INTRODUCTION: The single most important part of any building is the foundation. If the foundation is inferior, then the entire building will not last. It will crumble!
Psalms 11 was written by King David during the time when his estranged son, Absalom, led an armed revolt against him, in an attempt to seize the throne of Israel. You can find the story of Absalom in II Samuel chapters 13 thru 20. King David had 11 wives and 7 children …Absalom was his 3rd son. The Bible stories described him as a very handsome looking man. [2sa 14:25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.]
He used his good looks and charm to politically campaign against his father David to dethrone him and take over his kingship in Israel. Absalom was able to mobilize a wider range of supporters in his political party throughout the land of Judah. They seek to revolt against the government of King David with the plot to kill him and take over power.
The counsel for David told him to flee to a mountainous region east of the Jordan River called Gilead so he can regroup his troop and strategies to outwit Absalom. That is the very reason David wrote in verse 1 “how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?”
David didn’t flee because he was afraid, he left Jerusalem to regroup and prepare for war. There was a great battle but, David won. There are two basic ways of living. Thus, (1) we have the option to choose to live by sight or (2) we may live by faith. In the eleventh psalm the singer poses the question, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" We are living in days when the foundations are being destroyed. The foundations of our civilization are being destroyed.
The Survey
The Institution of Marriage and family is destroyed: The institution of marriage and the family…has been the bedrock of civilization since creation and everything of value sits on that, everything rests on it — our institutions, our government, our way of life — everything rests on that foundation. If you weaken it, or if you undermine it and you put cracks in that foundation, you necessarily threaten the entire superstructure of western civilization…
The Home is the oldest institution of marriage and family! It is true that the institution of marriage and the family is the foundation upon which human civilization stands. It was established by God in Genesis 2:24 and 3:16-20. He alone holds the royal patent on marriage and the family, and we as human beings do not have the authority to redefine it or discard it in the event that it fails to suit us. Marriage is not the invention of a sociologist or psychologist. . It is the invention of the Sovereign God for the purpose of filling the earth, and ultimately the universe, with His highest creation — man (male and female) made in His image.
But now that foundation is in jeopardy. Forces are at work to undermine it, causing it to crack and crumble under the load of a civilization weighed down with guilt. It is as the Apostle Paul prophesied,
In the last days perilous times will come:for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving,unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control,brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong,haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Divorce is at an all-time high.Many homes are not a place of refuge, but a battlefield. “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 127:1 makes it clear, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it”.
If God is not in a home and family, then all the effort of building home is useless is what the Bible is saying.
THE RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS ARE BEING DESTROYED: When the religious leaders of our day deny the existence of God, and lead the people into vain philosophy, one must question the basis of their doctrine. A real God, a virgin birth, an atoning death, a justifying resurrection, a
second coming, a Spirit's life in the Church, are all denied.
There is just so much false teaching and corruption in churches and in the public eye today its really sicken, you don't have to look far. Turn on the TV.
THE MORAL FOUNDATIONS ARE BEING DESTROYED: What happens if a foundation isn’t built correctly? It begins to crumble, right? So, what would happen if the moral foundations of our rich culture and biblical standards were destroyed? Evil legislation is destroying morality. Sodomy is legalized in so many world countries and still pushing to be legalized in every culture and community of all nations. It is an abomination unto the Lord. Bill after Bill has gone through Parliament tearing away the foundations of our morality replacing it with immorality. There is a deep decline of moral standards in our communal living today.
THE ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS ARE BEING DESTROYED: The term ethics derives from the Ancient Greek word “ethikos”, which is derived from the word ethos (habit, "custom"). As a branch of philosophy, ethics investigates the questions "What is the best way for people to live?" and "What actions are right or wrong in particular circumstances?" In practice, ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality, by defining concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. As a field of intellectual enquiry, moral philosophy also is related to the fields of moral psychology, descriptive ethics, and value theory.
Ethics has to do with the moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity. Violence is bred on our streets. Dishonesty is applauded in our factories. Debauchery is reported in our homes. The land is a stewpot of iniquity, because our ethical foundations are crumbling fast. Paul also described this in vivid terms,
… their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened… They exchanged the truth of God for a lie… Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind…They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice… (Romans 1:21-29)
ETHICS VS MORALS: Ethics and morals relate to “right” and “wrong” conduct. While they are sometimes used interchangeably, they are different: ethics refer to rules provided by an external source, e.g., codes of conduct in workplaces or principles in religions. Morals refer to an individual’s own principles regarding right and wrong. Morality is understanding the distinction between right and wrong and living according to that understanding, and ethics is the philosophy of how that morality guides individual and group behavior. The two are closely related, with morality being the foundation of ethics. David's kingdom was eventually restored, but as he writes this psalm, he was watching his beloved nation Israel, fall into disarray and chaos, right before his eyes. The moral and spiritual foundations of Israel were beginning to crumble.
THE SOCIAL FOUNDATIONS ARE BEING DESTROYED: The neighbourliness of
former years is passing away. We are social beings, God created us as such. We were made to socialize. The world is now a global village where socialization is the keyword. Social networks and functions are not friendly to us anymore. Our home televisions and internets are full of pornography, nudity and all forms of social vices. Muggings in the streets are increasing. Soon the cry will be, "Every man for himself!"
THE POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS ARE BEING DESTROYED: Political wars and and killings for power is not a breaking news anymore in our society. The whole system of government is highly corrupt with corrupt officials and political leaders. Corruption and bribery scandals rocks the judiciary, lawyers and law enforcement agencies like the police service, military and the civil service departments. Politicians have become increasingly greedy and bloody liars. All they think about is how to enrich their pockets. Judgment is perverted and the law is twisted to oppress the poor and defend criminals. This is what the Prophet Habakkuk lamented about in Habakkuk 1:4, “Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.”
WHAT CAN THE RIGHTEOUS DO: If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? One thing is very clear; God is still on His throne. To reckon with circumstances and leave God out of the reckoning, is to omit the principal factor in any and every situation. Our defense is in God. In God we trust. The foundations of the things we see may be crumbling, but the foundations of the things we cannot see are eternal. There are two places in which God can be found established: - His Throne and His Holy Temple. To the believer, God's Throne is a throne of Grace. We come there to receive Grace to help in time of need. One day that throne will be a throne of Final Judgement. In that day, woe unto those who have caused the foundations to be destroyed. God is in His Temple. In other words, He inhabits the praises of His people. He has promised that where two or three are gathered together, He will be in the midst. Here is a foundation which nothing can destroy.
