GOD REIGNS Psalm 11 America was founded on the principle of religious liberty. The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits “the making of any law respecting the . . . free exercise of religion.” In other words the government is not to make any law that restricts our freedom to worship God according to our conscience. The government was not to interfere in religion in any way. Over time as more and more people rejected Christianity as their religion they demanded that laws conform to their personal beliefs. Since the 1960’s there has been a cultural war on Christianity with several landmark Supreme Court decisions. In 1962 teacher-led prayer in school was forbidden. Roe verses Wade sanctioned abortion on demand throughout America in 1973. The display of the Ten Commandments on publicly owned property was forbidden in 2005 and in 2015 same sex marriage became the law of the land. Three weeks after the Supreme Court announced its decision on same sex marriage, John MacArthur said this from his pulpit: “We as Christians are the minority. But we have always been the minority. We’ve just had a reprieve in our little piece of human history. We (believers) are defined in the wonderful, inspired words of Peter as a ‘separate people,’ as a ‘holy nation.’ Christ is our King. Scripture is our law. And as in ways that have not been true in the past, Scripture and the laws of our country now collide head on . . .” OUR CRISIS :1-3 Confident faith :1 Refuge – Heb. shelter or protection (46:1; 62:9; 71:7). Real security is found in God alone, not in our circumstances. David confidently and steadfastly leaned on the promises of God. Birds fly away from danger they face to someplace that is higher so they feel secure. The term “your mountain” implies that the mountain is something which the bird often went to for security. Like the birds, we tend to be creatures of habit so when we feel threatened we do what has made us feel safe in the past. Concealed attack :2 While the bow was used in battle here it is a picture of any attack which is mounted against someone. Calvin wrote, “It was impossible for him to escape from the hands of his enemies.” The reason he was not able to escape was because their attacks were done in secret or under the cover of darkness so he could not see them coming and was therefore not prepared for them. Culture undermined :3 Foundations (2x) – Heb. columns or support. Calvin wrote, “A metaphor from buildings, which fall down and become a heap of ruins when their foundations are undermined.” Isaiah 19:10 Those who are the pillars (leaders) of Egypt. The word refers to what upholds the morals of society. The Biblical foundations of our country have been changed, are crumbling and have been eroded by society which seeks the happiness of the individual as its highest goal. Where do believers turn when the very principles of their faith are being undermined by society and supported by the Supreme Court? Alford Barnes wrote, “Foundations here refers to those things on which society rests, or by which social order is sustained – the great principles of truth and righteousness that uphold society. The reference is to a destruction of those things in a community, when truth is no longer respected; when justice is not longer practiced; when fraud and violence have taken the place of honesty and honor . . . when there is no respect paid to truth and justice.” David faced a crisis in which the foundations of society were being undermined and he wrote about his experience and how he handled it in Psalm 11. The question we might ask is when in David’s life did he see the foundations of his society being destroyed because he served 40 years as king himself? Historical background Some scholars believe David wrote this psalm after he heard that King Saul had 85 priests killed because they had helped him escape out of the hand Saul (I Samuel 22:11-19). One priest named Abiathar escaped and told David what had happened. The priests played three important roles in Jewish society: 1. They taught the people God’s law so they would honor God. 2. They offered the sacrifices in worship of God. 3. They offered the sacrifices of the people to God. With the high priest and many of the other priests killed the very foundation of their society and worship was now undermined. If the king was willing to kill the priests then there was nothing which he might not do to destroy their society. What can the righteous do when the foundations or crumbling? 