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Psalms:11

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

(page last updated: August 28 2019)

Today's Text:

Today's Audio Commentary: "The Testing of the Righteous"

Today's Commentary Outline: "The Testing of the Righteous"

1. Psalm 11 Introduction - "The LORD Trieth the Righteous": 11:5
• Two questions today:


• "How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?" 11:1


• "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" 11:3


• "...Flee as a bird" 11:1


• The retreat of many modern believers from public square/forum/not standing up perpendicular for God/Gospel/Morality/Christian Ethic for fear of the wicked.


• Retreat within the modern church from scripture and sound doctrine in order to better satisfy the hostility of the wicked.


• The insistence of modern believers on living a safe distant disengaged non-combative faith.


• The inability of modern believers to discern spiritual battle tactics and weaponry.


• The wicked and their influence increase daily/they stir up their masses.


• The wicked bending their bow and shooting privily from all sides at the upright of heart.


• The near impossibility/futility felt of mounting any fight.


• These words of David are echoed by the valiant saints of old: "How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?"


• "If the foundations be destroyed..." 11:3


• Signs of the times/We are witness exactly that (examples - family/social/political/doctrinal)


• Foundations seemingly crumbling at our feet quickly (schools/colleges/judicial system/legislative government)


• (other saints retreating at such a rate that the few firm standing saints become weary and exhausted)


• "What can the righteous do?" 11:3 (the few remaining)


• Start by considering what David is insisting: "How can you say to my soul, flee?" 11:1


• Ask yourself with each following verse "How can you say to my soul, flee?" (How can We/I say?)



kjv@Psalms:11:4 @ The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

kjv@Psalms:11:5 @ The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

kjv@Psalms:11:6 @ Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

kjv@Psalms:11:7 @ For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

• Let us start today by considering what else David is insisting: "The LORD trieth the righteous"


• The righteous of every generation and every nation has been "tried" in this manner.


• Let's consider then what the few righteous of us left here today must do.






2. *"The LORD trieth the righteous - What This Should Mean":* 11:5

Quoted resource: strongs 'H974'

H974 @ בּחן bâchan baw-khan' A primitive root; to test (especially metals); generally and figuratively to investigate: - {examine} {prove} {tempt} try (trial).


• To test the metal of the righteous:


• The purity of (individual/corporate)


• The consistency/cohesion of (individual/corporate)


• The strength/resiliency of (individual/corporate)


• To examine in order to prove the righteous:


• Most Christians today do not see their faith as something God would be examining in order to prove.


• Most Christians today do not see their faith as something undergoing the process of a fiery furnace smelting precious ore.



kjv@Ezekiel:22:18 @ Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.


kjv@1Peter:1:7 @ That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

• In one sense both righteous and unrighteous are being put into one pot 11:4 "eyelids try the children of men"


• But only the righteous, for the name sake of their Lord, are being commanded to do something glorifying about it. (allow to be proven)


• Our command is not to fight this being tested, it is to fight this wickedness and to overcome, it is to prove the divine words and abilities of our Lord in this lifetime as being divine/right.



kjv@1Peter:4:12 @ Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

kjv@1Peter:4:13 @ But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

kjv@1Peter:4:14 @ If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

kjv@1Peter:4:15 @ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

kjv@1Peter:4:16 @ Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

• Surely we all know this to be the biblical truth yet, we all in our own way back off from putting our faith fully forward publically for the very same reason.


• Ex = War vet in comparison to vet not seeing action vet.


• The humbling thing is that even that battle tested vet (especially that battle tested vet) brings us to tears confessing that he should have done more, could have done better, left a good part of the warior spirit back there in the tent.


• We are to be proven just as is metal.


• I fear for us today without this warior spirit how this soul searching examination will turn out.


• Not questioning our salvation... speaking directly to one's willingness towards front line enlistment and work.



kjv@1Corinthians:3:11 @ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

kjv@1Corinthians:3:12 @ Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

kjv@1Corinthians:3:13 @ Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

kjv@1Corinthians:3:14 @ If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

kjv@1Corinthians:3:15 @ If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.





