Psalm 11¶
Overview:¶
The name of the covenant God (YHWH) occurs five times in this psalm (11:1, 4 [2x], 5, 7), and its frequency perhaps stresses Yahweh’s constant presence in times of danger (11:1). He is present for the desperate David when his enemies threaten him, and when his well-wishers urge him to choose the fearful alternative (“Flee like a bird to your mountain,” 11:1). The Lord is present for the righteous when the ethical foundations are tottering (11:3), and he is present in his heavenly temple, from which he sees his human patrons (11:4). The Lord is present in judgment (11:5–6), and, most of all, he is present to validate the righteous life that reflects his own righteous nature (11:7).
bullock #teachthetext¶
v.1¶
In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain.
v.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.
v.3¶
When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do ?"
v.4¶
The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.
v.5¶
The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.
The Hebrews thought in terms of opposites, as in Malachi 1:2–3. When the Old Testament speaks of God in this manner, it suggests divine revulsion to evil and evildoers, not hate in the sense of absolute rejection. The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament, and he is love (1 John 4:8).
bullock #teachthetext¶
v.6¶
On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.
v.7¶
For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.
God loves those who do righteous acts. He who sees and examines everyone promises that only the "upright" of heart will see him (cf. 17:15; 63:2). To see the face of God is an expression of deliverance from adversity, of close communion, and of the reality of God's blessed presence in this world and in the world to come.
vangemeren¶
Seeing the face of a judge or god was a metaphor in Mesopotamia and was equivalent to being on their “good side,” because it referred to gaining access to their presence. It usually refers to a supplicant or plaintiff gaining an audience with a judge. If a judge or god turned his face toward you, you were looked on with favor