I Will Not Run, And I Will Not Lose (Psalm 11:1-7) Series

Imagine that you live in a society that's collapsing. The "foundations" of society are falling apart. When you hear the news, it's nothing, except talk about violence, and crime, and drugs. You look around at your city, or your nation, and you know that the end is near. Maybe not of the world as a whole. But certainly, the end of your world. The wicked rule the streets. They rule the courts. They control everything.

And the only real threat to them, is the upright of heart. People who walk rightly, who deal rightly with others, are a threat to the wicked. They are a light that shines on them, revealing their evil. They are a beacon of hope, that points others to a better way of life. And for this reason, in a situation like this, the upright of heart are in grave danger. They have a target on their back, painted there by people who fight dirty.

If you are one of these upright of heart, what should you do?

You have two choices, basically. You can stand your ground, or you can run.

Now, which option should you take?

When we look at the broader biblical picture, we see that sometimes, running is probably the correct response.

Let's turn to 1 Kings 19:1-10 (NRSV):

19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” 8 He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.

Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”

Elijah ran. And few people would blame him for that. Jezebel has successfully killed all of Yahweh's other prophets, to the best of Elijah's knowledge (1 Kings 19:10). All of his friends, and coworkers in ministry, are dead.

And Jezebel won't be content, until Elijah joins them. He's alive, because he ran.

Now, let's turn to Acts 8:1-8 (NRSV):

That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.

4 Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word. 5 Philip went down to the city[a] of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah[b] to them. 6 The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, 7 for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

The early church, in response to the persecution, scattered. And this was a good thing. It led to evangelism, and new growth.

So we can look at these two examples, and decide that there are times when running, is the right thing to do.

That said, there are times when you shouldn't run. There's not an ironclad rule for how you should respond. Our psalm today, describes a situation when running is the wrong thing to do. Sometimes, you need to stand your ground.