When The Foundations Collapse

Psalm 11

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1I trust in the LORD for protection.

So why do you say to me,

“Fly to the mountains for safety!

2The wicked are stringing their bows

and setting their arrows in the bowstrings.

They shoot from the shadows at those who do right.

3The foundations of law and order have collapsed.

What can the righteous do?”

4But the LORD is in his holy Temple;

the LORD still rules from heaven.

He watches everything closely,

examining everyone on earth.

5The LORD examines both the righteous and the wicked.

He hates everyone who loves violence.

6He rains down blazing coals on the wicked,

punishing them with burning sulfur and scorching winds.

7For the LORD is righteous, and he loves justice.

Those who do what is right will see his face.

The year was 1606. The Scottish Covenanters had been hoping and praying that the new king of England would give them more religious freedom. Instead, King James VI took away what freedom they had. The foundations of law and order were being shaken and on the verge of collapse.

In October of that year, the new regime had thrown John Welsh and his small group of Covenanters into prison. After being summoned to a nighttime trial, the prisoners marched to the courtroom singing Psalm 11 from the Scottish Psalter, beginning with the words, “I trust in God.”

Young David also knew about hostile kings. When King Saul tried to kill him, David fled to the city of Nob, where he received food from a priest there. When Saul heard of this, he massacred the entire town of Nob—all the men, women, children, and even animals (1 Samuel 21:1–22:19). It seemed as if the foundations of law and order had collapsed. But David maintained his trust in God. Eventually Saul was killed, and David was crowned king in his place.

What do you do when it seems that the foundations of law and order are collapsing? When you sense the nation drifting from its moorings, your church faltering in its priorities, or even your family falling apart—how do you respond? Do you “fly to the mountains”? David encourages us to put our trust in the Lord, for “those who do what is right will see his face” (verse 7).

All my trust on Thee is stayed,

All my help from Thee I bring;

Cover my defenseless head

With the shadow of Thy wing.

CHARLES WESLEY

Bible Networking

The blazing coals and burning sulfur in verse 6 allude to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (see Genesis 19:24).

Notable Quotable

“To the psalmist the surrounding circumstances were not foundations. He saw God, enthroned, watching, acting. To him this was the one foundation.”

G. CAMPBELL MORGAN