So why do you say to me,
“Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
2 The wicked are stringing their bows
and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
at those whose hearts are right.
3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”
4 But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
examining every person on earth.
5 The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
He hates those who love violence.
6 He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
punishing them with scorching winds.
7 For the righteous Lord loves justice.
The virtuous will see his face.
David, at the different periods of his life, was placed in almost every situation in which a believer, whether rich or poor, can be placed; in these Holy Spirit-inspired psalms, he contemplates all the workings of a human heart.
He also introduces the sentiments and conduct of the various persons who were accessory either to his troubles or his joys; and then sets before us the depths of turmoil and height of joy of what transpires within us when faced with the faithless and the faithful.
When he wrote this Psalm he was under persecution from Saul, who sought his life, and hunted him 'as a partridge upon the mountains' (1 Samuel 26:20) His timid friends were alarmed for his safety, and recommended him to flee to some mountain where he had a hiding-place, so he conceal himself from the rage of Saul. But David, being strong in faith, rejected the idea of resorting to any such cowardly means, and determined confidently to rest his trust in God."
Many have titled Psalm 11: "The Song of the Steadfast."
Teach me to trust in You, O God, no matter how great the dangers are all around in this world; and even though there will be those who mock and say "Where is your God? - how can you trust when the very foundations of the world are falling apart?" - may I still cling to You, as the anchor of my soul, sure and steadfast, for You have me in Your grip. Amen