3. The Foundations/If the Foundations Be Destroyed:
• Outline of such foundations given 11:4-5 (stick to these and you won't go wrong) (these foundations we often fail to correctly present/defend)


• "The LORD is in his holy temple": 11:4


• "the LORD'S throne is in heaven" 11:4


• "His eyelids try, the children of men" 11:4


• "The LORD trieth the righteous" 11:5


• "but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth" 11:5


• Lets examine each of these: 1. scriptural context of meaning 2. where we fail to hold firm to that foundation 3. result on society as a whole


• "The LORD is in his holy temple": 11:4


• Context = temple not made with hands/not worshiped with men's hands as though HE needed anything kjv@Acts:17:22-28


• (note: holy = sacred/rare/hallowed)


• Failure = man in his own temple/worshiping the works of own hands/Christians cowering to that.


• Result = Rampant forms of self worship/righteousness/justification/exaltation.


• Result = Modern church that is barely different and often most hypocritical and for the most part absent as a spiritual influence.


• "the LORD'S throne is in heaven" 11:4


• Context = Jesus (having endured the cross/resurrected/ascended) has been raised to right hand (judgment) throne of God kjv@Hebrews:12:2


• (note: heaven = lofty/celestial) (as is Christ as a result of His Father's glorification)


• Failure = judgments brought down to a self determined relative scale/enforcement of men's judgment spotty and self benefiting


• Result = societal free for all + a church without solid judgment or discipline.


• "His eyes behold" 11:4


• Context = All present, all knowing God - no place to hide either in heaven or hell kjv@Psalms:139
• Failure = nothing to be held accountable for/no one to be accountable to except one's self.


• Result = Complete license to sin/complete breakdown of society structure/do what is right in your own eye/a cowering church that by hiding from all this that it is being saintly.


• "His eyelids try, the children of men" 11:4


• Context = examining in order to prove 11:4 (children of men) + 11:5 (righteous)


• Failure = If the righteous have failed (as proved by the collapse of these foundations publicly) how much more the unrighteous.


• Result = The wicked have inflamed the masses against the just and upright. The masses moan when the wicked are in authority kjv@Proverbs:29:2


• "The LORD trieth the righteous" 11:5


• Context = examining in order to prove just/lawful man


• (note: that it is the LORD examining not the man himself)


• (note: just and lawful man does not necessarily rule out all non-Christians)


• Failure = The just and lawful men abandon their posts on the battlefield.


• Result = justice and law withers to self interest, thievery, false witness and ungodly passions.


• "but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth" 11:5


• Context = As God does so should the saint kjv@Psalms:139:19-21


• Failure = In the name of compassion and self esteem we forsake civil law and justice and allow for further violence.


• Result = The year "2019"


• Question = "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" 11:3


• (saints of old faced a similar/literal occasion (ex= King Josiah/High Priest Hilkiah/Prophet Jeremiah 620? BC)) kjv@2Kings:22:8 kjv@2Kings:22:10-19



kjv@2Kings:22:10 @ And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

kjv@2Kings:22:11 @ And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

• What can righteous do? Look to the Scriptures


• What can righteous do? Look to the Christ of the Scriptures:



kjv@Isaiah:28:16 @ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.


kjv@Ephesians:2:19 @ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

kjv@Ephesians:2:20 @ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

kjv@Ephesians:2:21 @ In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

kjv@Ephesians:2:22 @ In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

• What can righteous do? Repent and present themselves as a living sacrifice.



kjv@2Timothy:2:19 @ Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.


kjv@Romans:12:1 @ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

kjv@Romans:12:2 @ And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

• What else can righteous do? Trust in the Lord: (to approach faithfully and obediently)


• Trust in the LORD: (to not fear any other thing more than/to find all needed strength in)


• Trust in the LORD: (as a sojourner in a foreign land awaiting the fulfillment of a heavenly eternal promise)


• Trust in the LORD: (for one's ultimate future hope)


• What else? (Let the Apostle Paul summarize all this:)



kjv@Ephesians:6:10 @ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

kjv@Ephesians:6:11 @ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

kjv@Ephesians:6:12 @ For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

kjv@Ephesians:6:13 @ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

kjv@Ephesians:6:14 @ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

kjv@Ephesians:6:15 @ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

kjv@Ephesians:6:16 @ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

kjv@Ephesians:6:17 @ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

kjv@Ephesians:6:18 @ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

kjv@Ephesians:6:19 @ And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

kjv@Ephesians:6:20 @ For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.





4. "How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?": 11:1

kjv@Proverbs:28:1 @ The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.



