Sunday, November 21. 2021 AM

So the Lord surrounds his people from this time forth and forevermore. As I said Christmas choir begins tonight because of that. Choir will be meeting in here and then if you choose not to be in choir.

You'll be over in the fellowship hall. So we'll be meeting in there also in the back if you haven't picked up your directory updates. Look for your name and your slot in the little mailbox back there.

There'll be some manila envelopes. There may be some new pictures and and addresses in there for new members. And then there's also some sheets in there that you may need to just update some address information or phone number information for existing members.

So if you have any more updates to that let Tristan call know and she will help make those updates. Mentioned it last week, but the church Michael and a few other guys have some a podcast that they're putting together and that'll get started up and we'll be able to listen To it starting the first of the year 2022 but if you have any questions Q &A or ideas, please shoot those to Michael either via email or there'll be a section on the church website Where you can kind of fill out a form and submit those that way.

Thank you to everybody who helped contribute to the Thanksgiving dinner last week. It was a blessing to be together to share in a meal to share in fellowship as well. And then continue to be in prayer for our deacons particularly particularly the new ones that we have here at the church.

Any other announcements before we start worship this morning? We're gonna have a time just for prayer and quiet reflection. And then after we're done with that Brian will come up and open us in prayer.

Father in heaven that the privilege of being here this morning is He's eternal. To be with brothers and sisters Heirs to the kingdom forgiven by the blood of Christ Encouraged by the fellowship Taught by the word Led by the Holy Spirit.

Lord may our lives reflect This gift this gift that no one else no thing else could provide humble our hearts. May our gratitude be daily and may you expand our understanding and knowledge of your word.

We look forward to that day when one day We will see you face to face and rejoice eternally With those Saints who've gone before now Lord. Let us worship you and praise you and thank you. We ask these things in Christ's name Amen.

Well, good morning, we're gonna have a call to worship and if you would stand This is from Psalm 72 verses 5 through 7 and if you haven't caught on and it took me some instruction from my My boss over here that we each month.

We're using a psalm as a theme and this is 72 this week. So if you say this with me May they fear you while the Sun endures and as long as the moon throughout all generations. May he be like rain that falls from the mown grass Like showers that water the earth in his days.

May the righteous flourish and peace abound Till the moon be no more. There are psalms for worship 72a.

It comes from the Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah chapter 7 starting in verse 18 and we'll be reading through chapter 8 verse 4. So if you have your Bibles, I encourage you to turn there follow along. I'll be reading from the ESV the English Standard Version.

Yours may vary a little bit if you've got a different translation. But I think you'll be able to follow along. So Isaiah chapter 7 starting in verse 18 in that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that as at the end of the streams of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria and they will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the clefts of the rocks and on all the thorn bushes and on all the pastures.

In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the river with the king of Assyria. The head and the hair of the feet and it will sweep away the beard. Also in that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep and Because of the abundance of milk they give he will eat curds.

For everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver Will become briars and thorns. With bow and arrows a man will come there for all the land will be briars and thorns.

And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe. You will not come there for fear of briars and thorns. They will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. Then the Lord said to me Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters belonging to Maher Shalal Hashbaz.

And I will get reliable witnesses Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jebe Jebarekiah to attest for me. And I went to the prophetess and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me Call his name Maher Shalal Hashbaz.

For before the boy knows how to cry my father or my mother. The wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria. This is the word of the Lord. Would you pray with me Almighty God.

Great and merciful Father. Thank you for giving us your word and may we give attention to your word this morning as we read of the certainty of your judgment on nations. With that same certainty, we know that there will come a day When all things will come to an end on this planet and you will judge the righteous and the unrighteous you will separate the sheep from the goats.

You will as with a razor strip away all the things that We tend to trust in but that provide no hope. Lord as we have read in this passage of Not only the certainty of your judgment But the promise of deliverance and a deliverer.

You have kept your word in that by sending Jesus the Messiah the Anointed One In whom is all our hope and trust. Lord may we look to Christ today and be kept safe From the judgment that is to come and Lord even if in these days in which we now live We find ourselves in seasons of distress and Want Lord help us to remain faithful To keep our eyes upon Jesus.

