A ringing confession of trust in God in the face of rampant evil so forceful that no human power can bring relief.
Scripture References:
st. 1 = vv. 1-2
st. 2 =vv. 3-4
st. 3 = vv. 5-6
st. 4 = v. 7
The circumstances described in Psalm 11 occur frequently in human affairs (PHH 12). God's servant is threatened by a godless and arrogantly wicked alliance, and there seems to be no standing against its power. With the moral atmosphere so poisoned and wickedness in such complete control, the psalmist's friends counsel in despair: flee to some place of rescue in the creation. But the psalmist, and all who trust in the LORD, can stand firm, unshaken in our confidence that the LORD is all the refuge we need. Our trust in God rebukes those who urge us to flee (st. 1). We counter their despair by pointing to the all-seeing LORD on the throne (st. 2), assuring them that God's just wrath will not fail to be aroused against the violent acts of the wicked (st. 3). God's love for the upright, says the psalmist, will hold them secure (st. 4). Clarence P. Walhout (PHH 6) versified this psalm in 1983 for the Psalter Hymnal.
Liturgical Use:
Occasions when wickedness is especially rampant in the world or in a particular community, and when human resources falter or fail, and only God can provide refuge.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook
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