• Righteousness and Boldness go hand in hand.


• Consider what this "fleeing" means (by contrasts):


• There are accounts of Jesus holding firm: "Go ye tell that fox (Herod)..." kjv@Luke:13:31-33


• There are accounts of Jesus staying away: "...for he would not walk in Jewry..." kjv@John:7:1


• Look at the life of David (holding firm/staying away)


• Other judges (ie Gideon) / prophets (Elijah)


• There were times in the early church doing both at same time kjv@Acts:8:1


• Surely fleeing is not measured by the distance one is from their problems/enemies, it is the distance they are from God and God's will.


• Fleeing is when the fear of danger from men is greater than the willingness of individuals to obey God


• Boldness is not the absence of fear, it is not allowing that natural fear to overwhelm spiritual reverence.


• Boldness (not fleeing) comes simply down to trust. 11:1


• Paul had to face his fears of arrest, his perspective = "bound in the spirit"



kjv@Acts:20:22 @ And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

kjv@Acts:20:23 @ Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

kjv@Acts:20:24 @ But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

kjv@Acts:20:25 @ And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

kjv@Acts:20:26 @ Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.

• Had he been of this mind all along?


• Not only considering his own life but, the spiritual welfare of his followers



kjv@Acts:21:13 @ Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

• No other way for any of us to come to this sincere type of boldness than to sincerely trust in God


• The question "how can you say... flee" really asks "how can I not trust God"


• In a very real sense our trial/examination before God is a proving of our trust.


• Not that God does not already know our trust but, neither we nor those in our circle of influence know just how deep a level God has instilled into us is capable of going.


• We ourselves trust that these new to us and unfamiliar depths of trust are present within us but, yet we would prefer that for safety's sake that level could just stay unproven.


• We tend live our faith vicariously through the examples of our spiritual forefathers; thinking that this is living the faith for ourselves.


• We are like baby eaglets admiring their mother's flight from down in the nest not yet bold enough to stretch out our wing tips for our own.


• If God already knows then what is the point?


• Let's move the focus for a moment from ourselves and our many fears to David's point 11:3 on "foundations"


• If to flee, then the wicked are allowed authority to destroy the foundations of faith and society.


• If to flee then we are to allow the collapse of justice/morality/law and order.


• Society is like a barometer of the boldness/trust of the righteous. The more that they trust the bolder that they are the better society becomes.


• If it wasn't tremendously difficult and dangerous the righteous would not have to trust God; they could just trust their own resource and ability.


• If it didn't require uncommon regenerate boldness then any person with or without faith in our Lord and Savior would be able to do this.


• What is the point of trust needing to be proven? Being bold? Not fleeing? As it is written here 11:7



kjv@Psalms:11:7 @ For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.





5. "The LORD trieth the righteous - Conclusion": What I immediately got out of this commentary listening back on it.
• There are some sincere Christians listening that will find the tenor of this message today unpalatable.


• Idea: "Religion and politics should not be mixed" vs "it is impossible to separate religion from politics"


• Idea: "Politics corrupt religion and religion corrupts politics" vs "religion and politics are both inherently corrupted by sinful human nature".


• Idea: "In this world not of it" and "seek a kingdom from above not made by men's hands" vs "being so not of this world as to be of no prominent moral influence"


• First: I am not necessarily speaking of politics when I speak of the righteous not fleeing/God testing us on these very points.


• I am speaking of righteous persons of all nations and stations of life standing up and standing firm for law and order and justice.


• I am speaking of righteous persons of all nations and stations of life standing up and standing united against all legal injustice, all lawlessness and civil disorder, all corruption and oppression.


• I am speaking of righteous persons of all nations leading the charge each from their own position and rank and location against the wicked in low places, in high places, in places near to them, in places half way round the world.


• I am speaking of Christians in particular by their actions and their deeds, by their compassion and uncommon moral valor to show forth the light of our glorious gospel every where that they go, everything that they do, everything that they touch; to excel in Christ's name above the many other good folks that excel in lesser names that they may see your good works and praise your awesome and living God.


• I am asking these Christians to trust in their God in ways far beyond their own resource or ability, in places of little or no human possibility, against odds that no other man could rationally justify.


• If that means acting in the realm of politics in a certain instance then so be it but, acting in the realm of politics remember does not preclude acting in all other suitable arenas of influence.