You are faithful. You are good, and we give you thanks for your mercies that are new every morning in Christ. In his name we pray amen.

You may be seated. The next three songs come from Again a heart of gratitude Come ye thankful people come that's going to be five five nine We gather together 561 And then a praise chorus that Dennis Jernigan wrote.

Thank you Lord. Lord together in prayer. We thank you for this day.

We are grateful to you for all that you've done and for all that you're doing indeed. We thank you that You have reconciled us through your son Jesus Christ. It is the same Christ who is truly God and truly man who reigns today at your right hand.

Who is above all? Who is the answer to our greatest need. We thank you for him and for all the blessings we have in Christ. Lord we ask that as we come to your word today. That we would love it. Because it is of you it is your words.

Help us Lord to gain wisdom to know how to live our lives and to know thus saith the Lord therefore. This is how we will live. Please fill us with more thankfulness this coming week and in the coming years of our lives Lord that you have given unto us.

Again, Lord, we thank you and we pray all this in Christ's name. Amen. We'll be in Psalm 5 this morning. Psalm 5. Earlier in the book of Psalms, we have the morning and evening hymns. Psalms 3 4 respectively these were Psalms that were written by David when he experienced the political rebellion of his own son Absalom and These were difficult times for David to put it lightly.

Yet we see from these Psalms that David responded with faith. Knowing that God will sustain his saints and be a comfort and a confidence for them. Even in dark times. What a joy that is to know. And now we come to Psalm 5 where yet again David is facing evil.

The situation specifically is unclear to us. Some have made the point that it's another morning hymn during Absalom's rebellion. Some have said that this is during the reign of Saul and Whenever this took place we do know That this Psalm has spiritual wisdom and guidance with what we should do when faced with evil.

Now, let's go to the inspire text and see what David writes. What the Holy Spirit writes. I would encourage you to stand for the reading of God's Word as we hear what our Lord says. Psalm 5. To the chief musician with flutes a psalm of David.

Give ear to my words. Oh Lord consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry my king and my God for to you. I will pray. My voice you shall hear in the morning. Oh Lord in the morning I will direct it to you and I will look up.

For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness nor shall evil dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand in your sight. You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood.

The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But as for me I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercy in fear of you. I will worship toward your holy temple. Lead me. Oh Lord in your righteousness because of my enemies make your way straight before my face.

For there's no faithfulness in their mouth. Their inward part is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue. Pronounce them guilty. Oh God, let them fall by their own counsels.

Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions. For they have rebelled against you. But let all those rejoice who put their trust in you. Let them ever shout for joy because you defend them. Let those also who love your name be joyful in you for you.

Oh Lord will bless the righteous with favor. You will surround him as with a shield praise God. This is his word. You may be seated. Evil was a very potent reality that constantly confronted David in a variety of ways in his lifetime.

While he was blessed of the Lord He still had to contend with evil in many ways and such is the situation for every saints of the Lord. Being much blessed by him but still having to contend daily with evils that confront us in our workplaces in our church and our nations and in our very homes.

And so with that in mind How can a Christian respond to evil around us, how should we respond to that which we face and God has given us Guidance in this particular psalm when faced with evil pray. Pray.

This is where we find David when he's confronted by sin he comes before the Lord. There are several different aspects to his prayer in psalm 5 and we'll take a look at each one. But before we begin I'd like to make clear that the Bible the Word of God Gives us much more guidance and knowledge about how to address sin and how to Contend against it.

This solution that we find this guidance in psalm 5 is not an exhaustive answer. But the Word of God gives us wisdom to know how to respond to evil. We need only look at our Savior Jesus Christ while he was ministering on earth.

How did he respond to evil? With godly questions with rightly timed actions and reactions. With wielding the Word of God effectively against lies and he also took time to pray. So with that in mind, let's examine David's prayer in psalm 5.

