Justice: Will Things Ever Be Right?
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Greg Waybright
- Psalm 11 & Psalm 146
- Heart Cries
- 40 mins 52 secs
- Views: 1026
Community Study
Notes for Teacher/Facilitator
Psalm 11 has four major changes of perspective: v.1a is the opening statement by the psalmist; vv.1b-3 is the response from a person who wants to push back against the psalmist’s perspective; vv.4-6 is the psalmist’s rebuttal; and v.7 is the reason for the psalmist’s confidence in his position. The context that this dialogue occurs within is one of life-threatening danger for the psalmist (and perhaps others). Enemies are descending upon the psalmist (v.2) and the entire foundations of society are being shaken (v.3). The basic point of this psalm is this: when there is a major threat against a member of God’s family, God can be trusted because he is sovereign, righteous, just, and present.
Word Studies
Here are a few notes about particular words in this psalm:
- Take refuge (chasah) – v.1: In times of danger people need a sense of safety, which is what this characteristic word in the Psalms connotes. Wise people, those centered on God, seek to take shelter under the protective care of their Father.
- Upright (yashar) – v2: This word literally means “straight.” Figuratively it is an adjective that describes the life of those who seek to follow the wise ways of God. In this psalm the upright are opposed by the wicked, thus this word also carries with it the idea of morality.
- Wicked (rasha) – v.2, 6: In this psalm the wicked are those who oppose and attack the righteous and the upright. This adjective means something like “guilty of committing a crime” or “deserving of punishment.” In the Psalms this word is very often used of those who are hostile against God and/or his people, as well as those who sin against God and/or other humans.
- Righteous (tsaddiq) – v.3, 5: In this psalm the righteous are also called “upright in heart” and they are set against the “wicked.” This word can be translated as “just” or “righteous” and as such it carries with it the pursuit of communal equity (justice) and individual morality (righteousness). Both are expected and demonstrated by the one who is tsaddiq.
- Examine (bachan) – vv.4-5: This word can be translated at “test,” “prove,” “examine,” or “try.” The one engaging in this action (God in this psalm) is carefully scrutinizing the object (in this psalm, everyone and the righteous). This word is used of testing gold, as in Zechariah 13.9. It means much more than to simply “look upon”!
- Justice (tsedeaqah) – v.7: An alternate form and synonym of the word tsaddiq. Means both individually doing what is right and pursuing equity (i.e., that which is just) for others.
Introduction
- Open your class/community time with prayer. Ask the Spirit of God to reveal himself to all of you through the Scriptures and through your discussion together.
- Discuss last week’s challenge and encourage people to share how the challenge went for them.
- • Have the class go through the following exercise: Have them define the words “righteousness” and “justice.” Write down the results. Is there any overlap? Discuss that in Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, “righteousness” and “justice” are synonyms. Furthermore, right-living, which is usually associated with “righteousness,” should always lead to justice and seeking justice should always be done in ways that display righteousness.
Bible Questions
- The psalmist declares that he takes refuge in the Lord. Being honest, in what or whom are we tempted to find refuge other than God? What’s so appealing about these alternate refuges?
- In the face of a significant threat (see verse 1b-3), the psalmist remains utterly confident in the Lord. How do you think he could remain confident in the face of danger? What can we learn from his confidence?
- What does it mean to state with assurance that God is in his temple and on his throne?
- Is it comforting or disconcerting that God is watching us and examining us?
- In verse 5 the psalmist equates the wicked with those who love violence. What do you think about this? What makes loving violence so wicked?
- The psalmist tells us in verse 7 that the Lord is righteous and that he loves justice. What does that say about what our relationship with righteousness and justice should be?
Discussion Questions
- After reading, studying, and meditating on this psalm, is there anything that you learned about God in it that causes you to want to love and adore him more? If so, what? If not, why not?
- Beginning in verse 1b and continuing through verse 3, the psalmist quotes some unhelpful words from someone who is challenging his faith in God. What are some more helpful ways that we can be there for one another when we face real threats and challenges in life?
