Psalm 120:1-7
I Lift Up My Eyes
1A song of ascents. In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me.
2Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.
3What will He do to you, and what will be added to you, O deceitful tongue?
4Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree!
5Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!
6Too long have I dwelt among those who hate peace.
7I am in favor of peace; but when I speak, they want war.
Berean Standard Bible
This song of ascent begins in distress. The singer called to the LORD, and God answered. He asks to be saved from lying lips and a deceitful tongue, because false speech has become a form of warfare.
The deceitful tongue will receive sharp arrows and burning coals. The singer laments that he dwells among people who hate peace; he is for peace, but when he speaks, they are for war. The journey toward worship begins with a community where peace is resisted.
Questions
1 What happened when the singer called?
AnswerThe LORD answered him in his distress.
2 What does he need deliverance from?
AnswerHe needs deliverance from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.
3 What does the singer want?
AnswerHe wants peace, even though the people around him prefer war.
4 How does false speech function?
AnswerIt functions as a weapon that can injure like arrows or burning coals.
What This Means for Us
Peace can be resisted by people who benefit from conflict. Keep speaking truth without pretending every argument can be solved by a softer phrase.
The singer's distress reminds us that words may create real danger. Protect people targeted by lies rather than calling the conflict merely verbal.
Prayer
God of peace, answer people surrounded by lies and hostility. Protect them from deceitful speech, give them wise allies, and teach us to pursue peace without denying the reality of conflict. Amen.