The first aspect of his prayer in psalm 5 is that when faced with evil he prays with a sincere heart in verses 1 through 3. David sets the stage for the rest of the psalm beginning in these verses. He opens with a genuineness of heart and mind.

We see specifically how he prays with a sincere heart before the Lord first. By being real in verses 1 and 2. Take a look at those verses. Verses 1 and 2 he says give ear to my words Oh Lord consider my meditation and give heed to the voice of my cry.

David offers up the words of his mouth the meditation of his heart and the voice of his cry. He is transparent before the Lord. He comes not with falsehood not with a half-hearted attitude. But he comes being real before the Lord.

David prays in two ways with his mouth and with his heart yet. They're both unified in seeking God. How good it is for the saints of God to be real in prayer. To not hold fast to lies or distractions during time with the Lord.

But to offer up both the words of the mouth and the meditation of the heart. How good it is to be real in prayer knowing that we were once rebels against God. But have been brought into the kingdom by Jesus Christ.

We can be real and open and it's because of Christ that God hears our prayers as a father hears his children. Because we are in the Son and we are therefore sons of God praise God. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ himself gave us guidance on being real in prayer and the gospel of Matthew.

Christ says and when you pray you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets that they may be seen by men. Assuredly I say to you they have their reward but you when you pray go into your room and when you have shut your door pray to your father who is in the secret place and your father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

And. When you pray do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think they will be heard for their many words. When faced with evil pray with a sincere heart being real before the Lord. Trust Christ and offer up to the Lord the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart casting all of your cares upon him for he cares for you and.

Of course, we can come before the Lord as sons of God because we have faith in the Son Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. Next. David prays with a sincere heart being humble. Excuse me in verse 2 we see that he refers to God as my king and my God.

David comes humbly before the Lord knowing him to be supreme and sovereign over every aspect of his life. Every aspect. Here is David who either at this time in his life was the king of Israel or was close to the king of Israel.

Yet he comes to the Lord saying you are the true king you are over all things. Whether we acknowledge or not that the Lord is supreme over all things. This does not change the reality of God's utter rule over all things.

The Saints come in prayer. We come humbly giving glory and honor to the Holy One. We confess we agree with God that he is both King and God. Similar words were spoken by Thomas after he beheld the risen Christ and Beheld the marks of death on his body.

Thomas said my Lord and my God. Saying that is everything. It's everything. Here is the true anointed of God in the form of Jesus Christ. The one who the Lord declares you are my son. Today I've begotten you ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.

All authority has been given to Christ who is our Lord our Savior our Shepherd our King and our God. Those who approach the throne of grace with pride and arrogance will not be heard for God resists the proud.

But he gives grace to the humble. Praise. God when faced with evil pray with a sincere heart being humble before him. It is Christ who rules over you and all else including the evil you face right now.

Let this reality be your comfort and rest in the battle against evil. David prays with a sincere heart being devoted and we see this in verses 2 3. For to you I will pray my voice you shall hear in the morning.

Oh Lord in the morning I will direct it to you and I will look up. David makes the commitment. I will pray you shall hear my voice in the morning in The morning before he begins his daily activities or addresses the evil any further.

He comes before the Lord praying to him. David also demonstrates devotion by directing his prayer to the Lord and the ESV translates this part of Psalm 5 as. Prepare a sacrifice for you. With intent and direction aimed toward the Lord David prays and offers up his prayer to the Lord.

Prayer is not a mindless act that requires little to no attention. This is something has thought behind it. It has Devotion behind it. Prayer is a gracious gift one that should be practiced with thankfulness and devotion.

The Saints should commit to prayer and make time in their days to speak with the Lord. Researching this part of Psalm 5. I ran across a quote from Charles Spurgeon and Regarding praying in the morning.

Spurgeon said this an hour in the morning is worth two in the evening. While the dew is on the grass let grace drop upon the soul. Let us give to God the morning of our days and the morning of our lives.

Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night. Devotion should be both the morning star and the evening star. End quote. If we ever lack devotion in our prayers look to Jesus Christ. Remind yourself of the gospel of who he is and what he's done for you.

