my close friend in whom I trusted, 

who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 

10  But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, 

and raise me up, that I may repay them! 

11  By this I know that you delight in me: 

my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 

12  But you have upheld me because of my integrity, 

and set me in your presence forever. 

13  Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, 

from everlasting to everlasting! 

Amen and Amen. 

In these verses we see how David starts generically talking about how God blesses, ‘the one who considers the poor’. He then applies this to his life and realises that considering those that have less or are weaker than yourself somehow leads to God’s blessing. Showing mercy, being courteous, kind and demonstrating compassion to those who need it means that in some way you earn God’s favour. If you do it with the right motives of course, as God sees the heart and intention of your actions. 

David then considers how this relates to his present position. He recognises that although he is very ill, yet, ‘The Lord sustains him’. Not only that, but he is aware that God is also; restoring him, has given him favour throughout his country, has not given up on him or given him over to his enemies. David acknowledges that despite the current pain and suffering, he is still blessed! God is still showing favour to him and David puts this down to the fact that he has shown kindness and compassion to those who are poor and needy, and has done his best to be a man of integrity living his life following God. David considers himself blessed even at this time when he is significantly ill and repentant. He is waiting for, yet assured of, the fact that God will restore him both physically and spiritually, because although he knows he is not perfect, he has lived his life doing his best to honour God and consider others. 

This season was not easy for David. Although he was assured of God’s blessing and mercy, he still had to endure the discomfort physically, spiritually and emotionally. It still hurt, he still suffered. David tells us that there are people that are visiting him that are awaiting his death and spreading news of his demise. Those that should have shown concern for his current illness are actually gathering to see if it will finish him off and then spreading rumours of his decline. Yet David knew that he was being healed and restored. Therefore there must have been signs of improvement but these people chose not to see it and certainly did not want it. These people, even close friends, went to see him pretending to have concern and compassion, but instead of trying to help or hope for his recovery they spread false rumours that, ‘he will not rise again’. These people weren’t just any visitors either for they have intimate access to the king. So they must have been trusted advisers, friends, courtiers, influential people in David’s realm. Not everyone would have access to the chambers of the king especially when he was weak, only significant people in the king's life would have the permission to see him. Yet these people abused their privilege and showed their real character through this time of David’s suffering. They revealed that they are not friends or trusted counsellors but enemies instead of caring for David and showing concern for his decline they revelled in it. What a heartbreaking situation to find yourself in. When those you care about, trust, love and have built life with, root for your destruction. Not only was David dealing with repentance, blessing and illness, he also had to deal with the emotional upheaval of changing relationships. They thought he would be able to do nothing about their altered attitudes as they waited expectantly for his death. Yet he knew their thoughts and actions and was given confidence that, ‘my enemy will not shout in triumph over me’. God must have shown David that his recovery was coming as he knew he was not as unwell as others desired. He was certain that God was upholding him because of his integrity, due to his behaviour towards God and others so he was assured that this season would result in full health and restoration and the blessing of God.

Times of trouble can reveal who is really for you and who is not. David began to recognise that some people were hypocritical and had transformed themselves from close counsellors into enemies. Yet he did not do anything about it whilst he was unwell. He waited. He did not throw them out or prevent them from coming to see him. Maybe he was waiting to gather further evidence to see if his concerns were validated. He did not react out of fear or anger, but knew that God would deal with them and that he would have an opportunity to, ‘repay them’. He had a God-given assurance that in good time, all would be made right. Even though experiencing hypocrisy is infuriating, it does not always need calling out and confronting straight away. Allow yourself time to consider the circumstances, the person and talk to God about it like David did. It will be frustrating, feel powerless and painful, but God will show you how to deal with such people. Their comeuppance is coming, you need to ensure that you continue to live with integrity and maintain your own good conduct and character. David was determined to do this - to maintain his right standing before God, to not respond until he was fully recovered and to allow God to influence how to deal with these deceitful people. So if you find yourself having to deal with a similar situation, do not rush to react or let your emotions get out of hand. Instead trust that God will reveal truth and restore you. He will not allow the enemies of His dedicated followers prevail. He didn’t allow that for David, and He won’t allow that for you. So, keep; praying, waiting and trusting that God sees and knows all. He will sustain and restore you too. So, when you suffer, when you have times of trial, when people disappoint and come against you - keep mindful about what God is doing, who He is and what you can expect of Him. Consider your relationship with Him and your behaviour towards others. David was confident that he would be restored and his name and integrity upheld. God will do the same for you as you continue to walk with Him, lead a life of integrity and care for the poor. Ensure that you live a life that allows you with full confidence to say along with David that God has, 'upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

Which assembly do you wish to be part of?

