I'm Not a Bird - Psalm 11

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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.

 
 

The psalmist is indignant: “I trust in God—stop telling me to fly away like a bird!”

1 In the Lord I take refuge.
    How then can you say to me:
    “Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
    they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
    at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”

The psalmist reminds himself that the Lord is still King and still on duty, and that the wicked will be punished. (He clearly alludes to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.)

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
    his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
    fiery coals and burning sulfur;
    a scorching wind will be their lot.

I like the ending of Psalm 11—the Lord is good, and those who trust him will be rewarded.

7 For the Lord is righteous,
    he loves justice;
    the upright will see his face.

 

Why The Three Days Request?

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Exodus 3:15-22

15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

 
 

Here, God lays out the entire plan:

- How Moses will speak to the Israelites;
- How God will bring them from slavery into the Promised Land;
- How God will show his power and strike Egypt;
- How the Israelites will take wealth with them from Egypt.

But did you notice that strange detail—which we’ll see Moses enact later—when God says that the Israelites are to ask Pharaoh for permission to journey three days into the wilderness? Why?

Remember, Exodus is about God shaping his people for mission. One of the essential things for Israel to learn is that it is God’s power that brought them out of Egypt and not Pharaoh’s kindness nor their stubborn requests. So, God has the people ask for a holiday knowing that Pharaoh will refuse, and thereby proving that God rescued them and that they should trust him.

What, on reflection, in your past should make you trust God more?