Psalms 11:4 - Meaning and Application

The shaking of a tree, people say, makes it sink roots deeper and faster. In the same way, David’s enemies tried to shake his trust in God, and that only made him hold more firmly to his first beliefs. He reviews those truths here, and that brings him comfort and shuts the door on unbelief. What troubled his faith, and has troubled many others, was seeing wicked people succeed in their evil ways while good people were often squeezed by hardship.

That kind of sight can tempt a person to think, “It is useless to serve God. The proud are the ones who are really happy.” To silence such thoughts, David points us to these truths. First, there is a God in heaven. The Lord is in his holy temple above, and though we cannot see him, we are never out of his sight. So the enemies of God’s people should not mock them as if they were helpless. They have a God, and they know where to find him in prayer, as their Father in heaven.

Or, the temple means his church, where God is in covenant relationship and fellowship with his people through a Mediator, one who stands between God and man. The temple pointed forward to that Mediator. We do not need to ask who will go up to heaven to bring us a God we can trust. The word is near us, and God is present in the word. His Spirit lives in his saints, who are living temples, and the Lord is that Spirit.

Second, this God rules the world. The Lord not only lives in heaven, he also has his throne there, and he has set his rule in the earth (Job 38:33). He prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all (Psalm 103:19). That is why the heavens are said to rule (Daniel 4:26). By faith, we should see God on this throne, on his throne of glory, far above the splendor of earthly rulers. We should see him on his throne of government, giving law, movement, and purpose to all creatures. We should see him on his throne of judgment, giving to each person according to his works. We should also see him on his throne of grace, where his people may come boldly for mercy and help. Then we will not be shaken by the pride and power of oppressors, or by the troubles that come to the righteous.

Third, this God knows every person’s true character perfectly. His eyes behold, his eyelids test the children of men. He does more than see them. He sees through them. He knows not only what they say and do, but also what they think, plan, and truly feel, no matter what they claim. We may know what people seem to be, but he knows what they are, as a refiner knows the value of gold after testing it. Scripture says God tests with his eyes and eyelids because he does not judge by reports or appearances, as earthly rulers often do. He sees by his own perfect inspection, and he cannot be mistaken or fooled. This should comfort us when we are misled by people, even by those we thought we had tested well. God’s judgment is always true.

Fourth, if he afflicts good people, he does it to test them, and therefore for their good (Psalm 11:5). The Lord tests all the children of men so that he may do them good in the end (Deuteronomy 8:16). So we should not let that shake our faith or weaken our trust in God.

Fifth, even if persecutors and oppressors prosper for a while, they are already under God’s wrath, and they will finally perish under it. He is a holy God, so he hates evil and cannot approve of it. “The wicked and the one who loves violence” his soul hates, because nothing is more opposed to his good and upright nature. Their success is no sign of his favor. Their abuse of that success only proves they have become objects of his hatred. God hates nothing he has made, yet he does hate those who have so badly made themselves.

Dr. Hammond suggests another way to read this verse: the Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and he can tell them apart perfectly, which is more than we can do. Then the one who loves violence hates his own soul, meaning that persecutors bring certain ruin on themselves (Proverbs 8:36), as the next verse shows. God is a righteous Judge, so he will punish them (Psalm 11:6).

Their punishment is unavoidable. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares. This uses two pictures at once to show that wicked people cannot escape. It will come down on them from heaven, like rain, and there is no shelter from that. It will strike suddenly, like a storm that catches a traveler on a summer day. It will be like snares, holding them fast and keeping them trapped until judgment comes.

Their punishment will also be terrifying. It is fire, brimstone, and a horrible storm, which clearly points to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. That destruction was meant as a picture of the punishment of eternal fire (Jude 1:7). The fire of God’s wrath, joining with the brimstone of their own guilt, will burn surely and fiercely. It will burn down to the lowest hell and on through all eternity. What a horrible storm the wicked are rushed into at death. What a lake of fire and brimstone must be their endless home, among the dead and damned. This is what is meant here. This is their portion, the cup appointed to them by the Almighty and given to them as their share (Job 20:29).

This is the cup of trembling placed in their hands, and they must drink it to the very dregs (Psalm 75:8). Every person has a portion assigned to his cup. Those who choose the Lord as their portion will have what they chose and be forever blessed in that choice (Psalm 16:5). But those who reject his grace will be made to drink the cup of his fury (Jeremiah 25:15; Isaiah 51:17; Habakkuk 2:16).

Finally, though honest and good people may be pushed down and trampled on, God still owns them, favors them, and looks on them with love. That is one reason he will judge persecutors and oppressors so severely, because those they mistreat are dear to him. Whoever touches them touches the apple of his eye (Psalm 11:7).

He loves them, and he loves the work of his own grace in them. He himself is a righteous God, so he loves righteousness wherever he finds it. He also pleads the cause of the righteous who are hurt and oppressed. He delights to do justice for them (Psalm 103:6). We should follow God in this, loving righteousness as he does, so that we may stay in his love.

He looks on them with favor. His countenance beholds the upright. He is not only at peace with them, he also fills their hearts with joy by letting them know it. Like a tender father, he looks on them with pleasure, and they, like obedient children, are glad and fully satisfied with his smile. They walk in the light of the Lord.

When we sing this psalm, we should strengthen our trust in God at all times. We should depend on him to protect our innocence and to make us happy. We should fear his displeasure as worse than death, and desire his favor as better than life.