Psalm 11 (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.
3 When 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.
CONSIDER THIS
Today’s post is from A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms by Timothy and Julie Tennent. Most recently, he served as president of Asbury Theological Seminary among other posts he holds across the global church. Julie is a gifted musician and was one of the driving forces that helped bring to fruition the Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. We will share some of their writing on the Psalms on Sundays.
Psalm 11, like Psalm 10, draws us into the inner thought life of the wicked. The psalmist is feeling under siege at every turn. The voice of fear tells him to “flee like a bird” (v. 1) to a place of safety because the very “foundations are being destroyed” (v. 3). The psalm pictures the eye of the wicked aiming his bow and arrows from the shadows to shoot the “upright in heart” (v. 2). The downfall of the righteous seems so inevitable that the wicked declare, “What can the righteous do?” (v. 3).
Perhaps, like the psalmist, you feel under siege and that the very foundations of faith and faithfulness are collapsing on every side. You feel like fleeing like a bird to the mountains. If we are honest, we sometimes long for a gospel that is not a stumbling block, offensive to the world, and implausible to the rational-minded. However, the alternative is a gospel that is easy, sentimental, and devoid of power. This psalm acts as a wake-up call. Psalm 11 powerfully reminds us that despite whatever difficulty we are facing, “the Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne” (v. 4). We must never forget that God is the sovereign Lord over the world. He is the Lord over human history. Just as verse 2 pictures the eyes of the wicked aiming arrows at us, verses 4 and 5 remind us that the eyes of God see the wicked; he “examine[s] them” (v. 4) and his eyes also examine “the righteous” (v. 5). He will expose the propaganda of this world.
The psalm calls us to look beyond the present circumstances and see the final outcome of the wicked. Although in the present they make loud boasts and proudly declare that they are on the right side of history, we know, in fact, that God (at the return of Christ) will judge and overthrow the wicked, and he will vindicate those who have put their faith and trust in him. (The Jewish singers of this psalm would remember that he did it in Noah’s day, and again with Abraham at Sodom and Gomorrah, and by judging Egypt and the seven nations under Moses and Joshua. God has given us ample instances where he intervenes to set things right.) The throne of God is the great immovable fact of human history. The resurrection of Christ is God’s great reminder that he is in charge of human history. Though in the present our circumstances may cloud our vision, we need to remain faithful knowing that, in the end, we will “see his face” (v. 7).
For the Awakening,
Timothy and Julie Tennent
THE HYMN
Sing Psalm 11 with the Seedbed Psalter today. I suggest the tune “Morning Song.” You can hear the tune played online by Julie Tennent here. If you listen to the podcast audio version, I will sing the psalm in this same tune. For your convenience, the words from the Psalter are printed below.
1 In God the Lord I take refuge,
How can you say to me:
2 “Look, how the wicked bend their bow—
Now to your mountain flee!“Their arrow is upon the string
with righteous ones in view;
3 When all foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”4 The Lord is in His holy place,
The Lord is on His throne.
His eyes do see and He does test
all those whom He does own.5 The Lord examines righteous ones
and tests the wicked, too.
He hates all those who love vio-lence,
and this is what He’ll do:6 He’ll rain down coals of fire that will
all wickedness burn up;
Fire, brimstone, burning wind will be
the portion of their cup.7 For God the Lord is righteous and
He loves true righteousness.
The upright will behold His face
and in His presence rest.
P.S. Get the Resources
If you would like to have the meditations and the metrical psalter in a beautiful two-volume set—which I highly recommend— you can order those through the Seedbed store.
One Response
When the foundations are being destroyed, comfortable, sentimental, and powerless Christianity offers no help. It’s time to reach beyond routine religion and take refuge in the risen Lord. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Prepare the way of the Lord in your heart. Stir up the gift that is in you. Be led from within by God’s Spirit. Courageously follow and obey the voice of Jesus, the living Word. Let Christ in you be your hope of glory.