Remember Jesus Christ. Know it's because of him that we can come to the Father that we have access a direct access To God the Lord of all the universe. Therefore having been justified by faith. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have Access by faith in this grace in which we stand.

Also Look to Christ as our example of being devoted in prayer. From the gospel of Luke it says he himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. He withdrew he secluded himself from everyone else to spend time with the Lord in secret prayer.

When faced with evil pray with a sincere heart. Being devoted when trials come do not forsake your time with the Lord. But continue with faithfulness devotion praying to him trusting him with everything.

David prays with a sincere heart also as he awaits an answer in verse 3. David not only prepares and lays his prayer before the Lord, but he looks up he lifts his eyes and waits with anticipation. For an answer and rest in the knowledge.

Dear friend that if you are a child of God in Christ the Lord will hear your prayer as a father hears his children and He will answer not according to our will not according to your will. But according to his perfect and goodwill, which is for his glory and for our good in Christ's name we pray.

First John says now this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. We look to Jesus again as our example. Consider his time on the night of his betrayal in the garden.

What did he do? When faced with a coming evil when faced with the wrath of God to come knowing exactly what it will be like. What he will face what evil he will confront. Christ comes before the Lord secluded in isolation and he prays father and.

While he prays he sweats drops of blood and he prayed. He prays with a sincere heart asking the father to hear his words. Consider his meditation and heed the voice of his cry in Christ's prayer. He is sincere.

He is humble. He is devoted and he awaits an answer an Answer according to God's will not his own. Listen to Christ's words. Father if it is your will take this cup away from me nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.

The Word of God is clear pray with a sincere heart. Awaiting an answer according to God's goodwill and he will give you an answer. Meditate upon the example of our beloved Christ when faced with evil.

He prayed and Let us do the same. Next in his prayer David considers God's holy character in two particular ways first God's holy intolerance in verses 4 through 6 and God's holy mercy in verses 7 and 8.

Concerning God's holy intolerance this for sure is not a word. We often use to describe God. Is it? Our culture and our churches now would say to use a word to describe God like so is Blasphemous it's wrong.

For they believe that God is Accepting of oneself for who they are how they behave and how they identify themselves. But we see something different in the Word of God. We see something different in Psalm 5, don't we?

We see God's holy intolerance on display in Verse 4. Take a look for you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness nor shall evil dwell with you. God takes no pleasure in sin. He does not seek it out.

He does not find satisfaction or entertainment in it. Sin finds absolutely no favor before God whatsoever. No sin dwells with him. The Lord is holy separate and set apart in his utter transcendence above all else.

No evil finds favor with him and no evil dwells with him. That is evil does not come to God's door and asks if it can spend the night. No. Both sin and the sinner are before God. He sees them and he will address them but not in a favorable way.

Verse 4 acts as the general introduction to how God views evil. But now in verse 5 David becomes a bit more specific. The boastful shall not stand in your sight. You hate all workers of iniquity. The proud will not stand before God those who would stand on their own merits their own strength.

Who would say look at me and how great I am. I make my stand with pride. They will not stand before God for he resists the proud. They will not stand on their own merits or abilities. But will face a holy God and will have to answer for their proud hearts and their boasting.

Next we see that God hates workers of iniquity those who practice sin. Habitually on a continuous basis day in day out night after night year after year. Once again, we see another word we don't often ascribe to God.

Many would say that the Lord does not hate. He is incapable of doing so. And we have to ask ourselves the question. Is this something that God is capable of doing? Does the Lord hate? According to God's holiness and the Word of God.

Yes He does so. We must be cautious here. However, for we must know that when God hates he does so in a perfectly just and good way. In a perfectly just and good way he does not sin. He does not hate in a sinful or wicked way.

James says do not be be deceived my beloved brethren every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and Comes down from the Father of lights. With whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

The Lord cannot act against his nature. He is holy and in a right and just way we see that his holy wrath is set against sin and against evildoers. Verse 6 you shall destroy those who speak falsehood.