Psalm 26:1–12 (ESV): 

1  Vindicate me, O Lord, 

for I have walked in my integrity, 

and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 

2  Prove me, O Lord, and try me; 

test my heart and my mind. 

3  For your steadfast love is before my eyes, 

and I walk in your faithfulness. 

4  I do not sit with men of falsehood, 

nor do I consort with hypocrites. 

5  I hate the assembly of evildoers, 

and I will not sit with the wicked. 

6  I wash my hands in innocence 

and go around your altar, O Lord, 

7  proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, 

and telling all your wondrous deeds. 

8  O Lord, I love the habitation of your house 

and the place where your glory dwells. 

9  Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, 

nor my life with bloodthirsty men, 

10  in whose hands are evil devices, 

and whose right hands are full of bribes. 

11  But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; 

redeem me, and be gracious to me. 

12  My foot stands on level ground; 

in the great assembly I will bless the Lord. 

I find it interesting that David says, ‘I love the habitation of your house’ as at the time David wrote this there was no temple of God. David desired to build one, but God told him that his son would do it, not him. So the altar and the ark of the covenant still had no permanent home. It was placed in a large tent (like in the time of Moses). This was the ‘house’ of God, the place of worship in David’s time. It was not permanent or solid, yet it was a secure environment that was pleasant to be in because God’s ‘glory dwells’ there. Wherever God’s glory dwells it is a place of safety, acceptance, fun, deliverance, mercy and love, so why wouldn’t David love to be there?! 

In contrast, David also talks about the ‘assembly of evildoers’, where sin, lying, hypocrisy, wickedness and general godlessness abound. One assembly is full of thanksgiving and praise of God and the other is full of bribes and 'bloodthirsty men'. Which assembly would you like to be a part of? In life, you get to choose the kinds of people you spend time with and the places you go. David was aware of this, and he was also conscious of the fact that the places you go and the people you surround yourself with impact you. So, who do you choose to be with? Who are you allowing to influence your life? 

Even if you would choose to only spend time with those who are part of the house of God, the reality is that sometimes you will be around people that you would rather not be. Whether that is at work, in your community or when travelling, you will be in the presence of people that are not following God. David is prepared for these interactions and situations as he learnt a good technique for when he needs to be around these people. He determines not to ‘sit’ with them. That may sound simple or even a bit rude, but David ensures that he does not get comfortable being around the wicked. He does not allow their schemes or  advice hold sway in his life. He has worked out that when he is around those that lie and do evil he limits the time he is with them. He does not hang out with them, take a comfortable position or seek to stay around the wicked for long. David knows you can end up being influenced by their ideas and ideals and it can affect your integrity, mind, decisions and faith. Therefore he does not give these people permission to 'sit' in his presence, and he chooses not to 'sit' with them either. Are you mindful of the people you choose spend time with? When you are around them, do their behaviours and attitudes sway you? Do they have a good, godly influence on you, or do they lead you to damage your character and integrity? Ensure that when you leave the company of others you can say as David did that you, ‘wash my hands in innocence’.

David knows what it is like to be amongst the godly and the ungodly, and has realised what is better for him. His desire is to continue to live his life surrounded by those that honour God. He wants to keep living in integrity. Therefore he ensures that he, even though he is a; mighty, powerful, famous, busy king, gets to the place of worship regularly. David knows that the only way that he can keep living well and keep his integrity, is if he puts worshipping and honouring God at the forefront of his life. David realises that he needs to put himself in the presence of God and surround himself with the right ‘assembly’ of people so that he can ‘bless the Lord’ and keep his life righteous. 

Being with God’s people in God's house should be far more attractive than ‘the assembly of evildoers’. When you meet in the dwelling place of God, His presence is tangible. It is a place worship, sacrifice, cleansing, praise, strengthening and thanksgiving. Whereas where the wicked meet is full of lies, hypocrisy, harm, greed and violence. Where would you rather be?

