Chaos is everywhere. The war in Iran sparked off this past week, and who knows where it will lead us. With the outbreak of war, the shooting of seventeen people in Texas looks to be related. This morning I read about the NYPD arresting someone for throwing a incendiary device during a protest. With the war, comes higher gas prices, and the stock markets becoming unstable. Which means less money in our pockets. There was chaos that happened last week in Mexico with reprisals from the drug cartels. Chaos seems to be the norm in this life and through it all, it can become so easy for us to lose sight of God.
Today, we’re going to look at Psalm 11 and see how David handled the chaos of his world. So if you have your Bible’s, open up to Psalm 11, where we’re going to couch ourselves in psalm today. Before we dive into Psalm 11, I want to give you some additional insight into it. This Psalm is one of the eight of what are referred to as, “Confidant Psalms." A group of Psalms, where the faith of the Psalmist is undisturbed by the circumstances around them.
This Psalm also has two sides to it, two voices as it were. The voice of the chaos, and the voice of the steadfast. The voice of chaos is most likely coming from the advisors to David, seeing the problems that surround them, they question David’s focus.
The voice of the steadfast, comes from David’s focus on God, which leads David into the same position where God desires us to be.
Let’s read in Psalm 11.
1 In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
3 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
5 The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6 Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.
So what’s happening here? Historically, David has taken an interaction he has, and turns it into a Psalm. David is in a bad situation. Someone is seeking to destroy him. They’re not simply seeking to destroy his reputation, though that is where it always starts, they’re seeking to destroy his entire life.
His advisors see this and they’re seeking David’s best interest. When David restates their concern you can hear their love for David. “Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart (v.1-2).”
In other words, his advisors are saying, “look get out of here for a while, there are evil things that surround you, and we don’t even know where they’re coming from. But what we do know, is that their coming for blood. And not only are they coming for your life, but they’re coming to destroy the very root of the nation.”
And isn’t that what we see in our society? Isn’t this what we see in our culture? Destruction coming from the shadows, wanting to destroy the lives of people, to destroy the root of what it all has been built upon?
A while back I was listening to an interview with a Jewish man named Dennis Prager. In the interview he was asked what is the reason for all the social upheaval we’re seeing today? His answer was this, “The Bible is the most important book in history, whether you like it or hate it. It is rooted in a concept called distinctiveness. There are five distinctions that are at the core of the biblical worldview. 1) The difference between man and God. 2) The difference between man and animal. 3) The difference between man and woman. 4) The difference between good and evil. 5) And the difference between holy and profane.”
He goes on to say, that each of those distinctions has been demolished in our society. And he’s right. Today, the Christ-conscious, and self-help movements try to make us gods. The theory of evolution has made humanity just another creature. Transgenderism has blurred the lines of what it means to be a man and a woman. Good and evil have become relativistic to the person and so have no meaning. And everywhere you look, another congregation as begun to promote a blasphemous view of God.
And where has it come from? If you trace it back, it was done from the shadows for years, until within the last 60 years it has slowly crept out of the shadows, and into mainstream society.
The question the advisors gave to David, is the same one we ask ourselves today, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (v.3)” What are you and I to do in the face of the chaos that is plaguing our society? The answer is, we need to learn to respond as David responded.
David responds with three realities we must learn to stand in. Three realities that we must focus on, or else the chaos that surrounds us will take our eyes off the God who has saved us. So let’s take a look at these three realities:
First, David replies to his advisors with these words in verse 4, “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. (v.4)”
David points out the reality that God is transcendent. Meaning, he is above all of this chaos, and the chaos does not change him. The chaos that surrounds us changes society, it changes culture, it changes history. But God is unchanged by the chaos. The chaos cannot overcome the power of God. This is why Jesus says in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
So the first reality we must stand in, is that God is above the chaos, and therefore is unchanged by it. The chaos of this world is not out of God’s control where he is impotent to deal with it, rather God is powerful in the face of it.
David moves on to the second reality. “The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. (v.5-6)”
David points out that not only is God transcendent, above it all, but he is also imminent. Meaning, God is not so beyond us that he doesn’t know what’s going on. He sees it all. He is examining it all. He is keeping score. People are not getting away with anything. We may not know where the arrows come from, but God does. This is monumental because it reminds us that there will be justice for the unborn. There will be justice for the victims. There will be justice for those who bring the chaos. And it reminds us that God also cares about what is happening. David uses this really strong language about God’s view towards the chaos in verse 6, “but his soul hates the wicked.”
And when God comes in judgement it won’t be pretty for those who choose wickedness. This is why Peter says this in his second letter, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (2 Pet. 3:10)”
This brings us to our second reality, God sees the chaos, and will not surrender to it. God is fighting against the chaos, and he will prevail.
Finally David gives us the third reality we must stand in, “For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. (v.7)”
David points out something, that is easily overlooked. If we say that we trust in Jesus, then we have only one job, to live upright lives. That means that we are to continue to trust in God and his word. We are to seek to do righteous things. Those things that God says are right and true. God’s word needs to be reflective in our lives. We must forgive, because God’s word says to forgive. We must serve, because God’s word says to serve. We must sacrifice, love, be gentle, hospitable, caring. We must seek to live lives that God calls righteous.
Again, Jesus said in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation.” The tribulation of this world is a given, what is not a given is that we would be people seeking righteousness. That is what we are to strive for.
As Paul writes in Romans 12:9-21, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
When the world is dark, God is in control. When the wicked prevail, judgement will come. But in this darkness, are we succumbing to the dark, or are we living for righteousness? That is the question.
And it is our final reality. We must live the right lives God has called us to live. The chaos is there, but are we doing what God desires of us, or are we falling into the trap of chaos ourselves?
When mass shootings, the upheaval of our society, wars are declared, and all the dark things shoot their arrows, our response must be to stand. To stand in the reality that God is in control, that God is working towards justice, and that we must be the ones who live right lives in the midst of it all.
This week I have a simple challenge for you. To write on a piece of paper the opening statement of Psalm 11, “In the Lord I take refuge.” In other words, in the Lord I make my stand. The challenge is this, take that paper and tape it to your TV, or your tablet, or whatever you use that connects you to the news. And when the chaos of this world is reported, let this be a reminder for you to make God your refuge. To stand in God. Because he is in control, he is not defeated, and he is looking at you to live a righteous life.
And when we wake up to these realities, then we can stand firm in God, when there is chaos all around us, we will stand just as David did, here in Psalm 11.
Now may the Lord show you in the chaos that you are not alone, because he is active and calls you to his activity. Amen.
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