1. They can choose to withdraw from society and flee like a bird (:1) to someplace where they feel safe from the evil around them. 2. They can choose to stand up for the truth in the midst of evil. Barnes wrote, “His presence may be the very thing to counteract this; his duty may be to remain and face the evil and to endeavor to secure a better state of things.” Application 1. Christians need to preserve the truth of God. Matthew 5:13 Jesus told his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth, but the salt has lost its taste . . . it is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under foot.” 2. Christians need to show others the truth of God. Matthew 5:14,16 Jesus told his disciples, “You are the light of the world . . . let your light so shine before others, so that they my see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven.” Speak the truth of God even though it is not politically correct. Let people know that God loves them even though they sin. GOD’S CHARACTER :4-7 Sovereign :4 1. His position is in heaven. Holy temple – in heaven revealing his supremacy over man. 2. His sovereignty is over all. Throne – as the sovereign king of the universe who is in complete control over the world he created. Nothing takes place that God does not know about otherwise he would not be God. Barnes wrote, “He had nothing to fear; he had a protector in heaven and he might appeal to him for safety. God is always the protector of the righteous . . . they may come and be safe.” 3. His knowledge is universal. Eyes – observe what we do so he knows what is happening. Test (KJB try, NIV examine) – Heb. to investigate to prove true. It was used of testing metals to see if they were real or false. It was also used of God testing a person’s heart (17:3; 26:2). Spurgeon wrote, “He sees us always; never removes his eye from us; he sees us entirely. My danger is not from him, he knows me and I may rest assured that he will not allow me to perish while I rely alone on him.” God is in complete control of everything that happens there is nothing that takes him by surprise. It is my faith in the sovereignty of God that keeps me from being afraid or losing hope as I face a crisis no matter what it is. Just :5-6 God examines (same word in :4) those who are godly with the purpose of testing their faith to see if it is real and to strengthen it. But he does not have to test the faith of the wicked because they don’t believe in him or trust him therefore he hates what they do. Here the wicked are tied with the violent because wickedness often results in violence such as: abortion, assault, rape and murder. Genesis 6:11 The earth was corrupt (wicked) in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. Proverbs 1:11 Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason. Holy :7 1. God is holy. The reason the Lord will punish evil is because he is holy. His holiness demands that he punish evil and he will judge each person according to his righteous standard. His law will be the standard even though people do not accept it. God hates wickedness because it is contrary to his nature. :6 Let – he is requesting that God punish them for their evil deeds. He will not try and punish those who have acted wickedly and done evil in destroying the foundations of society. He trusts that God will justly punish those who are evil. When God told Abraham he was going to judge Sodom for their wickedness in Genesis 18:25 Abraham responded and said, “Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is right? Fire and sulfur (KJB brimstone) – are a reminder of God’s severe judgment on the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19). When God punished them they were completely destroyed. Derek Kindner wrote, “Sodom stands in the Bible as a perpetual reminder of sudden and final judgment.” Scorching wind – brings extreme heat which is miserable. Jonah 4:8 God appointed a scorching east wind and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. Portion of their cup – is what God chooses to give them. There is the cup of God’s blessing which David described in Psalm 23:5 My cup runs over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. There is also a cup of God’s wrath which is his judgment upon man’s sin. God will surely punish the wicked for their sinful actions. 1. Those who lead others into sin will be severely judged. Matthew 18:6 Whoever causes one of these little ones to sin, it would be better for him to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 2. The more wicked their actions the more severe their punishment. 2. God desires holiness. He wants his people to live holy lives which honor him. God delights when we do what is right according to his law. 3. God rewards the righteous. His face – refers to seeing the presence of God. It is a picture of a servant standing before his master and waiting for him to speak because he controls what the servant is to do. It is a picture of trust in God instead of worrying about things. God will make his presence known to his people even in the darkness of society which is becoming more ungodly as a result of the influence of evil people who live to please themselves. Kidner wrote, “The first line showed where the believer’s safety lies, the last line shows where his heart should be.” God is our security in times of trouble and our desire is fellowship with him. Faith in the character of God fosters hope in our heart. CONCLUSION Real security is found in God alone, not in my circumstances. Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliver, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge. Spurgeon wrote, “God is our security.” The hymn, O Worship The King, written in 1833 beautifully describes the character of God with the words: Shield, Defender, Ancient of Days, Maker, Redeemer and Friend. God who controls what happens in the world cares about the needs of his children.