Do you love going to a place of worship? Do you look forward to meeting with other believers? If not, why not? Meeting as an assembly of believers should be something you yearn to do, where you experience the love, presence and forgiveness of God - what could be better than that?! Meeting as church should be fun and bring revelation and freedom, helping people clean up their lives and giving thanks for God’s many, ‘wondrous deeds’. An opportunity for you to share what God has been doing in your life, to give and receive prayer and teaching, to challenge and change you more into the image of Christ. Can you say along with David, 'I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells'?

Are you the kind of person God wants to spend time with?

Psalm 15:1–5 (ESV):  

1  O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? 

Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 

2  He who walks blamelessly and does what is right 

and speaks truth in his heart; 

3  who does not slander with his tongue 

and does no evil to his neighbour, 

nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 

4  in whose eyes a vile person is despised, 

but who honours those who fear the Lord; 

who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 

5  who does not put out his money at interest 

and does not take a bribe against the innocent. 

He who does these things shall never be moved. 

This psalm shows us the type of person God wishes to spend time with. There are specific characteristics that God is looking for in those he invites into His tent. These attributes demonstrate the character and integrity of a person and the morals that they live by. 

So, who does God want being involved in His life - what kind of person does He invite into His town and even His tent?

From this psalm we can see that God values and desires to have time with those who;

• Do the right thing. Both openly and in secret. (V2)
• Are honest. Even about how they are really feeling. They say what they mean and mean what they say (v2)
• Do not speak badly of others - no gossip, accusing, or going along with what everyone else says (even if you think it is true) (v3)
• Do not cause harm to others, or do/say things that will only benefit themselves but not anyone else. (v3)
• Respects and honours his friends even when he disagrees with them and their actions. Someone who does not express criticism, disapproval or disappointment in those they care about with other people. (v3)
• Is mindful of whom they admire. (v4) Someone who does not extol or promote a person who does not follow God. Who in fact hates the evil within them, no matter what they have achieved. Yet always speaks well of and honours those who follow God. Even when they go awry or do not seem impressive. (v4)
• Admit it when they are in pain - whether that's emotional, mental or physical, and still keep following God. They remember who they are and who they belong to and so do not allow disappointment or discomfort change their behaviour. These people are genuine. No matter what life throws at them they keep going in faith with no pretence. (v4)
• Do not make a profit out of people less fortunate than themselves.
• Accepts no bribery.

Are you this kind of person? Do you have the characteristics of someone God wants to spend time with?

Overall, it seems that God is looking for genuine people. Not perfect ones. This psalm, interestingly, does not say anything about being free from sin, it is all about how you treat others and how honest you are with them (and yourself). Although, a perfect God cannot tolerate sin and anyone who would want this invite into God's presence would be aware and conscious of that. That is why Jesus lived and died - to mend the brokenness and clean the sin that gets in the way of us having a relationship with God. This psalm is written for those who accept God's forgiveness and want to get closer to God. The purpose then of this psalm is to show those who wish to be more intimate with God what He is looking for. 

God is looking for; genuine, honest, open, kind people of integrity. When He looks at you, what will he find? Are you living as someone God wants to spend time with? 

What do you use your words for?

 Psalm 12:1–8 (ESV): 

1  Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. 

2  Everyone utters lies to his neighbour; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. 

3  May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, 

4  those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us"

5  “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” 

6  The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. 

7  You, O Lord, will keep them; 

you will guard us from this generation forever. 

8  On every side the wicked prowl, 

as vileness is exalted among the children of man. 

What do you use your words for? 

Here the psalmist tells us, ‘everyone utters lies’, people have, ‘flattering lips’ and ‘a double heart’. Does this in any way describe you? No-one would like to categorise themselves like this, but if you are honest with yourself; do you lie, use flattery or say things you do not mean? Even if you think it is not important and maybe you only do these things in certain situations or with certain people this is still not what is considered, ‘godly’ or ‘faithful’ behaviour. 

Can you sense the author's frustration with people who behave in this way? David, who wrote this psalm, feels surrounded by people who do not display integrity in how they communicate, and he hates it. He states, ‘the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished’. When you are amongst people who lie, boast, flatter and say what they don't mean it is difficult to trust them. It is hard to make friends or get things done when those around you are not genuine. Hence David's frustration. Those who speak the truth and do not try to ingratiate themselves or elevate themselves through their communications are hard to find, but invaluable. You can trust people that are genuine, you can build with them as they will do what they say and say what they do, no more no less. Are you someone like that? and do you endeavour to invite people into your life who are like that? Or would you rather surround yourself with people who say whatever they think you want to hear rather than the truth? Sometimes the truth is hard to hear and so it is easier to have those that will just agree with you, but it won's ultimately do you any good and you could well end up feeling like David does and ask yourself "where have all the good people gone?"!

