Psalm 11 Continued…
David knew that God was on the throne in His holy temple in heaven (Hab. 2:20; Isa. 6) and that He saw everything the enemy was doing. The Lord is not asleep, nor is He indifferent to what men are doing, as some of the faithless may suppose (Psalm 9:4-6).
Psalms 11:5, “The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.”
A better translation of “The LORD examines the righteous” is “the LORD tests the righteous.” God knows who are His own, and He will test His children. He tests me and He may be testing you. And that doesn’t mean He hates us. He is testing us for our good and His glory. The trial of the righteous will result in their approval, in contrast to God’s hatred of the wicked.
Psalms 11:6, “On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.”
David uses three images to describe the judgment that God has prepared for the wicked. First, he saw “fiery coals and burning sulfur” descend on them, like that the Lord sent on Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24). Then he beheld a terrible storm destroying the enemy a “scorching wind” such as often blew from the desert. David used the image of the storm in his song about his deliverance from his enemies and King Saul (Psalm 18:4-19). The third image is that of a poisonous potion in a cup. “Will be their lot” (KJV – “portion of their cup”) is often a picture of judgment from the Lord (Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17, 22; Jeremiah 25:15-17; Ezekiel 38:22; Revelation 14:10; 16:19; 18:6).
Psalms 11:7 says, “For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.”
What does God have planned for His own people? “Upright men will see his face” (see Psalm 17:15, below; 1 John 3:1-3). To “see the face” means to have access to a person, such as, “to see the kings face,” (2 Samuel 14:24). For God to turn His face away is to reject us, but for Him to look upon us in delight means He is going to bless us (Numbers 6:22-27).
The Lord loves righteousness. In time of trouble when the foundations are removed, we are to look from earth to heaven—the upright will behold His face. Because they love the things which He loves they shall have freedom of access to His presence and the enjoyment of His favor!
PRAY
Father help us to live aware, to choose wisely, to stay close to you, and anchored in your truth. Thank you for your great love and mercy. Thank you that you patiently wait for us to return, that you call us to yourself, and strengthen us in our weakness.