It always seems that I get a request to preach form the Psalms. Today Psalm 11.
The Psalms speak to us – we can almost hear ourselves in the Psalms – praising God – mourning our sin – questioning the world – seeking vengeance on our enemies.
Before reading let’s introduce some aspects of the Psalm.
1. It appears he is in some distress. If this is David, that makes sense. His difficulties with Saul. His later trouble with his son Absalom. Not sure which, but that David was in distress is nothing shocking.
2. The Psalm looks like a dialogue of sorts. Either David is having a conversation with someone or reconstructing/summarizing a conversation seems to be the case. Or, David is having this conversation in his own heart/soul. I do this. We all engage in some form of self-talk when we make decisions or face a crisis.
Before I read it, let’s look at the structure of the Psalm.
1. Verse 1A – David makes an initial declaration. The Lord is his refuge.
2. Verses 1B-3 – Either someone real or in his mind there is a response to this commitment. Someone is refuting his commitment. Maybe it’s not the best choice to make. Maybe you can find refuge somewhere else. Why would you trust God when the situation seems helpless? Look around you. Evil people are attacking you on all fronts. It’s hopeless. You should feel like a bird. Get out of town.
3. Verses 4-6 – a critical part of this Psalm. David reminds himself of some truths about God and why he can find refuge in God and why he shouldn’t desert his commitment. It is important to know God because there will be times when we doubt him.
4. Verses 7 – a conclusion that confirms his initial commitment.
This structure is not unlike other Psalms. It reveals that sometimes what we believe is challenged by the circumstances around us. But the Psalms call us to work through the situations in life in view of who God is and then come to the conclusion. And most times the conclusion is that God is trustworthy. Tough times call us to thoughtfully consider what we believe and why we believe it. This is the hard work of a believer living in a world that sometimes seems as if God is not worthy to put our faith in. We have all felt this way and that may be why the Psalms are so powerful for us.
Let’s read the Psalm:
Psalm 11:1–7 (NIV) — 1 In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain. 2 For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. 3When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. 5 The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. 6 On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. 7 For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.
Let’s take a closer look:
Psalm 11:1–7 (NIV) — 1 In the Lord I take refuge.
Refuge is a popular word in the Psalms, By far that term refuge appears in Psalms far more than in any other book of the Old Testament.
David calls God his refuge. What image comes into your mind?
1. Quiet getaway where you find peace. We call it our happy place.
2. Protection from a storm.
3. A safe place. A storm shelter.
4. Images of refugees fleeing oppression.
Refuge implies trouble, storm, difficulties. Implies we need rest from the stress of life. David says God is that for me. God is my safe place. My happy place. God is where I go to find peace. But all of that means there are difficulties and stress around us. And believers are not exempt. In this world you will have trouble, says Jesus.
I hear it often how Christianity is under attack and it is. It always has been. And this should come as no surprise:
John 17:14 (NIV) — 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
John 15:18–19 (NIV) — 18“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
1 John 3:13 (NIV) — Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
The world is a harsh place even for Christians and all of us are looking for our safe place, our happy place, and David says for me it is the Lord.
But not everyone agrees with that. Even we have our doubts at times. And that is the theme of those next verses. Others refute that God can being us peace. Even we struggle with it sometimes.
So, the opposing voice is saying, Flee like a bird to your mountain. God can’t help you here. You need to get away. Look around you. The wicked people are in control here. They are the ones calling the shots. They are shooting arrows at you. The foundations are falling apart.
Do you ever feel like that? Do you ever feel like the world is falling apart? Do you ever feel like the good guys are getting hammered? Do you ever feel like it’s the wicked ones who are always coming out on top? Do you ever ask yourself the same question, “What can the righteous do?” Is there really any sense clinging to this notion that God is a refuge? wouldn’t be better to go somewhere else to find peace? Find some mountain out there and maybe things will be better there.
We too often flee like a bird away from God, don’t we? We turn to alcohol, drugs, sex, shopping, entertainment, exercise, weight loss, sports, anger, control, food – we give them all a try hoping that we can find refuge in those. What is your mountain? Where do you turn to in the stress of life?
That’s what this character is telling David. Go somewhere, anywhere else, to find refuge. Look around you. It doesn’t look like God is doing a good job.