The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. God destroys the liars. Is not truth important to God does not all truth come from him from his words. He is intolerant of those who would tell falsehood and falsehoods and lies rather than the truth.

Those who would take truth and twist it pervert it into something. It is not twist it into something else entirely lies dangerous lies that keep people from the truth and the Lord abhors he loathes and detests the bloodthirsty and Deceitful those who eagerly seek to shed blood and those who ever so subtly manipulate with deception.

In These three verses we see that God is intolerant of evil and evildoers. That he hates sin and the sinner. Why is he so intolerant of these people in these things? Why does he hate these things? Because he is good dear friend.

Because he's good and holy and just. I Appreciate the illustration used many times by Ray Comfort. Many of you have probably at least heard this man who does street evangelism and during his conversations He brings up this image of the mind.

If you were to see a judge who would be brought a guilty criminal. This man has done horrible acts of sin. The evidence is clearly there. Everything lines up. This man is guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt.

What if the judge were to take that case and not give it his full attention. To not give proper attention or proper justice to the case. What if you let the man go free? Is he a good judge on the other hand?

What if the judge was ready for the case? What if he was prepared he examined the evidence clearly and fully and what if he gave right justice to the man? Who was on trial and? Using this illustration dear friend.

I want to make sure that I'm not commenting on current events but I'm trying to show you with this illustration the holiness of God and I appreciate this illustration, but it pales in comparison To the holiness of God to how he is intolerant of sin and evil and how no evil will stand before him.

He will be sure as a good judge that all evil will be dealt with every sin and every sinner for all of time. For he is that good. David when faced with evil prays with confidence in God's holy intolerance.

He rests in the fact that God is not a mixed God sometimes good sometimes bad sometimes cruel sometimes nice. No, it was a comfort to meditate on the holy character of God when confronted with evil. He ran to the one who is altogether good altogether is the goodness of God and his holy intolerance a confidence for you dear friend in your prayers.

To meditate on his holy intolerance, and how he is altogether good and just. For we indeed face many evils today. And with that in mind can we see David's list of evils in our own society in our own land in today's world?

Yes, we do we face those who take pleasure in wickedness and many allow sin to dwell with them. How are people entertained in this world? Just look at Hollywood. Look at the newsstands look at the internet.

You see that people let sin dwell with them. They practice sin habitually on a continuous basis. We see the boastful they have the best of lives. They have found truth within themselves and They say you can only save yourself.

They don't need anyone's help. They are perfectly fine the way they are. We see many who speak falsehoods. Politicians who conceal important truths and news outlets that promise to give you nothing but the truth.

But promote falsehood and lies. And where do we find the bloodthirsty and deceitful? At your local Planned Parenthood. The workers there ever so ready to shed blood and ever so ready to deceive people saying it's not a life.

It doesn't feel it doesn't have a soul. There is evil in the land. But like David We run to the one who is altogether good who rules over all of it and who is in control. We trust in him. We rest in him a God who is altogether good one.

Who'll be sure that justice is done for every sin and every sinner. The Lord is our confidence when faced with evil the Lord is our comfort. For he is intolerant of wickedness. For he is good dear friend.

He's not only good, but he's merciful. And this is the next aspect of God's character that David prays with confidence in verse 7. It begins with a contrast, but as for me I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercy in fear of you.

I will worship towards your holy temple. But as for me David recognizes that he stands in the camp of the blessed and is not in the camp of those facing God's holy wrath. David comes to the house of God in the multitude of God's mercy.

It is mercy that grants David access to come to the Lord and worship him. And How does he worship in fear? Yet again, this is another spiritual reality that is not often promoted of promoted or spoken of in our culture or in our churches the connection between the fear of God and worship David while mercy has granted him access to come in to worship.

He comes recognizing that he is the creature coming before the Creator. The creature coming before the Creator. By the Creator's mercy alone, not by the creature's merits or strength, but by the Creator's mercy.

He sees life from God's perspective. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The Word of God tells us when man recognizes who God is and who he himself is. The fear of God should stir up deep worship as it does with David.