Do you appreciate and take guidance from people that you know are real, natural, honest and fair?Are you someone like that - speaking the truth without embellishment, flattery or hypocrisy? When you communicate with others do you realise that you demonstrate something of who you are and who God is to you? The Bible tells us the mouth is the overflow of the heart - so what do you display as you speak?

The Bible has lots of warnings and advice about how we communicate, in fact it is quite clear that there is an inherent problem with how we use speech. We are told that the tongue is easily used but difficult to tame. Therefore lies, flattery and contradictory words can spill out causing wickedness and harm. The Bible is full of instruction about how you and I speak, not just in this psalm. Do you take notice of it? 

The way you use words is important. Words have power. This is implied in verse 4 and the writer of Proverbs agrees, ‘The tongue has the power of life and death.’ (18:21). So what are you doing with the powerful instrument you have in your body? In Psalm 12 the words that are spoken are for selfish gain - lies, flattery and hypocrisy used to gain; influence, power, strength and opportunity. What are you using the power that you have within you to achieve? Are your words bringing life or death, and what do you want them to do? 

You have responsibility in what you say, and also the way in which you receive the words spoken to you. Times have not really changed since this psalm was written. People are still lying, unfaithful, hypocritical, boastful and flattering. There are some who are not - look out for them and get to know them. It is hard to know who to follow and who to trust. Yet there is One that you can always depend on, whose words, 'are pure words’. The words of God are the words you can always, absolutely, 100% trust. God will speak truth and life to you and over you - are you listening to Him? Do you allow God's words to influence your life and do you allow God to influence the way you speak? God knows words have power - He made the universe with them! Since creation God has given mankind some of His influence and power - what are you doing with it? 

God wants to help you to be a faithful steward, and this includes being godly and faithful in how you speak. Do you take notice of what God is trying to teach you? Are you aware of the power of your words? Your words can bring life and can destroy, they can build up and tear down - what are you using your words for?

Yes and No

If you are a determined disciple of Jesus, then the letter of James is helpful as it is very clear about how you should be living and speaking. In the verse we are considering today James continues his guidance on how you should speak;

my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. 

James 5:12 (ESV)

When James writes, ‘do not swear, either by heaven or earth', he is not referring to what we, today, usually consider ‘swearing’ - saying offensive words - I think James would take for granted that we should not be saying those types of things. Instead James here is teaching us about the integrity of our speech. 

James is instructing you to simply mean what you say. No more, no less. Do not confound people with language or give mixed messages, just be honest when you communicate. Make an effort to clearly get your message across and consider what you are agreeing to and what you are not. Do not give emotive in the moment responses, but be realistic about you can and will do. In so doing people will recognise that you are being honest in your communication and will learn to trust you. 

If you boast, show off, exaggerate or underplay things people will realise and will not be able to put much weight onto what you say because they are not sure how true it is. The same is true if you make promises or agreements to do something, and then fail to do it. Maybe you forget, get too busy, have no intention of doing something even though it seemed a good idea at the time, or what you said seemed to be what the person wanted to hear. Regardless of the reason, when you agree to do something you let people down when you don't do it. Then they will be less likely to rely and depend upon you in the future because they will feel that they cannot trust your words. If you know you are someone who lets people down by not measuring up to your words, James is instructing you to consider what you are saying yes and no to. 

It is important for you to realise that how you communicate can form people’s ideas of your character. People can discover if you are a person of integrity or not by how you communicate and what you are saying yes and no to. I wonder how you come across. What are you communicating about who you are in how you speak? 

When you carefully consider your ‘yes’ and ‘no’ you demonstrate trustworthiness and integrity. Don’t flit about, changing your mind all the time, or let people down because you have good intentions but poor organisation. If you know that’s you today, then do something about it. Learn to carefully consider your responses and be realistic about your capacity, availability, and your understanding. Get a diary if you need to, set a reminder, remember the busy-ness of your everyday life. Then you will be able to encourage and support others simply by honestly responding ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to what you can and will do. As a result you will grow in trustworthiness and integrity. 