- If we seek to emulate the Lord, who is righteous and loves justice (verse 7), how then will those who have yet to follow Jesus view us? Is the way they view us important? Why or why not?
Takeaway
The Lord is in control, no matter how crazy our circumstances or this world may be!
Challenge
Name an injustice in your life or the world. Pray and ask God to use you to be part of the solution!
Study Notes
Justice: Will Things Ever Be Right? - Sermon Notes
Heart Cries: For Justice – Will Things Ever Be Right?
Psalm 11
I’m talking today about the human “heart cry” for justice. I can imagine some of you thinking, “I don’t really want to hear any more about justice.” But, I’m convinced you do want to hear more. In fact, I think you cry out every day of your life to one degree or another for what the Bible means by justice which, I’m convinced, is both bigger than and different from what the world thinks about when it hears the word justice.
Let me illustrate. Chris, my son in law Mike, and I went to a Dodger game last Wednesday. We were able to get seats straight behind home plate so, more than I’ve ever been able to do, I watched how well the umpire called balls and strikes. Kenta Maeda was pitching for the Dodgers. For the 1st several batters in the 1st inning, the umpire did not call a single strike -- even though I thought that several pitches were in the strike zone. I told Chris, “Wow! This umpire has a small strike zone. We’ll probably see a lot of base runners tonight.”
When the Dodgers came to bat, the 1st pitch to the 1st Dodger hitter, Howie Kendrick, was, to my eyes, both high and outside the strike zone. But, the umpire shouted, “Strike!” And, because I was thinking about the topic of justice for my sermon this weekend, I wanted to shout back, “Injustice! Don’t you know the Bible says you are not to have unequal measurements and scales. That wasn’t a strike.”
Of course, he could have yelled back, as an old Major League umpire once said, “It’s only a strike if I call it a strike! I’m the final judge of balls and strikes around here!” And, the umpire would have been right about that. He had all the power. But, as everyone knows, it really becomes a problem if the one in authority – like the baseball umpire – has unequal and unfair standards. Fans scream out, “It isn’t right. It isn’t just.”
Now – to the Bible: Ever since sin entered the world in Genesis 3, this world has been filled with things that are not right, i.e., just. For example, when one student whose family is the biggest donor to the school gets an A on a mediocre paper and you get a C when you are sure yours is much better, you feel it’s unjust. When a man gets paid more for doing exactly the same job as a woman, you rightly say it’s unjust. When laws are made to get tough on drugs and then the statistics come out that the main users of illegal drugs are young white men, but the vast majority of those incarcerated because of drugs are men of color, you might get frustrated and say, “That’s not right.” When that happens, you want to fight back – to cry out against injustice.
Almost every day of your life, you can probably identify things about which you say, “That isn’t fair. That isn’t right.” Some are as small as whether an umpire is just or unjust in the way he officiates a ball game. Others are as big as what has been filling our news all week when, in places like Charlotte, NC and Tulsa, OK, we have people questioning the justice system in our own country and rebelling against it.
And maybe, you wonder whether the Bible has anything to say about this. And, of course it does. So, today, we’ll look at Psalm 11. You heard the Psalm as it was read and, I hope, you could relate to it. It speaks of those times in which the foundations of society seem to be crumbling. Make note of that right now: This Bible passage is not everything the Bible says about injustice. But, it provides the foundation for everything else.
Here’s what we’ll do today. We’ll start with a brief primer on what the Bible means by justice. Then, we’ll look at how King David called us to begin to apply the Bible’s message about justice to a specific situation. My prayer is that, anytime you struggle with things that seem unjust to you, you will come back to this Psalm and know where you too should begin to live by faith in a world in which so many things are wrong.
Brief Justice Primer
#1: The Definition: Justice is the condition in which everything, everywhere is right in every way. The words for justice in the OT (tsedek) and NT (dikaiosune) are translated in the English Bible in many ways so sometimes we are not aware of how pervasive the Bible’s teaching is about justice. Often the Bible’s word for justice is translated as “righteousness” -- and that leads us to think only about our own personal holiness. And, the Bible does say that growing to live a life free from sin is a genuine part of justice. But, it’s not all that it’s about.
What I call “big J justice” – justice as the Bible speaks of -- refers to everything in the universe that God is in control of being right – our relationships, the ecology, the economy, our health, etc. etc. -- everything being the way it’s supposed to be. Justice in the Bible is ultimately about everything that God is in control of (which is, of course, everything) being right, without any sin, flaw or failure.
#2: The Reality: The only thing in this world fully right is God. He is just and the standard of justice. There is a clear and powerful declaration of this in Jer. 23:6, “You are named the Lord, our justice.” Every human being has fallen short of the glory of God. Everything else in our world is negatively affected by sin. That’s why, in Rom 8, Paul says that all creation is groaning for things to be made right.
#3: The Promise: God has promised to establish a kingdom of justice, a time and place when all he has created will reflect all who he is, i.e.., glorify him. As Rom 14:17 says, “God’s kingdom is of peace and justice.” That means that when God reigns fully, he will make everything right! It’s beautiful to think about and read about when God promises it in Revelation 21-22. Just think about a kingdom of peace and justice! Broken things healed and brought together. For that to happen, evil and injustice has to be punished. That which is wrong has to be made right. That’s what Jesus came to inaugurate. And, we are convinced that, what God will complete what he began in Christ.
#4: The Application: The Bible then must be understood in the two big applications of justice:
- Personal and individual – your sins need to be justly punished and your entire life needs to be made right. You need to be justified, i.e., made right with God (a central theme in Romans). So, for you as a sinner to have hope, your sin needs to be atoned for. Your life needs to be re-made. This is what we call evangelism and discipleship. You and I are bearer of good news to a sinful world that God loves. We tell people that they need to repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus. We call them to become a part of a local church family and get them involved in the kinds of ministries of discipleship that will facilitate them becoming complete in Christ.
- Global and corporate – God says that not just my personal relationship to God, but all the affects of sin in the world have to made right. If you ask, “Pastor, what kind of wrongs will God make right?” I answer, “God will do more than we could ever imagine. The wrongs of children having to sleep on the street with no home, of people being addicted to drugs and unable to find freedom, of broken relationships in our families, of unjust laws in the nations of the world and even of good laws being unjustly applied.” The Bible speaks often of God righting the wrongs in his world. He loves the world he made.
#5: The Means: Bringing about justice is God’s work but he does his work through his people (see Micah 6:8). As God “does justice” so he calls us as his people to do justice.” That includes evangelism because evangelism is calling people broken from God to be made right with him. It includes discipleship because discipleship is about those parts scarred and broken by sin to be healed. And it includes working against the wrongs that sin has brought into our world. It means both punishing those who do wrong as well as caring for the victims of unjust treatment. That’s what the verses we read from Ps 146 are about.
So, God uses the work of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to make us right with him. He uses his people to further his work in the world until his kingdom of peace and justice is complete.
Psalm 11: A Short Song to Remind Us that God is Just and God Is God
I want to take a moment to give show you a very short Psalm that speaks of how people who trust God live in an unjust world but with God-glorifying faith. It’s one I hope you will make note of and take time to meditate on this coming week.
The Setting:
When he wrote this Psalm, terribly unjust things were happening to King David and everybody close to him knew it. I envision that it’s when his son Adonijah turned against him. At that time, David’s military and security leaders and so-called spiritual leaders turned against him too and joined the coup. I’m sure people felt that all the pillars of society were crumbling: political, religious and law enforcement.
What does David do? He starts with God.
The Person of Faith (1a): The only invulnerable refuge in this world is God.
In the Lord, I take refuge.
As I told you, this Psalm doesn’t say everything that David did – but it tells us where we always must start. The wrongs in his world were persistent. This kind of attempted coup happened over and over. The people surely thought, “It’s never going to change. Things will never be made right. This happened to you when you were a young man, David. It happened when you were middle aged. It’s happening when you are old! When will evil and injustice ever end?”
And David said, “In the Lord, I take refuge.” What do you think of that?
The Bad Advice (11:1b-3): Take matters into your own hands.
Flee like a bird, David…
In this situation, David was basically told, “It seems God isn’t going to help you, so run!”
This metaphor of scattering like a bird is a good one. Have you ever been walking in a meadow when there were a lot of birds who apparently had not been aware of your presence. Then, when you take a step and a branch breaks, they hear it and scatter wildly, flying away in terror. I like the illustration because the Bible never teaches us that we have to stay in a place of violence when evil people want to do harm. David never did that. He wisely chose to get out of harm’s way in such times. I say that because, if you are in a place of violence and abuse, the Bible doesn’t tell you simply to sit back and pray.
No, this metaphor of a bird speaks of a “knee-jerk reaction” in which you mindlessly run to and fro without even turning to God in faith. David was not going to do that. Even if he might have to leave his home to get to safety, it would be under the guidance of God. Read his story and you will see how, when he was getting away from those who wanted to do violence to him, it was not an act of panic but one of wise judgment.
One way to ignore God in the midst of injustice is to panic and forget that God is with you. In other situations, the advice people give is, “God isn’t going to do justice so you have to take vengeance against the evil yourself!” And David was sometimes tempted to do that. There is a powerful story of that in 1 Samuel 25 when David want to get revenge for a fool named Nabal. A wonderful woman named Abigail was able to bring him to wisdom so that he could learn the lesson that is taught throughout Scripture (Dt 32:35; Rom 12:19): “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.”
David knew that revenge was not a right God had given to individuals but, when he was angry, he wanted to do it anyway. At the end of the story, David turns to Abigail and says, “May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from taking revenge with my own hands (25:32).”
David was what people call “a man’s man.” He was a warrior. A fighter. But, by the time he wrote Psalm 11, more than those things, he had become a man who let God direct his life.
I’m sure you can imagine what people were saying to him in v.2. “Look, David. You’ve done no wrong. These evil an unjust people are pulling out their weapons and shooting whether you’re innocent or not.” Your security forces are ready to shoot you. Your religious leaders are ignoring you and some are betraying you. The foundations are being destroyed. There is nothing to do but to take matters into your own hands.”
But, David says there is another way that a person of faith begins his reaction to injustice.
#3: The Starting Point in Times of Injustice (11:4-6) – Remember that God Is Still God.
The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his throne in heaven. He sees everyone… (11:4).
In these three profound verses (vv.4-6), David shows us how to begin dealing with times of injustice. What David does is call us consciously and intentionally to remember some things. What should you remember?
- That God is with you (11:4a). The Lord is in his holy temple. This “holy temple” language is a reminder that God is not just “somewhere, out there” but he is with us. As Ps 46 says, “God is a very present help in times of trouble.”
- That the God who is with you is in control of everything (11:4b). The Lord is on his throne in heaven. God is not wringing his hands saying, “I wish I could help my man, David – but I can’t.” No, what may seem to be hopeless right now is not hopeless for God is God – and he is on his throne.
- That God uses trouble in this world to further his work in his people (11:4b-5a). “The Lord tests the just.” This language of God using trouble as a test really bothers some people. But, let me tell you that what David is saying that God brings great good out of what the world might think is an evil. In Genesis 50:20 there is a profound truth. A man named Joseph had been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. It seemed senseless and terribly unjust. But, God knew. God used even the intended evil to further his work. Later, Joseph meets his brothers again and says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
In this Psalm, David uses the language of a test. All good teachers know that the value of a good test is to enable us to solidify what we have learned – and to apply it. David is saying, "This test that is happening is an opportunity for me to demonstrate to God, to myself and to the world, that my faith is in the Lord." I will fear nothing but displeasing him. I tell you: When unjust things happen to you, God knows. He will use it to bring about good things – just like he used the cross of Jesus to bring about salvation.
- That God will judge evil (11:5b-6). Punishing evil and injustice is God’s job. He will do it. Read vv. 5b-6. Let me ask you, “When you see injustice in your world or in your life, do you really believe that God will judge it? This does not mean that you do not speak about against injustice and work against what is wrong. The Bible is clear that we should do that. But, we are not the ones to take vengeance into our own hands. That’s God’s job and he will do it well.
The Call to Act as We Trust (5:7). God does justice and calls us to do justice too.
The Lord is just. He loves deeds of justice.
Let me ask you a question. When God says he loves deeds of justice, does he mean that he loves o do them himself – or that he loves it when we do them? It’s clear from the rest of the Bible that it’s both. Micah 6 is one of the clearest places that teaches this. In the first 7 verses, God reminds his people of how he had done things in their lives and nation throughout history to bring about justice. When the people brazenly ask, “So what? What do you want us to do about it?” God says, “Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with me by your side (Micah 6:8).”
Do justice – what an interesting phrase. What does it mean practically? Well, that’s a question worthy of many sermons. But I’ll take you to two passages and let God use his Word to guide you. One is Proverbs 31:8 – “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Whenever we recognize that there is someone in our midst who has little voice and we have some influence, we are to be stewards of our opportunities and speak out for those who cannot do so themselves.
The other passage I want to leave you with is the one we read earlier, i.e., Psalm 146:
The Lord is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.
The Lord loves those who are just.
The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow.
That’s what the Lord loves to do. That’s what he Lord does. And often, he does these things through you and me. It is to that kind of life of joining him in bringing about a kingdom of peace and justice that he has called you – to His glory.
Chinese Study Notes
Justice: Will Things Ever Be Right? - Chinese Translation
心灵的呐喊：公义何处寻？
诗篇11
我今天要谈到人类对公义发出的内心呼唤。我能想象有些人会想，“我其实不想再听到关于公义的话题了。”然而，我还是要说服你再耐性听一听。事实上，我认为你每天的生活都会不同程度地想到或渴望圣经提及的公义，那是不同于且高于这个世界谈论的公义。
请让我举个例。我儿子克里斯上周三和我一起去看Dodger（道奇）队比赛。我们的坐位正好在本垒位后面，真正领教了裁判是怎么判球的， 这是我以前未曾体会过的。Kenta Maeda 是道奇队的投球手。 第一局开始的几个坏球，裁判都没有判为单击—尽管我认为那几个球都打进好球区了。我跟克里斯说，“哇哦!这个裁判的好球区好小啊。我们今晚可要看到许多跑垒的了。”
轮到道奇队击球了，Howieee Kendrick接住的第一个道奇队打来的球，在我看来既高又出好球区了。但是，裁判却大喊，“好球！”正好因为我在思考这周讲道的主题公义，我真想给他喊回去，“不公平！你不知道圣经说的不可用两样的升斗量器吗，那根本不是好球。”
当然了，他也可能会喊话回来，就像美国职业棒球联盟的一位老裁判曾说的那样，“我说的好球才是好球！这里的球我说了算！”当然，裁判这样说应该是对的。他大权在握。然而，众所周知，问题就出在一人当权—就像垒球裁判那样—会持不公平不公正的标准。球迷会尖叫，“不公平，不公正。”
现在我们来看看圣经：自从创世记三章罪进入世界，这个世界就被各样不公充斥，比如，当一位学生的家长是学校的捐助人，这位学生因一篇微不足道的文章得到A而你得到C，并且你认为你的水平比他的好很多时，你也会感到不公。当一位男士跟你这样一位女士做同样工作却得到更多报酬时，你理所当然感觉不公。当法律严加管制毒品，统计数字表明毒品使用者主要是年轻的白人男性，而被逮到的使用者却主要是有色人种时，你会很沮丧地说，“这不公平。”当这些事发生，你就想要回击—抗议不公。
你生活中差不多每一天都能找到不公的事情让你会说，“真不公平，太不公正了！”有些是关乎裁判一场球赛这样的小事。有些重大如充斥北卡的Charlotte和俄州的Tulsa报纸的新闻, 人们质疑我们这个国家的公正系统并不断发出抗议。
也许，你会好奇圣经对此有何说法。圣经当然有说法。所以，今天我们就来看看诗篇11篇。你听到刚才读的圣经，希望有所了解。它讲到在社会基础分崩离析之际发生的事。请大家记下来：这段圣经不是涵盖论公义的全部经文，但却是其他同类主题经文的基础。
我们今天要做的是这样。我们先来看看圣经关于公正的入门简介。然后，再来看看大卫王是如何将圣经关于公正的信息应用到具体事件中的。我祷告的是，任何时候当你们为不公的事感到纠结时，你都能回到诗篇并知道在这个充满不公的世界中当如何凭信心生活。
入门简介
#1：定义：公正是在任何时候，任何地方，任何方面都是正确的。公正这个字在旧约是tsedek，在新约是dikaiosune，被译成多种英文表达，所以我们不清楚圣经到底有多少处论及公正。通常在英文圣经中公正被译作“公义”—导致我们以为那只是指我们个人的成圣。并且，圣经也的确说活出从罪中得释放的生活是公正的不可或缺的一部分，但却不是全部。
我所谓的“大公正”—圣经论及的公正—指上帝掌权的宇宙中的万事万物都是正确的—包括我们的关系，环境，经济，健康等等等等—万事万物都是本应该的那样。圣经中的公正指神掌权的每件事都是正确的，没有罪，瑕疵或失败。
#2：现实：这个世界唯一完全正确的就是上帝。他是公义的也是公正的标准。对此耶利米书23：6节有清楚有力的宣告：“他的名必稱為耶和華─我們的義。”每个人都亏缺了神的荣耀。世界上的每件事物都被罪污染了。这就是为什么在罗马书8章保罗说万物叹息一同等候得赎的日子。
#3应许：上帝应许要建立一个公义的天国，他所造的一切时空都能反映出他的荣耀来荣耀他。正如罗马书14：17所说，“神的國。。。只在乎公義、和平。”也就是说当上帝完全掌权治理时，他要将一切都做对！想到和读到启示录21和22章时感觉真是美好。想想吧，公义和平的天国国度！破碎的事物被治愈，被整合。为此，恶以及不公将受到惩罚。凡错误的都被矫正。耶稣特为此而来。并且，我们深信，上帝要完成在耶稣里已经开始的工作。
#4： 应用：圣经关于公正有两大应用：
A． 个人的和自我的—你的罪需要被公正地惩罚才是公义的。你要被称为义，在上帝面前称为义（罗马书核心主题）。所以，为了使你这个罪人有希望，你需要被救赎。你的生命需要重新活。这就是所谓的福音和门徒之道。你我都肩负着对上帝所爱的这个世界传扬好消息的使命。我们要告诉人们需要悔罪并相信耶稣。我们要邀请他们参加教会生活，参与各项装备门徒的事工，预备他们在基督里成为完全人。
B． 普世性和群体性—上帝说不只是我个人跟上帝的关系，而是罪给世界造成的所有后果都要被更正。如果你问，“牧师，上帝要更正哪些错误啊？”我会回答，“上帝要做的超过我们的想象。”孩子无家可归睡在大街上的错误，人们吸毒成瘾失去自由，破裂的家庭关系，世界各国的不公法律以及误用公正法律。圣经多次多方提到上帝将世界的错误更正。他爱他所创造的世界。
#5：手段：带来公义是上帝的工作但他是通过人工作（参迦6：8）。正如上帝行公义，他也呼召我们这些属他的人行公义。这包括传福音的事工，因为传福音要使破碎的人得到上帝的医治，使人与上帝和好。这还包括门徒训练的事工，因为门训是要使被罪伤害的人与神和好。这也包括抵挡罪的破坏进入世界的所有事工。这意味着要惩罚犯罪之人并关爱受到不公待遇的受害者。诗篇146篇所说的也正是如此。
因此，上帝使用耶稣的工作和圣灵的能力使我们和他和好。他也使用他的百姓继续他在世界的工作直到他公义和平的天国完全成就。
诗篇11篇：一阕小诗提醒我们上帝是公义的，是上帝
我要花些时间跟你们分享一首小诗，谈谈人们如何在充满不公的世界凭荣耀神的信心信靠上帝。我希望你们能做笔记供下周默想用。
背景：
当大卫写这首诗时，他正经历一些特别的不公并且他身边的人对此也很清楚。我可以想象他的儿子亚多尼亚怎样倒戈谋反他。当时，大卫的军队和御用军领袖以及所谓的属灵领袖们也加入了谋反的行列。我相信人们感到社会基础，政治的，宗教的和立法的柱石正在分崩离析。
大卫会如何做？他先从上帝这里开始。
信心伟人（1节上）：上帝是这个世界唯一坚固的避难所。
我是投靠耶和華。
正如我前面讲到的，这首诗不是关于大卫的所有记载—但它告诉我们应当从何开始。他所处的时代问题随处可见。谋反的事屡屡发生。人们理所当然地会想，“不会有什么改变的。事情是搞不好的。类似的事在你小时候就发生过， 大卫。你中年时也在发生。你现在老了，它还在发生！邪恶和不公何时了？”
大卫却回答说，“我是投靠耶和华。”你认为这回答怎么样？
不良建议（11：1节下-3节）：自求多福吧。
像鸟飞往你的山。。。
这样看来，别人告诉大卫的基本意思就是，“看来上帝不会帮助你了，快逃吧！”
这个鸟散的比喻非常形象。你曾有过这样的经验吗？当你沿溪而上，鸟儿们并没注意到你的到来。而当你又向前跨出一步，或一根树枝折断时，它们听到后立即扑扇着翅膀在惊惧中飞走了。我喜欢这个例子，因为圣经从没教导我们当邪恶暴力来伤害我们时要留在原地等待受害。大卫也从没这样做过。这时他聪明地选择了躲避伤害。我这样说是因为，当你身处暴力和虐待的境地，圣经没说你只要呆在那里祷告。
不是的，这个鸟的比喻只反映出一个膝反射的现象，就是下意识地到处乱跑而想不到要先凭信心来到上帝面前。大卫可不是这样做的。他也许会离开家躲到安全的地方，但都是在上帝的引导下。读了这个故事你就会知道，他躲避迫害他的人不是惊慌逃窜而是智慧的决定。
当遇到不公待遇时，有一种无视上帝的表现就是惊慌，忘记上帝与你同在。或像某些人给的建议那样，“反正上帝也不会施行公义，你还是自己施行报复吧！”大卫有时也因此被迷惑。撒母耳记上25章有一段讲到大卫想要报复拿八的精彩故事。一位聪明的女人亚比该引导他认识了通篇圣经都在教导的智慧（申32：35；罗2：19）：“亲爱的弟兄 ，不要为自己伸 冤 ，宁可让步 ，听凭主怒 （或作 ：让人发怒）；因为经上记着：主说：伸冤在我；我必报应 。”
大卫知道报复不是上帝要人做的正确的事，却是当人愤怒时一定想做的事。故事结尾，大卫对亚比该说，“你和你的见识也当称赞，因为你今日拦阻我亲手报仇、流人的血”（撒上25：33）。
大卫是那种“男人中的男人。”他是勇士。是战士。然而，当他写诗篇11篇时，在一切之上，他还是一位让上帝引导他人生的人。
我相信你不难相想象人们对他讲第二节的那番话的意思其实就是， “看吧，大卫，你也没做错什么。这些邪恶不公的人才不管你是否无辜，反正他们会掏出武器开火的。你的御用军也准备好干掉你。你的宗教领袖根本没把你放在眼里，还有人出卖你。基础都要坍塌了。没别的办法了，只有自求多福了。”
然而，大卫说信心之人还有另外的做法回应不公。
#6：身处不公处境的第一反应（11：4-6）--记得上帝是上帝。
耶和华在他的圣殿里；耶和华的宝座在天上；他的慧眼察看世人。。。（11：4）。
在这关键的三节经文中，大卫给我们看见当如何开始对待不公处境。大卫首先清醒地，有意识地想到一些事情。你当想到什么呢？
- 上帝与你同在（11：4节上）。耶和华在他的圣殿里。使用“圣殿”的意思就是提醒人上帝不是“在远方的某处”而是和我们同在。就像诗篇46篇所言，“是我们在患难中随时的帮助。”
- 与你同在的上帝掌管万事（11：4节下）。耶和华的宝座在天上。上帝不是搓着手说，“我真希望能帮助我的百姓—可惜我不能。”不是的，眼下看来绝望的事对上帝来说根本不是什么绝望—他坐在宝座上。
- 上帝使用这世界的问题扩展他在他百姓中的工作（11：4节下-5节上）。“耶和华试验义人。”这节讲到上帝使用麻烦做试验的说法困扰着许多人。然而，我告诉你大卫想表达的就是，上帝通过许多人认为是邪恶的事带来巨大福祉。创世记50：20节说出一个基本真理。有个叫约瑟的人被嫉妒他的哥哥们卖去做奴隶。这看来是完全没道理和极其不公的事。但是，上帝知道。上帝甚至可以借用世人的蓄意作恶来推进他的工作。后来，约瑟又见到他哥哥们时说，“从前你们的意思是要害我，但神的意思原是好的，要保全许多人的性命，成就今日的光景。”
在这篇诗篇中，大卫使用了试验这个字。所有的好老师都知道一个好的试验的价值在于帮助我们巩固所学到的知识—并应用它。大卫在这里的意思是说，“这个试验是为我提供一个机会向上帝，我自己和全世界证明我是投靠耶和华的。”除了让上帝不高兴，我什么都不怕。我告诉你，当不公的事临到你时，上帝知道。他要使用它带来好事—正如他使用耶稣的十字架带来救恩一样。
- 上帝要审判邪恶（11：5节下-6节）。审判邪恶和不公是上帝的事。他一定会做的。请读5节下-6节。请问，“当你在世界和你人生中见到不公时，你真相信上帝会审判吗？当然这并不意味着你对不公三缄其口或对错事不予理睬。圣经清楚教导我们应该回应。然而，我们自己做主施行报复却不是我们该做的。那是上帝的工作，他一定会做好的。
在信靠中行动（5：7）。上帝施行公义，也呼召我们施行公义。
因为耶和华是公义的，他喜爱公义。
请问，当上帝说他喜爱公义时，他是说他喜爱自己行公义呢，还是他喜爱我们行公义？圣经其他经文清楚显示二者都对。弥迦书6章有关这方面的教导最清楚。在前7节，上帝提醒他的百姓他将如何在他们的生活中以及历史中的各国施行公义。当人们厚颜无耻地问，“那又怎么样呢？你要我们怎么做呢？“上帝说，”只要你行公义，好怜悯，存谦卑的心，与你的神同行”（迦6：8）。
行公义—多么有趣的一句话。具体说是什么意思呢？事实上，这个问题得讲好几篇道。我在这里给你看两处经文，求主使用他的话引导你。第一处是箴言31：8—“你当为哑巴（或译：不能自辩的）开口，为一切孤独的伸冤。”无论何时当我们发现身边有人声音微弱而我们又有些影响力时，我们就要利用机会替那些不能为自己讲话的人讲话。
另一处经文是之前读过的诗篇146篇：
耶和华造天、地、海，和其中的万物；他守诚实，直到永远。
他为受屈的伸冤，赐食物与饥饿的。耶和华释放被囚的；
耶和华开了瞎子的眼睛；耶和华扶起被压下的人。耶和华喜爱义人。
耶和华保护寄居的，扶持孤儿和寡妇 。
这就是上帝喜爱行的。这就是上帝的所作所为。通常，他是通过你我作为。他呼召你与他同工，过一种带来和平与公义的天国的生活—来荣耀他。