Don’t Flee! - Psalm 11

Psalm 11 Don’t Flee! 20210321 God is our refuge and reward Scripture Passage: Psalm 11:1-7 I believe it’s fitting that this is our follow-up to the book of Ephesians, with the spiritual warfare and armor of God still freshly in our minds. God is our refuge and reward. The Believer’s Refuge (v.1) 1. v.1 “In the LORD I take refuge” - This was David’s safety and security - in the LORD. 1. In your Bible, LORD is probably all capitalized. This means that it is God’s personal name, Jehovah or Yahweh, as he disclosed himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14-15 “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” 2. David’s refuge wasn’t in some vague notion about God, but in relationship with the one true and living God. This wasn’t vague spirituality, but relational intimacy with the God of the universe. Transition: Why did David need to have the Lord and his refuge? Because there was all sorts of discouragement, and calls to retreat. The Call to Retreat (vv.1b-3) 1. v.1b “How can you say to my soul?” - The words being spoken to David weren’t only landing on his ears, but they were going to his soul. We’re not told the source of these words. 1. Well-meaning counselors - Job’s friends 2. The Devil 3. David’s own mind 2. v.1c “Flee like a bird to your mountain…” - Retreat, return, run away! 1. We looked at possible sources, but do you hear these same messages? You know I haven’t stood in the pulpit for a little while, since January 24. To an extent, I’ve been in the mire of vv.1-3. I think most of us, at one time or another, could relate. Give up. Give in. The easiest thing, or the best thing, is for you to leave. Don’t engage. Don’t pursue fellowship. Perhaps the words of counsel have even gone so far as to say, “Give up on life.” 3. v.2 “for behold, the wicked bend the bow…” - These are the words that were being spoken to David’s soul. “You’re in the line of fire! Arrows will be fired and penetrate, and you won’t even see them coming!” 4. v.3 “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” - Isn’t this the question? Now, understand, that this question wasn’t being raised as an encouragement to David. It was a rhetorical question, meant to get him moving, to flee like a bird to the mountain. Maybe you’re asking this very question today. Maybe it’s family, or maybe the larger society; I know this came to mind when I learned that the Capitol was being rioted and invaded earlier this year. It’s like the very foundations of our society are crumbling. I don’t doubt that foundations are being destroyed. But if foundations are being destroyed, we need to evaluate our foundations. 1. What do you stand on? What is your daily foundation? The strength of others that you think would come to your aid (Isaiah 30:2)? Praise God for husbands, wives, friends, Christian brothers and sisters, in our times of trouble. But if we expect them to serve as a foundation we’re setting ourselves up for great disappointment and setting them up for massive failure. That’s a burden too great for any to bear. Does your foundation consist of earthly pleasures, like food or alcohol, exercise, shopping, Netflixbingeing, recreating? Transition: It’s here, and in answer to this question, that David responds to the call to retreat with the view to reality. The View to Reality (vv.4-6) 1. v.4a “The LORD is in his holy temple” - The temple is the place of worship. It’s the dwelling of God. First, David focuses on the reality of God’s holiness and worth. 1. Is our God an evil and unjust God? No, he is a holy God, perfect in all his ways and works, in his very being. And we’re created to worship him, and in this we find our place, and in worship of God life begins to make sense. That’s not to say we’ll understand everything or that things will be easy, but worship of God helps set everything else in proper perspective. 2. v.4b “The LORD’s throne is in heaven” - The throne is God’s place of rule. So David focuses on the reality of God’s rule. 1. This holy God, perfect in all his ways and works, and alone worthy of our worship, is also ruling over his creation. And he rules in righteousness, which is the next reality David focuses on. 3. v.4c “his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.” - David knows that God sees what is taking place. Even that he looks intently, squinting his eyes, if you will, to look carefully and observe. 4. vv.5-6 “The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” - God isn’t unaware of what is taking place. Maybe, like me, when you’re on the road and you see someone driving recklessly, you wish there was a police officer to see. But God sees and tests mankind. 1. Examples of testing the righteous - Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” Job 23:10– 12 “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.” James 1:2–4, 12 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” 2. But God has wrath for the wicked and lover of violence - Psalm 75:6–8 “For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.” 1. God is holy and worthy of worship, perfect in all of his ways and works. It might seem like unrighteousness goes unnoticed, or even at times like it’s rewarded, but we need to keep the words of God in our focus, which give us a view to reality. Transition: With this view to reality, we see the believer’s reward. The Believer’s Reward (v.7) 1. v.7 “For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.” - Who are the upright, those who perform righteous deeds? Paul, citing Psalm 14, reminds us that under the law there is none righteous (Rom. 3:10-11). But he continues on to remind us of the righteousness of God that comes to us by faith in Christ (Rom. 3:21-26). This is where our uprightness comes from; where it is grounded. This is where righteous deeds flow from. Only by faith in Jesus can we be righteous. And what is the reward of the righteous? We will see God; we will behold his face! 1. 1 John 3:2 “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” 2. Revelation 22:1–4 “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” 3. This is our reward and our everlasting joy, to be in God’s presence, to behold his face, and to have him looking upon us! Conclusion: Things might be looking grim as you look around today. Voices may be speaking despair and discouragement to you. But look up, dear church, and see that your redemption draws near! Your heavenly Father is in his temple and on his throne, worthy of our worship and deserving of our devotion, and there will be a day when we will look upon his face. God is our refuge and reward. Even so, come Lord Jesus! Numbers 6:24-26