It is a simple concept, just saying ‘yes’ and ‘no’, it is simple. Imagine if you were able to be open and honest in your communication, no bragging, exaggeration, emotive agreements, considering what you can commit to. Wouldn't that make life a bit easier? You wouldn't have to clarify or check up on things, you won't need to apologise for forgetting again, or not doing something again. How would that be for you and for the others you are in relationship with? Many people struggle with saying 'no' to things, but isn't it better to do that at first rather than letting people down?

It is important to consider your words because others’ will judge your character based on their experience of communication with you. If you profess to be someone who loves Jesus and follows God, what are you showing them about Him in how you communicate? 

Don't be too much

16*Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? *17*Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? *18*
Ecclesiastes 7:16–18.

‘Be not overly righteous’ - is that possible? Can we be TOO righteous? Can we be too justified?
‘Too wise’ how can anyone be too wise? does anyone know too much? Is anyone too clever?
How about ‘overly wicked’? We all probably agree that being wicked on any scale is not good, so why do we have here that we can be TOO wicked?
These verses can seem a bit odd, they seem to be saying that to be extreme in any quality, good or bad, is a bit over-the-top, and can 'destroy us', even the qualities think we should have.
I think Solomon is trying to warn us either not to become too focussed on these qualities or not to over-exaggerate them.

If we become too focussed on any one part of our life we lose focus on who we are, who God is and what we are built for, even if our focus seems to be something worthy and desirable like righteousness or wisdom. We can become absorbed in the pursuit and so become negligent of other areas of our lives. To be constantly striving after anything can be detrimental to our health and cause distance between us and others. It doesn’t do our mind, body or spirit any good to be striving after our passions whatever they may be, even if the intention is good.
I wonder if Solomon is showing through these verses that the passionate drive for wisdom and righteousness is just as destructive as the passionate drive for wickedness and foolishness. Maybe Solomon is trying to show us that the drive for even good things can, ‘destroy yourself’.
There is nothing wrong in wisdom or seeking righteousness, but are these things a constant pressure and worry on your mind? Do you feel good enough just as you are? You do not need to work hard to be made right with God nor to be acceptable to those around you. You are in enough in who you are. You don’t need to strive to be different or to be more than you are.

The other aspect of these verses concerns exaggeration. about not pretending to be more than you are. Just as we concluded the previous paragraph - you are enough in who you are, who you naturally are. Don’t exaggerate your personality or your experiences, don’t overdo who you portray yourself to be.
Why not? Because one day you will be found out. One day your wisdom will fail you, or you’ll err and you’ll be found to be not-so-righteous. Solomon also invites us not to be, 'overly wicked', we still sometimes do bad things, we can act in wicked ways, even as christians. Solomon has seen that this can end with 'destroying yourself'. We know the areas we each struggle in, and it is ok to make mistakes, but are you constantly getting yourself into the same trouble? If so then you need to exercise self-control and ask God for help to overcome the issue. Also, we dot need to play on our weaknesses. we don't have to pretend that we are worse than we are. we may think this helps others relate to us, but, if we confess to be christians, then we should be able to handle 'wickedness' differently. Then we come down to foolishness, the last of the qualities mentioned. How can we be foolish? Foolishness, being silly, not considering the effects of our actions, these things can be fools as well as just being a joker and playing about. Foolishness is not about having fun, of course life should be fun, but if your fun is at the expense of others then it is foolish.

Solomon tells us not to be 'overly' any of these things. Don’t play up or down your wickedness, foolishness, wisdom or righteousness. you don't need to show off who you are or even who God is. If you do, one day it will backfire. People see through the hype, the exaggeration and realise the truth. Don't be fake, be a person of integrity.
You don’t need to play up to the person people expect you to be or whom you think you should be. You don’t need to pretend or strive to be; more wise, foolish, righteous or wicked than you already are. Just live your life as it is. This will demonstrate the fruit of what God has done more than any hype or exaggeration can, you do not need to put on an act, it's hardwork.
If you are natural and accepting of your own levels of righteousness, wisdom, foolishness and wickedness then you have integrity and people will respect you for who you are and they will probably see you as a regular human being, just like themselves - what better way to demonstrate God's great love for them? If God loves and accepts you just as you are, then surely there's hope that He will love and accept them too?!