Psalm 11

To the choirmaster. Of David.

1 In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain,

2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

3 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” [or the foundations will be destroyed; what has the righteous done?]

The psalmist begins with a statement of trust (similar to Psalm 16:1). This is followed by two rhetorical questions. The first is a response to those who are telling the psalmist to flee like a bird to your mountain. Presumably this is the temptation to run from whatever trouble is coming, to escape rather than face it with confidence that the Lord is with you. The trouble is coming in the form of wicked people. They are preparing to fire at the upright in heart. They have drawn back the bow, fitted their arrow to the string, and are waiting in ambush in the dark to shoot at the upright in heart. Attacks from the enemy can seem to come from nowhere. You’re minding your own business and all of a sudden you find yourself tempted, alone, and rationalizing behavior that you would never contemplate in the company of others. The psalmist seems to be alone here (“my soul”), but he is speaking for all you are upright in heart, everyone who is trying to live a godly life. The second question comes in verse 3 and has two possible translations. First, “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” suggests the corruption of the foundations of society, if human communities fall apart, and it is every man for himself, how can an upright person stay upright? Second, “for the foundations will be destroyed; what has the righteous done?” suggests that the blame for the crumbling of society cannot be laid at the feet of the righteous. The first translation makes more sense in context, particularly in light of verse 5 “The Lord tests the righteous”. There is debate in the Christian community about the Benedict option which essentially argues that society is so decadent that Christians need to retreat into counter cultural communities to retain the faith in order to have something of substance to pass on to the next generation. The corrupting influence of sin is leading to a new dark age and if the church is to survive she needs to be cloistered. There are reasons for such pessimism, but this psalm would seem to argue against isolation. There is no doubt that the foundations are being destroyed. The sanctity of life, the purity of the marriage bed (Hebrews 13:4), even the fundamental understanding of male and female. These truths that are foundational to a healthy society are crumbling before our eyes and being replaced with a foundation of shifting sand. What was once unthinkable is now unquestionable. We’re asked to recite the new creed, “2 + 2 = 5”. The modern world attacks the very foundations of society and then wonders why things are falling apart, in vain looking to science and technology to fix what is broken in the human heart. What can the upright do? “In the LORD I take refuge.”

4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

5 The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

While the foundations are being destroyed on earth, the Lord is in his holy temple. His throne is in heaven and it’s not the least bit shaky. He sees everything that is going on, testing the children of men and the righteous to develop character. He does this precisely because he loves humanity. This is what good parents do for children. In the context of unconditional love, they allow their children the freedom to learn, to make the right choices under pressure. The Lord tested Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his son. Hebrews 12 says that He disciplines those he loves. God is not about to be toppled from his throne even though men with torches and pitchforks are declaring otherwise. You can trust in this. No need to flee like a bird to your mountain. The LORD’s “soul hates the wicked” -- this phrase is held in opposition to the Lord testing the righteous, indicating that testing is an act of love. There is word play on love/hate in the line about the wicked and the one who loves violence. In what sense does God hate the wicked? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son,” and yet this verse speaks of God hating the wicked and those who love violence. How can these be reconciled? The LORD is judge and in that role he cannot tolerate wickedness. In the same way that a good parent couldn’t tolerate it in a child that he loves, sin must be punished so that the destructive nature of sin is not allowed to fully bloom. God’s hatred of sin and violence will ultimately compel him to destroy sin and death forever by receiving the consequences of them both in his son Jesus Christ. God hates sin so much that he was willing to pay the ultimate price to destroy its power and effect. Verse 5 needs to be interpreted in light of the cross. 

6 Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

7 For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

Because the wicked are shooting at innocent people and destroying the foundations of society, God is just in firing back. The psalmist requests that this comes in the form of a volcanic calamity -- raining coal (ash), fire, sulfur and a scorching wind. This is reminiscent of what God did to the cities of the plain in the days of Abraham. This becomes the gold standard of judgment: complete and violent annihilation. This will be the portion in the cup of the wicked that they must drink. The cup of the faithful is quite different -- Psalm 16:5 and 23:5. The LORD is righteous and just, and thus cannot idly stand by and watch the innocent suffer forever. He loves righteous deeds and by implication, will reward those who do them. Those who obey his decrees will see his face. This is meant to encourage the faithful who are tempted to flee to a mountain and escape the world and its evil. Instead, the advice is to trust in the justice of God and know that faithfulness will be rewarded and evil punished. In what sense will the upright see the face of God? The scriptures are clear that no one can see God. Even the great Moses was only allowed to see his backside. Is this then a future reward in the afterlife? In Psalm 4:6 the psalmist prayed that the light of God’s face would shine on them, that he would look with favor upon his people. But this is a little different than that. “The upright shall see his face” suggests a straight on viewing. I’m not sure exactly what the psalmist was expecting in a literal sense, so I have to take this figuratively. While he feels alone and abandoned, God will indeed look toward him and he will see vindication. As Christians the question of when we see God’s face is easily answered. We see the face of God in the face of Jesus. “No one has ever seen God, but the only God, who is at the Father’s side has made him known” (John 1:18). And “when he appears we will be like him for we shall see him as he is” (I John 3:2).