Yahweh, My Fortress

Introduction

I don’t know about you, but it seems like the world around me is going crazy.

Political unrest all around us.

Wars and rumors of wars!

Physical or natural disasters!

Hurricanes

Unprecedented flooding

Wildfires

Earthquakes

Famine

Droughts

Then there’s the whole “cancel culture” where people try to silence those who disagree with their ideas!

David faced some of these very things. Psalm 11 is a psalm that talks about the dire straights that David experienced. The interesting thing about this Psalm is that we don’t know anything about David’s particular situation.

If you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, turn with me to Psalm 11 and we’ll begin with verse 1.

Discouraging Voices

The Temptation to Flee

Psalm 11:1 NIV

In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain.

David begins by making a bold statement: In the Lord—YAHWEH—I take refuge (Hebrew: flee, take shelter, confide, have hope, find safety) (v. 1a).

How can his advisors suggest:

— Flee like a bird.

— Flee to the mountain (v. 1b).

Psalm 11:2 NIV

For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

His advisors tell David that wicked men taking action:

— Stringing their bows (v. 2a).

— Setting their arrows against the strings (v. 2b).

— Laying in ambush for the upright in heart (v. 2c).

Destruction of Foundations

Psalm 11:3 NIV

When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

The advisors continue to ask:

— When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? (v. 3).

Applies to Today’s Culture

This is that status of our country today!

Our Country’s foundation is being destroyed!

The Godly foundations upon which our country was founded!

The foundations of many of our churches!

The foundations of our cultures!

The foundation of our families!

The foundations of our schools!

The foundations of our morals!

The foundations of our entire society are being destroyed and for many people it causes us to want to run for the hills, or to throw up our hands and say, “What can we do?”

Faith in God’s Righteousness!

When we are discouraged, when we are overwhelmed, when everything around us seems to be evil, when we can’t see any way out, that’s when we must understand the truths that David understood! Look at verse 4!

Psalm 11:4 NIV

The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.

The Lord (Yahweh) is in His holy temple! (v. 4a)

The Lord (Yahweh is on His throne in heaven! (v. 4b)

Nothing on this earth is escaping His view! (v. 4c)

And He examines EVERYONE! (v. 4d)

Psalm 11:5 NIV

The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.

God examines what the righteous are doing (v. 5a). The implication is that He approves of their actions.

Yahweh examines the wicked—specifically those who love violence—and He hates them with a passion (v. 5b).

Normally, we would want to make the distinction between God hating the deeds of the wicked, but loving the person.

Yet this passage states that God actually hates those who do violence.

To harmonize the scriptures, it seems to be that God actually sets Himself up against the wicked (cf. Ps. 5:5) and this is actually expressed in verse 6.

Psalm 11:6 NIV

On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.

Here we see that God’s opposition to the wicked will end up in their destruction (v. 6a).

— Fiery coals

— Burning sulfur

— A scorching wind

These are the things that they will face (v. 6b).

God’s Righteousness Played Out

David closes this psalm by showing how God’s righteousness plays out!

Psalm 11:7 NIV

For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.

First Yahweh—the Lord—is righteous! (Hebrew: just, one who has a just cause, not guilty, innocent, lawful) (v. 7a)

Secondly, Yahweh loves justice (Hebrew: honesty; justice, justness) (v. 7b).

Those who are upright (Hebrew: straight, level, right, not crooked, not twisted, right morally, good) (v. 7c).

So What?

We are in the “middle” of the campaign season. We have a little over a month to go before the Presidential Election. It seems to me, that you can’t turn on the T.V. or the radio, or even social media without being flooded by adds that accuses one candidate or another of some evil or wrongdoing.

If you are like me, it is easy to become overwhelmed, discouraged, even hurt and upset at all of the rhetoric.

Even when you look at the various campaigns themselves, it is easy to become discouraged. It seems like no matter who you vote for there’s a “down side.”

But here is what we learn from this passage:

Many will tell us there is not hope for our country. But God is on His throne.

Many will say that we, in some way, need to take matters into our own hands. But God is on His throne!

No matter what happens in our country, or in the world, or even with natural disasters, we MUST remember that God is on His throne!

We learn from this passage that God HATES those who are wicked and by their wickedness end up loving violence.

In this psalm, David says the wicked will end up suffering! This little verse makes me think of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.

At the same time, the opposite is true.

God loves the righteous!

God loves the just!

And God loves the upright, and the upright will see God’s face!

Finally, we learn that God can be trusted! Which begs the question, will you trust him?