Verse 8. Lead me O Lord in your righteousness because of my enemies. Make your way straight before my face. Having come before the Lord due to holy mercy and coming in fear and worship David now makes his central request of this psalm.

When faced with evil, David seeks that God and his holy mercy would grant him guidance. Lead me O Lord in your righteousness because of my enemies. David does not rely on his own strength or follow his own way, but seeks God's way.

Lord, how would you have me react to these enemies? Is not David saying in a sense not my will. But thy will be done. We know that the Word tells us that there is none good. No, not one. So what makes the difference for David?

If we know that there is none who seeks after God none righteous all have fallen short. What makes the difference for David that he can stand in the camp of the blessed before the Lord and seek guidance from him?

What makes the difference for this man who is also a sinner? Who will at times shed bloodshed? Who will deceive? What makes the difference? The difference dear friends is God's holy mercy. Yes, the Lord is holy and just and intolerant yet praise be he is rich in mercy.

It is his mercy that makes the difference for David. And it is his mercy that makes the difference for sinners like you and like me. For like David, how do we fit the mold of his description of the wicked in verses 4 through 6?

Do we not take pleasure in wickedness and let evil dwell with us? Are we not boastful of ourselves? Do we not speak lies? Act deceitfully and perhaps not commit physical murder of another but look with unholy hatred in our hearts.

We are workers of iniquity. Dear friend. You are a sinner. I am a sinner and God is right and just to be intolerant of this world of Planned Parenthood of dirty politicians and he's right to be intolerant of you and me.

But praise be his name. He is merciful he grants grace. Unmerited favor. And where is God's mercy and grace most clearly seen at the cross of Jesus Christ. Where God's holy intolerance and his holy mercy meet here is Christ our holy mercy who by his personal work Grants us access to come to God not as guilty sinners dear friend, but as forgiven sons of God forgiven sons.

Let this be known to you dear friend when we were dead in trespasses and sins. Guilty sinners yet God who is rich in mercy even when we were dead made us alive together with Christ. For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves.

It is the gift of God not of works least anyone should boast. Let this be known to you today. Through faith in Jesus Christ by trusting in him to be your sufficient mercy from God by grace. You have been saved from the wrath of God therefore repent and believe.

Trust Christ hold fast to him if he have not done that do that today dear friend. If you have trusted Christ continue in him continue in faith continue to trust in grace. You need him as much as you do today as that day.

You first trusted in him and may you be able to say with David, but as for me. But as for me the Lord is my salvation. Salvation in Christ means newness of life. It means that we can come boldly before the throne of grace through the multitudes of mercy found in Jesus Christ alone.

Now we are free to worship in fear of God. We are free to seek God's will. No longer are we slaves or flesh or the ways of the world or the devil. For those not in Christ know only bondage to sin. Now like David we can come before God in prayer and ask not my will but thy will be done.

Lead me O Lord in your righteousness. How would you have me respond to evil? How would you have me live? Not to gain salvation with you. But out of obedience and out of joy and out of thankfulness for what you've done for me for how you have saved me how should I then live Lord.

And God is good to give us guidance to show us how to live as image bearers of God and To bring us home one day finally in a new heaven and a new earth. To experience the fullest joy with Jesus Christ in all of his glory.

When faced with evil, do you think of God's character? Are there elements of his character that come to mind that are a comfort for you in your prayer as you are confronted with evil? Whatever evil you are facing in these days dear friend pray pray with confidence in the holy character of God.

Know that he is intolerant of evil that he is altogether good and Know that he is merciful as well. We see both of these at the cross of Christ. May this bloody cross of Jesus Christ be your comfort and Confidence in the fight with evil.

And now we come to the last aspect of David's prayer. In verses 9 through 12 David prays Trusting God with the wicked and trusting God with himself. To begin this portion of the psalm David again turns to the state of his enemies.

He turns to their character who they really are and he turns them over to the Lord in verses 9 and 10. Verse 9 says for there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their inward part is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb.