Faith is Greater than any Escape The Praise of the Assured One David the prophet appears at this point as rejecting the advice of his scared friends. They suggested he should flee to take shelter in one of the mountains, away from Saul’s chasing him (1 Sam. 23: 7-18). David believed God, the righteous King, would never desert him. The God, who has created the mountains, in his refuge. Some scholars think this psalm is one of the psalms spoken on behalf of the people. It reveals the divine help when facing savage and barbaric enemies. David did not reject his friends’ advice because his escape would be regarded shameful for a leader as he was, but rather because this suggestion implied some mistrust in God. This was inappropriate for a man of God, a man who was used to constantly giving inward praise to God from his deep heart, saying, “In the Lord I put my trust.” (Ps. 11) This psalm is called the Praise of the Assured One, which is among the psalms of the confidence in God (Ps 11, 16, 23, 62, 125, 129, and 131). These psalms reveal that absolute distance away from God makes prayer impossible. The one who suffers has no other alternative than to denounce and curse God, and so he dies. This has been referred to by Job’s wife regarding her man (Job 2:9). In these psalms, the believer is enlightened by the beams of confidence in God. He only realizes that God, who has often delivered His people in the older times, He is still alive and he will perpetually save them. In this hope, the believer is exalted above every suffering, instead of fleeing to the mountains that have been created, he thus realizes on the Creator of those mountains, He who dwells in the heavens whose eyes investigate the people’s matters. He is the refuge of His believers! The word “refuge” has been repeated more than once in the book of Psalms. In the Holy Book it is mentioned 37 times, 22 in this book alone. The topic of this psalm as well as many others is to rely on god against the evil power. This confidence is the basis of the joyful hymn-singing in the church, in all of her worshipping and righteous life. The entire psalm teaches us that whenever we fall in any ordeal or temptation, it is appropriate for us not to complain, but rather to resist Satan and thus he flees from us1. The General Framework: 1. The False Advice 1-3 2. The Trust in God 4-7 1- The False Advice: “In the Lord put I my trust: How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?” (Ps. 11: 1). David remembers the advice of his friends (Ps. 11: 1-3) who advised him to leave his country and to take shelter in the mountains. The Hebrew word synonym to the word “flee” means to hesitate or to rock back and forth, or to walk in zigzag, as if in fear when facing his skillful adversary. But David’s answer was “In the Lord put I my trust”. David’s friends were very similar to Job’s wife. Cowardice is always hazardous, and nothing is as harmful as it is. it is the one of the criminal deeds that springs up from 1 Plumer: The Psalms, p. 173. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 3 the lack of faith. Any advice to depart from the field site is a stupid and evil action to be taken. What his friends said has depressed him and hurt his feelings, for he was a believer who put his trust in the Lord1. David might have been working at this time in the royal palace if he had run away he CD have been accused of negligence in work, as well as cowardice. But what the prophet was concerned about was not the people’s accusations; but rather, his inward depths that reject the doubting in God’s protection of him. We do not deny that David the prophet escaped more than once from Saul’s face, because Saul has persecuted him. He also escaped from his son’s face, Absalom the rebellious one, for there is an evil escape and a sanctified one. 1. The evil escape is that of which is based on inward fear and having no reliance on God, or trust in His protection and care. This is what David the prophet rejected! 2. The sanctified escape is that in which we escape from the face of evil. This is not due to the lack of trust; but rather, it is due to not wasting time in resisting the evil. Our Lord Jesus Christ has run away to Egypt from Herod’s face (Matt. 2: 13). Lot also was asked to flee to the mountain (Gen19: 17). Moreover, the Lord Jesus Christ has asked us to flee to another city when we are cost out of one (Matt. 10: 41). When we escape from the sinful matters, particularly those that we cherish, this is a sign of our love to God, and not due to our lack of trust in His saving us (2Pet. 2: 20). Joseph has left his cloak by Photiphar and he ran away (Gen39: 15). In the book of Revelation the woman ran away from the dragon’s face to the wilderness (Rev. 12: 6). If you are still pure, up till the present time, then try to be even purer by avoiding such scenes. Do not rejoice in vain discussions, and do not find useless pretexts. Rather, have one excuse only; leave the Egyptian adulteress, as Joseph did, and run away from her hands, leaving your clothes behind2. St. John Chrysostom To run away from your Egyptian mistress, leave behind the robe that pertains to the world3. St. Jerome The soul is similar to a bird: there is the good bird that by nature is able to spiritually fly. There is also the evil bird that is unable to fly due to the earthly unrighteousness. This last example is sold for two pennies (Luke 21: 6). How cheap the cost of iniquity is4! St. Ambrosios Therefore, we do not flee due to fear or doubt in God’s ability to save us; rather, if we flee, it is the flight from evil to God. David the prophet teaches us to struggle continually, and to ignore the difficulties surrounding us, however long our struggle might be, and however difficult these hardships may be. Have trust in God and in His promises. David was the symbol for Jesus Christ, David’s son. It is He to whom some Pharisees came and advised Him to go away because Herod wanted to kill Him. But the 1 Ibid, 165. 2 In Matt. Hom. 18: 2. 3 Ep. 145. 4 In Luc. 12. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 4 Lord rejected this, and predicted to them that He was about to undergo the path of suffering and the cross (Luke 13: 31, 32). We, too, should not flee to our mountains, which are our personal righteousness; rather, we have to rely on the heavenly Father, for He is our Lord. St. Augustine thinks we have to climb up the one mountain, our refuge the Lord Jesus. That is, we have to be in Him, and be blessed by being, members in His church. in other words, the holy mountain is the Lord Jesus, and also it is Christ’s church. as for the heretics, they try to deceive suggest by climbing the mountains, Which means to accept the false doctrines. Through the church, the holy mountain, we are exalted to heavens itself, to our heavenly Christ, and His church that is the icon of heaven. But as for the heretics teachings, there exalt us to the mountains of arrogance. The Enemy is Ready for Work “For, look, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart” (Ps. 11: 2). David manifests that dangers surrounded him from every side, and that he is about to lose his life. It was impossible to hide from them or run away from his enemies, for they were well-equipped with weapons, and were only too ready to kill him with the arrows. As we mentioned previously, the church in all ages, wherever it may be, was living as Daniel did, in the lions’ den. He was like someone in heaven itself, enjoying the fellowship of the angels that shut up the lions’ mouths and he shared them God’s praises. It is appropriate for the righteous not to be shocked however much evil faces them. The wicked are constantly as debased as could be, and their evil is in their hearts. Their wicked deeds befit them as being the children of darkness and Satan’s sons. In every generation there is Cain, Ahitophel, Judas, Dimas and his false brothers and his dogs, and his cowards that are lack all principles, his despots that are so heartless1. The enemy does no only have the bow, but also the stringed arrows ready for use. His aim is the righteous at heart, so he hits them in the dark, when there is no moonlight. The moon is the symbol for the church. This is why the enemy is unable to aim the fiery sinful arrows and the vain teachings in the light of the church. Rather he will aim them when this moonlight vanishes and when the darkness of iniquity covers it up. The moon is understood to be the church, because it gives no light of its own; rather it is the only Son of God who shines it. In many parts of the Holy Book He is referred to symbolically as the Sun (Kings 4: 2). This is not unknown to some heretics, and they are unable to understand it, and thus they attempt to mislead the simple-minded. St. Augustine The prophet had a straight and righteous heart. Likewise is the church that is sanctified by the Holy Spirit, in being worthy of precious blood of Jesus. It is not a crooked one, but rather ‘straight’. The Savior of the church is Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. He shines on her with His divine light, giving her His light so that she becomes the light of the world. The world cannot destroy the church, because he tries to aim his arrows at the righteous hearts in the dark, and not in the light. As long as Christ the Lord shines in His godly glory on His church, united in Him, then the heretics will never be able to destroy her faith, however much they aim their arrows of false teachings. 1 Plumer, p. 171. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 5 Some people think the church is as the moon that has shining side that has one shining side that receive the light of the Lord Jesus by means of the Holy Spirit working with her. There is also a dark side that has the theoretical faith, which has no shining life by the strong Spirit. This side accepts the heresies easily and reacts with them. Some others think the church is the dark side, amidst her affliction due to her constant persecution; the heretics aim their fiery arrows against her. This is to pierce the righteous hearts while the honest servants are busy with the afflictions that keep harming the church! “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Ps. 11: 3). The Hebrew translation came as follows: if the pillars are turned upside down, what can the righteous do? Some apply these words to the destruction of Nob’s priests (1Sam22). Others think the pillars of the foundation that have been turned upside down, refer to the nobilities and prestigious people. But the assumption mostly accepted is that David speaks here of the foundation of justice1 that have become crooked by means of King Saul. So, can the righteous David put that right? St. Jerome understands this structure here to be the lawful doctrine. The work of the adversary is to wreck it, and to destroy the church role by creating an atmosphere of controversy. The church foundation is the low of love. This is why the role of the adversary is to ruin the love and the unity we have in the church. When we are in need of love, what can the righteous one do? This matter needs God Himself to correct the assembly and renew it. The ones he calls ‘wicked’ here are the invisible devils who aim their arrows secretly. Some of these arrows are adultery, other are greed and temporal love. The devils hurt many as much as they possibly can2. The Scholar Oreganus St. Augustine thinks the righteous one here refers to the Lord Jesus who has offered immense love by shedding His life for the sake of the world. What will He do? Since the heretics destroy the pillars of the faith? He has been intensely patient with them, in the hope of their repentance. These words point to the last age, when the pillars of the church are about to be shattered due to the deviation from the true faith and the departure from love (Matt. 24: 12). There will be difficult times to come (2Tim. 3: 1), and it will see as if there is no opportunity for the righteous to work. Even the elect might be misled as well. Amidst all of this we cry out in faith “in the Lord I put my trust…the Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven’ His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.” (Ps. 11: 1, 4) The adversary attempts to cheat the simple hearted by drawing them in the dark, away from the moonlight. But faith raises them from the earth to the spiritual heavenly church so they could behold the brilliant and divine throne. There they will see the Head, the holy temple, and yet His throne is in the heavens. This means His spiritual worshipers are blessed with the heavenly glory which is their resort and refuge. 1 Ibid, 167. 2 Comm.. on Songs 3: 8. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 6 The word ‘temple’ here often means ‘palace’ or ‘palaces’ as plural form (2Kings 20: 18; Ps. 45: 8; Prov. 30: 28’ Is. 13: 22). The word ‘temple’ was said about the tent before David was born (1Sam. 1: 9; 3: 3). This shuts the door for any argument that the writer is not David. This relation makes clear that David here speaks of GOD for He is the Judge and the King. He judges in righteousness and sits on His throne in heaven. It is not as understood in the older times, that he dwells in “shaking’ a Hebrew word that means ‘a dwelling place’ that is of the Ark of the Covenant. God is in His holy temple. Here David refers to the heavens, the real holy place which the temple was a symbol of. This is clear in the following statement where he utters more specifically ‘the Lord’s throne is up in heaven’1. The psalmist describes to us the difference between heaven and earth. He noticed that now the earth waves chaotically, where no one could obtain justice or equality, and that there is no means for salvation in these present tedious times. he cannot trust anyone, only God does he trust, He whose dominion prevails over all. He constantly does righteousness, and exalts forever above every envious power. He does not forget His role as the Judge and the Ruler for everyone, with no partiality whatsoever. The psalmist did not only say that God dwells in heaven, but he also said that He judges from His throne up above, as if forum his royal palace where His throne or His seat is. We understand that heaven is the righteous soul. We moreover can say that whereas the adversary is trying to direct at us his arrows by means of physical passions, the Lord declares His heavenly kingdom inside our souls. These souls are His royal palace or His holy temple. The enemy is eager to make of us an earth, but the Lord wants us to be His heaven. The New Testament encourages us not only to find the Lord in the temple alone (Matt. 5: 34, 35), but also to find Him in the righteousness given other us as a blessing to the church (Matt. 18: 15-19). In other words, the prophet David’s friends were scared, and thus they advised David to flee to the mountains, as a helpless small bird does, that is unable to face the fierce enemies. These enemies do not set a small trap for the bird to be caught; rather, they carried stringed arrows, ready to kill those who have an upright heart, such as the poor bird. Every foundation for justice has collapsed, and the righteous David had no means for correcting what has been destroyed. God Himself is there dwelling in His heavens and performing justice. The Holy God dwells in his heavenly church as much as in the soul that is sanctified by Him. He does not carry the soul to the mountains as a bird. He rather grants the soup His Holy Spirit so it flies to heavens itself. For this reason the psalmist sings “in the Lord do I put my trust”. Friends ask us to flee to the mountains of human wisdom, and to rely on human arms and worldly means. But as for God, who dwells in the heavens, He grants us His Spirit so we may be exalted with Him to His throne, where we could find a place for us in His Father’s embrace. Righteousness and our Souls The psalmist answers his weak-hearted friends ‘in the Lord do I put my trust’. This confidence has to be appropriately declared through the righteous life, I mean, through our being blessed by Christ’s righteousness. He alone is the Holy One, the One who dwells in His holy temple, that is, in our hearts that have to be sanctified by His 1 Plumer, p. 167. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 7 Holy Spirit. it is then that he looks upon us for we are His poor ones, and He becomes a refuge to us “His eyes behold, his eyelids test the sons of men”. God dwells in His heavens, for they are His holy temple. We do not see Him with our physical eyes, but He sees us. We may be forgetful of Him, in the midst of this transient life. But He is preoccupied with each one of us. He looks upon us, and investigates our life with His eyelids, through His sweet promises. God dwells in heaven, and His eyes look upon His poor ones, because they are His children who have a place in His heart. They live on the earth where the wicked ones surround them and pressure them, and practice against them the most severe means of injustice. But there is no place that God’s justice and His care for His people that cannot be reached. He truly allows His children to be tempted in every place and at all times. But very soon, His grace and His mercy embrace them whenever they are to be found. The Lord’s eyes the look upon us are His mercy and His grace, or His love and His care. The Lord’s eyes could also refer to the Holy Book in both Testaments. Through them, God declares His eternal covenant, and His dwelling amidst His people, and His dwelling amidst His people, and His divine promises, as well as His heavenly glories. By means of His word, we can see Him looking upon us in tender love and in practical fatherhood so that He exalts us up to heaven. There we should live with Him eternally in His Holy Temple, or, He lives inside us as His Holy temple (1Cor. 3: 17). We thus become (Eph. 5: 30) “For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones”. The righteous is surrounded and cared for by the Lord’s eyes, but the wicked one is hated even by himself. (Ps. 11: 5) “but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates”. The unjust one loses his fellowship with the Holy God, love itself. He becomes so aggravated at heart, that he cannot tolerate even himself. His consistence gets disturbed, just as Herod’s conscience disturbed him after killing John the Baptist. I beg you that we do not hate ourselves, and to love injustice. Injustice is surely unprofitable in this present world, and s in the world to come, it will beget for greater destruction1. St. John Chrysostom It is not surprising that you become your own enemy, because ‘the lover of injustice is hated by his own soul’. Therefore, if you hate yourself by your love to injustice, are you then surprised that you hate God’s word that desires your own good? For real, if you love yourself in a wicked way, then you will destroy it. But if you truly hate yourself, then you will keep it. Therefore, there is evil love for the soul, and good hatred for it. By loving injustice, you do not only not love yourself, but you also hate it. how then can you love God or love your neighbor2? Father Caesarius, Bishop of Arl The Portion of the Wicked “Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup” (Ps. 11: 7). 1 Hom. On St. John 49: 3. 2 Sermon 145: 1; 173: 2; 173: 5. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 8 The wicked are not only hated by themselves, but even by God Himself, who truly hates sin. He leaves them to take the fruits of their won wickedness, since they reject any repentance. The wicked ones set their traps secretly and in deception so they snare the poor ones, God’s children. They believe no evil will even reach them (Ps. 10: 6). But not only do they fall in their won snares (Ps. 10: 2), but God also rains openly snares on them as in an obvious cloud. He sets traps for them from which they cannot escape. He so patiently waits for them, offering them so many opportunities for repentance. But they assume they are above God’s justice and laws. They become like horses in a stampede, unrestrained, set loose in the open space. But what await them are numerous traps that God showers them with from heaven so He catches them in His snares. When all openings and escape doors are shut, the awesome and fearful moment comes: this is when God’s fiery wrath is declared with brimstone showered on them like rain from heaven, just as in Sodom and Gomorrah, that have been devastated and wiped out and no more recalled. As the psalmist says ‘fire and brimstone and poisoned winds are the portion of their cup. Why is it so? Because as I have said they rejected the grace that is through the faith. Therefore, the sin of their iniquity was not wiped out. They forgot they were to carry the punishment of the love of iniquity which they deserve1. St. Cyril the Alexandrian The ‘clouds’ are understood to be the prophets in general whether they be the good ones or those evil ones who were called the ‘false prophets’. The lord God set those false prophets so they entrap sinners (Matt. 24: 24). It is only the sinner who follows them, and thus they plot to destroy him if he insists on sinning. But if he leaves his pride and repents, he will ask for God more loyally. The clouds could also mean the righteous prophets alone. With these also God showers snares for the wicked ones. But God also quenches the thirst of the good people with them, and they lead a fruitful life. The apostle says (2Cor. 15: 11) “these have the smell of death for death, and these have the smell of life for life”. It is not only the prophets, but all those who quench the thirst of the souls by the Word of God; these could also be called ‘clouds’. Also from among the clouds of the Holy Book, and according to the merits of everyone, rain will shower in the from of fire, brimstone, and poisoned winds, on the sinners, and whereas fruitful showers will fall on the righteous. “Upon the wicked He will rain coals, fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup”. This is punishment and the end of those who blaspheme against God’s name. They will be burnt by the fire of their passions and the poison of their wicked deeds. They will be cast out of the fellowship of the righteous and will enter the most unutterable and severe punishments. I think the ‘cup’ has been mentioned here for this reason’ that we do not assume that anything forum among the punishment of the wicked will happen without measure of reason “For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness” (Ps. 11: 7). “His countenance beholds the upright” (Ps. 11: 7). It is as if he is saying ‘we can see justice in His face’ that is ‘to come to know Him’ because God’s face is the poor one 1 Comm.. on Luke, Hom. 95. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 9 by which God becomes known to those who deserve Him. or at least he means ‘He does not allow for Himself that the wicked know Him, only the righteous’ and this is justice. St. Augustine When God’s children cling to their good Father alone, the just One, they are blessed with His fiery Spirit that kindles their depths with love. As for the wicked ones, they drink their cup of fatal fire that makes them lose life and peace. The psalmist may have meant ‘their cup’ here with what was mentioned in the book of Numbers, where the accused one drinks a cop of holy liquid. If he is guilty he will perish and die (Numbers 5: 23-31). Conclusion: Just as the psalm began, it ends with the work ‘the Lord’ whose quality is ‘righteousness, and answers all the believer’s fears who faces persecution. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 10 Teach me to Flee to You If I have become as a lonely bird surrounded by strong and wicked enemies…You Lord are my refuge. To You I fly, and to Your embrace I resort. I do not with to flee to the mountains of human wisdom nor to the temporal authority, nor to the worldly means, but to You I flee, You holy mountain. Grant me Your Spirit as wings of a dove, and so I fly to You and dwell in Your Father’s embrace. Grant me Your Holy Spirit, and thus I love Your righteousness…With You, I shall love myself, and shall love my brethren as myself. Take away from me the love of injustice, so I do not hate my depths. Shower on me Your fiery Holy Spirit, cleanse my depths. As for the fire, the brimstone and the burning winds, let them not be in my cup portion.
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