Why do you say such things? Reflections on Psalm 11

David opens this Psalm with an assertion (spelled out in vv. 4-7) and then poses the wicked's threats in the terms of a question: How can you say these things? It is to say, "Don't you know who the Lord is? Don't you know how He operates?" It is both a chastisement of the wicked as well as a kind of taunt. In effect, it is to say that the wicked don't know what they're talking about even as they threaten terrible things against God's people.

What are the threats David is facing?

- 1) We bend the bow, we are preparing to strike you down with arrows.

- 2) They do so in the cover of darkness - you won't even see us coming. You won't know where the threat, the danger actually comes from.

- 3) We won't simply strike at the surface of things, but will undo the very foundations.

- Conclusion: This will leave the righteous ones with nothing to do, no place to belong, no ground to stand on.

- So you should flee like a bird to the mountains. Go into hiding, disappear.

So, on what grounds does David stand in answering these threats? How is that he is able to respond that fleeing to the mountains, disappearing is simply nonsense?

- He knows the Lord. The Lord whose throne is established over everything. His throne is in heaven. He dwells in the midst of his people. Why would God's people flee in fear when God is with them?

- God knows; he sees. He isn't oblivious to the trouble being threatened.

- God tests mankind. The trouble isn't surprising. God tests both the righteous and the wicked. He sends trouble to all mankind.

- For the righteous, the tests are simply tests, trouble that sanctifies - trouble that will, in the end, bring joy. But the wicked, God hates them.The one who loves violence and destruction against the people of God - the trouble He sends on them serves an entirely different purpose. The wicked know only judgment. That is their portion - that is what God will give them.

Living and Singing Psalm 11

- Troubles *will* come. They can look a number of different ways, but they will often involve the opposition of the wicked to the righteous, of those who oppose God and His Word standing against those who believe God's words.

- It is easy to look around in our world and see what seems like the overwhelming opposition of worldly schemes against the righteousness and beauty of God. Too many Christians see all of this trouble and respond in fear. They don't do what David does here - they look to either their own resilient strength or they "flee like a bird to the mountains," hiding, often in plain sight, in order to avoid the embarrassment or disdain of being exposed as those who believe what God says about all kinds of things - gender, sexuality, justice, judgment, grace, sin. But the answer is to both look away from your own strength and look towards God, his character, the certainty of his covenant promises, and how he works in the world. We can name the foolishness of the wicked, not on the basis of our own strength and righteousness but on the basis of God's own words. God brings trouble. But God judges the wicked and gives the grace of his countenance to those who belong to him.