Gods fire that protects us

 Ps. 12

1 Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

2 Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.

3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue

4 that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips--who is our master?"

5 "Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the LORD. "I will protect them from those who malign them."

6 And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. 

The Psalms teach that Gods word is like a fire. The reason it is compared to a fire is because His word is a spoken word that creates and recreates all things. The word gives life. His word is in spoken covenants ,laws, decrees , curses ,statutes and promises. This Psalm is describing a war that has gone on since man fell into sin. It is a war of ideas , words and actions. Gods word has created His eternal government over all other governments. The word of God is designed so that it creates respect by it being spoken though a kings language. God has created man and given him authority over the earth. He as crowned man with glory and honor.

But because of sin man has gone astray. Because man goes astray he threatens the peace of Gods kingdom by scheming to overthrow Gods word. His mouth is full of curses, lies and threats,...trouble and evil are under his tongue. So here you have Gods spoken word which is only creative and you have mans schemes which are destructive. The evil man is said to plot his evil on his bed , use threats to enforce his evil so that he becomes powerful. He becomes a leader over many people. So the bible describes this process over the history of the earth as a trap that is set for Gods people. Traps are simply evil schemes that threaten Gods people. 

But Gods word is never overturned by these intricate schemes. Even tho man has woven these schemes over 200 years in this nation Gods word is as powerful and lasting as gold that is purified seven times. Gods word can unravel years of man scheming against his elect. This is the context in this Psalm. Now listen the fire is the creation through Gods word that turns the destructive scheme that was intended to bring fear in Gods peaceful kingdom and bring the schemers own words on himself in the form destruction and judgement. The fire is Gods words of justice carried out through the curse of the law. 

Ps 12 9 At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them. 68  2 As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.The fire of God that consume is the fire that led Israel out of Egypt and into the promise land. This fire was like a torch that burned a path way for Israel to the promise land. The prophets commanded the fire that was spoken in the curses of the law to overcome the elects opposition so that Gods redemption would be seen in Israel when they entered the promise land  and became a nation.  You will see the Psalmist curse the wicked through the fire of God. This was a legal prosecution of war that was spoken by the prophets as a seal that God would gain the victory over the enemies . Through this success God would rule the nations through the peace that would be created by His spoken word.