Don't Flee

Scripture Reading: Psalm 11

This Psalm begins with a rebuking question: “How can you say to my soul, ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain?” It is unclear to whom the Psalmist addresses this rebuke. It could be he was speaking to himself like is done in other Psalms. For example, Psalms 42 and 43 contain that repeated question the writer asks of himself, “Why are you cast down O’ my soul?” So, that is possible.

It is also possible that he is rejecting advice from well-meaning friends. Someone or several someones may have seen his troubles and suggested the best plan was to run from them. Or, it could have been a mocking taunt of his enemies.

We don’t know, but we can say that it is possible that any or all of the above were potential sources of this advice.

The Psalmist sees this as an affront to his faith. To flee in the face of this danger he was facing would be an expression of unbelief.

To be clear, this is not like saying going to a doctor when you are sick, wearing a seatbelt when you are driving, or going into a storm shelter when a tornado is approaching is a lack of faith. That is missing the point. The mountain refuge to which he refers is metaphorical. We know that because it is contrasted with the LORD. He couldn’t have been thinking of a physical refuge because God isn’t a physical refuge. Then we also can see that this was directed to his soul, not his body.

So, I think the best way to understand what he is getting at is that he was being tempted to trust in something or than God for security. This is a heart and soul issue. We can visit the doctor, put on our seat belts, and get in the storm shelter while putting our trust in God. Of course, we can do those things with a heart of unbelief too.

Taking refuge in God is not a physical act. It is a spiritual act. And when we are tempted to put our trust in anyone or anything but Christ, we need to respond as the Psalmist did. We need to rebuke that voice, whether it is our own or someone else’s, and say, “In the LORD I take refuge.”