11:1 | In the LORD I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
• In the years before he took the throne of Israel, David lived the life of a fugitive. He was constantly hunted by King Saul and lived in constant danger. In such a time, his friends advised him, “Flee as a bird to your mountain.” His friends meant well, but David knew it was the wrong thing to do.
• This expressed the near outrage in David’s response to his friends. No matter how well-intentioned his friends were, they gave him the advice of fear. The advice of fear couldn’t stand with the position of trust David had in the LORD.
• It is an aimless endeavor to try and overthrow God’s plan.
• David’s Trust is in…
o God’s identity: God is good which means anything and everything else is measured by him and through him. Before sin entered the picture, all of creation was good because of the one who created it. Now we live in a fractured reality where we are trying to make sense of everything and we are unable to make sense of much because what we are trying to make sense of is no longer good. As such, we keep coming up empty handed and we continue to search for anything good.
o God’s residency: God is on the throne and that cannot be taken from him.
o God’s Activity: God will bring the wicked to an end; God will bring justice to the oppressed.
11:2 | For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?
• In today’s language, David’s friends would say, “Look! There is a loaded gun to your head, and you have to run!”
• The advice given to David was well-meant, but ungodly. It was like when Peter advised Jesus to not go the way of the cross (Matthew 16:22-23). Peter meant well, but he was really being used by the devil.
• Be careful concerning the advice you give to others. Don’t allow your perception of a situation dictate what you say. Pray about the situation first.
• Here, David’s friends are trying to make him afraid of a secret attack. When we fear the things we can’t see, we are really walking in fear!
• If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? These words in the mouths of David’s friends were meant to be a warning. The idea was, “The very foundation of Saul’s government is destroyed. What can a righteous one like you do, except flee?”
11:3-5 | The LORD is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
• The LORD is in His holy temple: Probably, David had in mind both the LORD’s temple on earth (the tabernacle) and the LORD’s temple in heaven. David reminded himself and his friends, “God hasn’t gone anywhere. You can go to His temple and meet with Him.” He may also have had the thought, “The LORD isn’t going anywhere, so I won’t either.”
• When the advice of fear comes upon us, we can only arrive at the answer of faith by spending time with the LORD. When we think about our problems, the advice of fear often overwhelms us. When we pray about our problems, the answer of faith assures our hearts.
• When we think of Jesus in the temple of heaven, we remember that He is praying for us.
• Quote: “What plots can men devise which Jesus will not discover? Satan has doubtless desired to have us, that he may sift us as wheat, but Jesus is in the temple praying for us, and how can our faith fail?” (Spurgeon)
• The LORD’s throne is in heaven: This was the source of David’s confidence. It was not foolhardiness or self-reliance. Instead, David had confidence in a holy, all-powerful, all-knowing God.
• His eyes behold: David didn’t need to take the advice of fear, because God saw his situation. David had a greater cause than self-preservation, because he knew that God was looking at him and taking care of him.
• The LORD tests the righteous: Again, David answered the question, If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? David answered, “The righteous can know that the LORD is testing them, and because a loving God is testing them, they can know they will not be pushed too far or forsaken. The righteous can know the LORD is in control.”
• But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates: As God sees, He is not a detached observer. He cares; He sees the wicked and hates them. David is saying, “I don’t need to flee to protect myself, because God in heaven is watching me and sees how sinful the conduct of my enemies is.”
11:6 | Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.
• Upon the wicked He will rain coals, fire and brimstone and a burning wind: God will punish the wicked. This gave David confidence in the midst of the advice of fear. After all, if the ungodly persecute the righteous, how much more will the righteous God persecute the ungodly?
• Fire and brimstone: This gave the image of ultimate, eternal judgment. What did David have to fear from men destined for hell?
• This shall be the portion of their cup: The image of the cup as a container of judgment reminds us of Jesus’ prayer in the garden: O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will (Matthew 26:39). The cup Jesus dreaded was the cup that contained the wrath of God against sin, wrath that we deserved, but Jesus drank for us.
• For the LORD is righteous: This was a comfort and encouragement to David. When we are rebelling against the LORD, His righteousness is no comfort to us. But David knew he was the innocent victim of persecution, and he knew the righteous LORD would take up his cause.
• He loves righteousness: David knew that as he walked righteously, he would keep [himself] in the love of God (Jude 1:21). It isn’t that we must earn God’s love by our personal righteousness; instead, our pursuit and practice of righteousness keeps us flowing in the benefits of God’s love.
• His countenance beholds the upright: Most modern translations think it speaks of God’s people seeing Him: Upright men will see his face (NIV), The upright will behold His face (NASB),The godly shall see his face (LB). However, it really doesn’t matter, because both are true.
• God’s people will see Him. I will see Your face in righteousness (Psalm 17:15). Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). In fact, the desire to behold God is one of the greatest motivations to an upright life and heart.
• All in all, when David considers the greatness of God, the care of God, and the vision of God, it all outweighs the danger. For David, trusting God was the safest move of all. His friends may or may not have meant well, but David would not receive their advice of fear. Instead, he would answer with faith.