• Sovereign nations should not fear the righteous; no only the wicked of those nations should fear us.


• Second: I had only mentioned the US Constitution and Bill of Rights not because either are some type of sacred holy document but, because in principal there are enough agreeable elements contained in them that I can willingly work alongside others supporting and defending it through certain just causes and still remain within the prescripts of our holy Christian faith.


• The lesson that should be taken by all Christians from WWII Germany (Lutheran Majority) rightfully should be a stern warning what blind national allegiance can become if the true biblical constructs are not internally fought for by righteous Christians citizens.


• The lesson that should be taken by all Christians from the Holy Wars and Inquisitions rightfully should be a stern warning that this is what becomes of our religion politically when righteous Christian individuals do not stand up and stand firm for actual biblical precepts.


• The lesson that should be taken by all Christians from the Church's Reformation is that this is what happens when the influence of the righteous flees so far away that when it finally does come back it is made to look like the bad guy threatening to snap the less than holy Catholic Church into pieces.


• I had mentioned how I believed many of the biblical societal foundations here in western civilization (US) to be nearly destroyed.


• I am learning through my studies church history and previous revivals that we have been at this point several times before.


• We have been at the point in the USA where not one teacher or student at Princeton identified themselves as being Christian.


• We have been at the point in the USA where Christianity was openly shamed and ridiculed, vandalized and set fire to.


• We have been at the point in the USA where the church pews were nearly empty and major denominations merged together due to the lack of support.


• We have been at this point in the USA not just once but several times.


• Israel of the OT is seen as having been at this point several times in it's recorded history.


• Third: Where is it that the righteous flee?


• Where were the scribes and Levite priests of Ephraim?


• Where were the high priests of Judah?


• Where were the Cardinals and Bishops of the second Holy Roman Empire?


• Where were the rigid conservatives in the Lutheran councils and leadership of Germany?


• Now surely not all of the righteous fled during these points of great human crisis but, enough of them did so that for the few brave hearted remaining the foundations had already been destroyed; what then could the righteous do?


• Also, I believe I can begin to see how thorough the work of the wicked can become.


• They seemingly have little problem sustaining their effort to gain control over our society while we have great difficultly sustaining both the will and cohesion of maintaining ours.


• Perhaps that is why God so loves to look upon it when it does happen, because from us it is so rare and fought for be.


• Fourth and perhaps most importantly:


• I know how easy it is for us once we have heard the word of God tell us to go do something to run off and do the thing that most seems right in our own eyes, not what HE told us to do.


• We tend to go about godly things our own way, by our own initiative, by our own resource and ability; very likely not the way God would have us go about these bolder spiritual things.


• Our concern should be that God is watching, His eyes are beholding, He is examining the righteous in order to prove them (to themselves/to His enemies), He loveth righteousness and His countenance behold the upright.


• It is not my intention to raise a public ruckus, have everyone listening run off and join whatever they feel to be a just cause.


• My intention is to drive everyone listening to their knees and to the scriptures, to listen then from that prone position for the voice of God's indwelling Holy Spirit, to be lead by His Spirit to one's next successive step.


• My intention is that we not just find ourselves another way to simply flee


• It is not for me to tell you what will be that next step; only His Spirit proven by scripture can do that.


• One final point to consider that we have yet to: 11:6



kjv@Psalms:11:6 @ Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

• I am not sure that the lost soul needs to be told this (for the saints consumption not necessarily his).


• Christian, you have tasted the tremendous love and mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ. For that we are very very thankful!


• In part you know the greatness of His love because you fully know of penalty meant for you soon to pay that He has suffered for in your stead.


• This fire and brimstone and horrible tempest very well could have been our cup as well; but by God's grace alone it is not. That fact alone should give us every reason...


• Knowing these things which we know and now are so intimately and eternally thankful to Christ Jesus for, our calling is quite simple and clear.


• Is not our calling to go out amongst the world and do the good works that were ordained beforehand for us to do?


• Well then let's do them all and not flee! Listen:



kjv@Psalms:11:1 @ In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

kjv@Psalms:11:2 @ For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.

kjv@Psalms:11:3 @ If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

kjv@Psalms:11:4 @ The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

kjv@Psalms:11:5 @ The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

kjv@Psalms:11:6 @ Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

kjv@Psalms:11:7 @ For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.


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