“I will have nothing to do with a perverse person; I will not tolerate evil.” – Psalm 101:4, NIV

If you’ve ever had a ‘corrupted’ document or file on computer, you know how inconveniencing and painful it can be.

A corrupted document is damaged or altered in such a way that it can no longer be read, usually due to a virus or other malicious software that attack files intentionally or unintentionally.

Once a file has been attacked by a virus, it is advisable to use anti-virus software to ‘quarantine’ or delete it, because the threat may attack other healthy files, folders or storage devices and corrupt them too.

That is what the psalmist is determined to do in our meditation verse today.

In the original languages, ‘perverse’ is translated to refer to something that has been distorted, twisted or warped.

This English word comes from the Latin word pervertere, which means ‘corrupted’ or “turned away from the right path or what is right.”

It may also mean ‘to transform into something of the opposite character.’

During his life, David had people who betrayed him. Take Ahithophel, for example.  

Once David’s trusted advisor, Ahithophel betrayed the king by siding with Absalom during the rebellion.

David responded with prayer, asking God to thwart Ahithophel’s counsel (2 Samuel 15:31).

Of course, all didn’t end well with Ahithophel as he committed suicide shortly afterwards.

Then there was Abiathar, a priest who initially supported David during his struggle against Saul and became one of David’s key allies.

However, his loyalty shifted after the revolt of Absalom, David’s son, and was later stripped of the priesthood, ending up in exile.

Additionally, David did everything to eradicate idol worship and other forms of evil within Israel, such as when he dealt with the idolatry of the people, aiming to restore proper worship of God.

David is known to have removed all the high places of worship associated with idol worship, centralizing worship in Jerusalem, which suggests an effort to purify Israel’s worship practices.

“Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.”

Despite his other moral failures, David didn’t tolerate the practice of idolatry or any form of perversion through the worship of other gods as his predecessors and successors did.

He stuck with the true God throughout his life – so much that God described him as a “man after His own heart.”

In various places, the Bible cautions believers against associating with perverse Christians.

1 Corinthians 15:33 says; “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’”

2 John 1:10-11 says; “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”

1 Corinthians 5:11 says: “But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”

These passages admonish believers to exercise caution when dealing with ‘backsliders’ – those who have abandoned the faith or the corrupted individuals who worship other gods and promote teachings that are contrary to the true gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.”