Separation Anxiety

I do not sit with men of falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
I hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.
(Psalm 26:4-5 ESV)

 
    The matter of coalitions in evangelicalism is a hot topic these days.  Deciding who should and should not be included in one's circle can be a trying task and one of importance if you have influence in a denomination or a movement.   One might conclude that the matter is of little importance for those of us who have limited influence, but that is not the case, at least not for David.
    At first glance, it might be assumed that David cannot be a test case for most of us because he held a position of power and influence that we do not share.   However, reading the passage carefully we learn that David is proclaiming his integrity in heart and mind, not in his leadership.   David is concerned about how he stands before the Lord, and whether he walks in faithfulness.   Put simply, David is concerned about the things that concern the follower of Christ today.
     Separation from certain men is central to David's claim to faithfulness.   He claims to be completely free of partnership, fellowship, or cooperation with a group he calls  "wicked", "hypocrites", "evildoers" and "men of falsehood."   Who are these men?  Are they men of the world?  Are they political opponents?  Are they foreigners, infiltrating the ranks of Israel?    They are not identified explicitly, but the context and the labels given by David help us to understand their character.  
    David contrasts himself with them.   He claims to have walked in integrity and trusted the in the Lord without wavering (vs 1).    He does not claim this as a badge of merited righteousness, but rather as the direct result of meditating on God's grace,  "His steadfast Love" (vs 2).    The men with whom he refuses to associate are those who are men of falsehood, and hypocrites.   These are men who have not trusted the Lord without wavering, or walked in integrity, but rather they are pretenders.  They give an outward manifestation of faith, but no inward commitment.   Therefore, David concludes they are evildoers and wicked.   Context alone leads me to conclude that these men are not Philistines, Canaanites,  Amalekites or any "ite" other than Israelite.    These are men from within who claim to know and serve David's God, but are in fact nefarious.  
    Such an understanding coincides with the New Testament teaching that we are not to separate from the sinners in the world, but from sinners who bear the name "brother" (cf 1 Corinthians 5).   This is the separation of which God approves.   So much is said today about the defiling influence of the outside world on Christians, but the greater concern should be the defiling effect of those who profess to be Christian but are, in fact, men of falsehood, fakers, hypocrites.  
   David saw the danger of those types of associations, still more, he understood how faking it diminishes the glory of God.   He loved to stand on level ground in the house of God, with the assembly of God's people, proclaiming thanksgiving and telling of God's wondrous deeds.   He did not want to mix his voice  with that of pretenders.