So, what is David going to do? How can he refute the counter argument?
David reminds himself in verses 4-6 of some core truths about who God is. My failure to know these truths will more often than not result in us abandon our faith in God and fleeing to something else as a refuge.
Truth #1 - The Lord is in his holy temple.
God is holy. He is pure. He is good. In trials we are all tempted to doubt God’s holiness, his goodness. David has to remind himself of this truth and remind himself that no bad thing can emanate from Him. God is blameless. That is why we can say, “God is good all the time. All the time God is good.” It may not seem like it, but it is true.
The book of Habakkuk is a conversation between the prophet and God about this very fact. You say you are good, but it sure doesn’t look like it. Our nation has just been decimated by the godless Assyrians and we’re supposed to keep believing you are holy? So Habakkuk has some questions for God:
Habakkuk 1:2–4 (NIV) — 2How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
God answers. Habakkuk has a follow-up question:
Habakkuk 1:12–13 (NIV) — 12Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish. 13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
God answers again and here are the last words of the Lord:
Habakkuk 2:20 (NIV) —The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.
God is holy. He is good. No matter what is going on we need to cling to that truth. This verse has inspired a song many of you have sung many times. So let’s sing it now. As we sing it interpret the world and in life through the lens that God is good all the time and all the time he is good. He is holy.
Truth #2 - The Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He is still in charge. He has not been displaced. There has been no coupe.
That word “throne” will show up later in the Bible, in the last book of the Bible, Revelation. We find it 47 times in the book. Why? Because the original audience was asking the same questions David is asking, the same questions Habakkuk was asking. They were living in a world where Caser claimed to be Lord and he was proving it wielding his power and might often times at the expense of believers. So, near the beginning of the book we are given a glimpse into heaven and there John sees it – a throne room and who but God is seated on that throne. And then he hears a heavenly chorus cry out repeatedly,
Revelation 4:8 (ESV) — And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
God is good and he is powerful. He is in control even if it doesn’t look like.
I don’t always feel His presence. But God’s promises do not depend upon my feelings; they rest upon his integrity.
- R.C. Sproul
Truth #3 - God sees
Psalm 11:4 (NASB 2020) — The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.
God is not blind to what is going on. The term eyelids implies he is giving careful attention to everything that is going and making not of everything.
Recall the story of Hagar …
Genesis 16:13 (NIV) — She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
It’s hard enough to suffer but to suffer alone may be even worse. You put on the good face because you don’t want to burden anyone but sometimes it’s so hard and you need to share your pain with someone. I pray you find someone but I tell you with confidence that God knows. He sees you. He’s concerned. He is hurting with you like a parent hurts with their children.
Questions still abound. Why are you not doing anything? You are good and powerful.
Truth #4 - The Lord Tests
Psalm 11:5 (NIV) — 5 The Lord examines the righteous.
The Lord tests the righteous. (ESV)
This word is used of testing metals by melting.
Perhaps the trials we go through are allowed for our strengthening/learning. Maybe he is meting away some impurities on your life. Maybe he is allowing this trial to make you better. Maybe the trial is not a sign that God is against you. Maybe it is a sign that God is for!
Like a parent teaching their child to ride a bike. You see them wobble but you let them because they will never learn to ride a bike if you hold it all the time. Or teaching your child to swim. They may call to you from the water but you let them struggle. I saw one father throw his kid in the water – sink or swim. I don’t recommend that. But if we can look at trial as a way of purifying us we can understand that and maybe even appreciate it.
When you think of suffering you think of Job:
Job 23:10 (NIV) — 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
Peter has something to say about the refining purposes of trials:
1 Peter 1:6–7 (NIV) — 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Truth #5 The Wicked will be Judged
Psalm 11:6 (NIV) — 6 On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.
The wicked will be judged. Justice will be meted out in the end. The terms fiery colas and burning sulfur make you think of Sodom and Gomorrah. He did it before and he’ll do it again. The last book of the Bible assures us of that as well.
Verse 7 is the grand conclusion:
Psalm 11:7 (NIV) — 7 For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.
We’ve come full circle. In spite of the objections I still cling to my initial statement because I believe the Lord id righteous and one day I will see his face. And what a day it will be.
The world can be harsh but let us affirm David’s statement – The Lord is my refuge.
