The Psalms
Faith's Response to Fear's Counsel
April 30, 2023 • Pastor Timothy Messmer • Psalm 11
Psalm 11 “The present perfect nuance of the verb (take refuge) stresses that the psalmist’s trust has continued throughout his life”. He has taken his refuge, he is taking his refuge, and he will always take his refuge in the Lord. Well-intended counselors may tell him to “escape to the mountains like a bird,” but that is rarely the best option for the man or woman of faith. We don’t have to run away in fear. We don’t have to become evangelical monks and withdraw to a monastery.” --- Allen Ross “David writes, they are stringing their bows, putting their arrows in place, and getting ready to shoot any righteous person they can find, any who are “upright in heart” (v. 2). Further, their attacks come “from the shadows.” Their attacks come secretly in the dark, not out in the open. Their goal is to kill the righteous before they see it coming.” “But if that was so in 1939… it is a thousand times more true today. What shall we do when the laws are not upheld, when morality is undermined and evil sweeps on unchecked? What shall we do when the Bible is undermined and its teachings disregarded—when even churchmen seem to support the rising tide of secularism? What shall we do when family values are crumbling…with increasing damage to children, parents, and society alike? What can we do when everything around us seems to be giving way?” --- James Montgomery Boice “When Satan cannot overthrow us by presumption, how craftily will he seek to ruin us by distrust! He will employ our dearest friends to argue us out of our confidence, and he will use such plausible logic that unless we once for all assert our immovable trust in Jehovah, he will make us like the timid bird which flies to the mountain whenever danger presents itself.” --- Charles H. Spurgeon “This last phrase is an anticipation of nothing less than the beatific vision, the ultimate aspiration of the Old Testament saints: to see God face to face. It is nevertheless hard to suppose that David is not thinking here of the believer’s ultimate reward and bliss. Why? He has just spoken of a future judgment on the wicked (“On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur”). What is called for now is a parallel statement of what the same all-seeing and just God will do for those who are righteous. They will see God! How glorious!” --- James Montgomery Boice
