Various Takes on Psalm 11:3

"For the foundations will be destroyed.  What has the righteous done?"  (Psalm 11:3)

When, not if, "the foundations will be destroyed," the Lord Jesus Christ will ask us, "What has the righteous done?"

Because I do not wish to come up with some eccentric, shocking, etc., translation, I include below some comments on our text by various "divines" over the centuries:
* "that the condition of affairs was as if the very foundations were destroyed; that there was nothing to rest on; and that all his hopes, in his present condition, must be swept away."  (Barnes Notes) 
* "What has the righteous done?" (Calvin)
* "of the impotence of efforts to check the general anarchy." (Expositor's Bible)

* "....the form of the question in the original seems to be intended to exclude the possibility of an encouraging answer." (Cambridge Bible)
* "The priests are destroyed, the preservers of knowledge and truth; the Divine worship is overthrown; and what can the righteous man work?" (Clarke's Commentary-- he describes this in context, viz., the priests being murder by Doeg on Saul's orders)
* "literally, 'The foundations (that is, of good order and law) will be destroyed, what has the righteous done to sustain them?'  All his efforts have failed." (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Comm)
* " All hope of help is taken away" (Geneva Study Bible)
* "Foundations, Piety, justice, fidelity, and mercy, which are the pillars or foundations of state or kingdom.  -- the condition of all righteous men will be desperate." (Wesley's notes)
* "all things are out of order and course both in church and state; the laws, which are the foundations of government, are despised and disregarded; judgment is perverted, and justice stands afar off; the doctrines and principles of religion are derided and subverted; so that there is no standing, either in a political or religious sense." (Gill's Exposition)

It is obvious that our text, and the "new," at least to me, translation, has impacted me greatly.  I, as the majority of us, have for years quoted and thought of our text in the traditional words, "If..," and, "what can...?"  That translation is, excuse the pun, iffy.  What most who know the Hebrew text seem to concur is the certainty of destroyed foundations, and the accompanying question, "What has the righteous done?"  I do not want to write depressing devotionals, but I do want to write of and face the reality of human existence, not some religious cliche-filled gobbledegook.  I want you and me to, "walk in the light as He (Jesus) is in the light."  Personally, I believe the translation of our text to be such, "light."  These "God-Breathed" Words are great preparation for what is yet to come.

I repeat again what Billy Graham said so many years ago: "History is headed toward a dramatic climax."  And no matter what you and I and all the "declarers" do, nothing will change that.  Jesus will return, "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him...."  Moreover, there will be a great battle in the plains of Meggido, a place where Napoleon exclaimed when he saw it, "All the armies of the world could maneuver their forces on this vast plain."  They will.  The Bible is full of "future" references, prophetic utterances which speak of things yet to come.  And the Bible teaches that the foundations of all the kingdoms of the world, The United States of America, Russia, China, et. al., will, "be destroyed."  What is destined to replace them?  "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.'"  This for me is the opposite of "depressing ."  I think I'll call it "WHOOPEE theology."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that those who are founded on You will never be destroyed.  Amen.
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* I will be preaching in this Sunday's gathering of Quest Church, Greensburg. 
* I will be participating in the Pittsburgh National Day of Prayer observance, May 7, from 12:00-14:00.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"What Have the Righteous Done?"

"If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3)

As I have shared before, I am reading straight through the Bible this quarter, rather than my usual schedule.  I am still reading the regular 5 Psalms a day, however, and today I finished Psalm 150.  The version in which I was reading on my Kindle has notes at the end of the Psalms and I just happened to see a note for Psalm 11:3.  It said that an alternate reading for our text is, "for the foundations will be destroyed; what has the righteous done?"  It hit me like the proverbial "ton of bricks."  Note that it is not a matter here of, "if," but, "....the foundations will be destroyed...."  When a culture destroys, "the foundations," of faith in Jesus Christ and adherence to Jesus' Words, "what has the righteous done?" is the question of the Holy Spirit.  Regardless, whether it is an, "If," or, "will," the question is still addressed to, "the righteous."  And we can with complete accuracy also ask, "what has the [Church] done?"

As I walked the halls of Congressional office buildings, the Supreme Court, and walked around the US Capitol Building, I was playing the Scriptures and praying.  I also did the same outside of the United Methodist Building which is right across from the Supreme Court Building.  What was the original intent of that building?  Bishop William F. McDowell stated in 1920, "The Board of Temperance, Prohibition and Public Morals has the perfect site and the perfect plans....The new building will make our church visible and multiply its power at this world's center."  At the dedication of the building in 1924, "its purpose was emphasized as being that of a 'sentinel' and a supporter for social reform in the Capitol; a voice for the religious community, a visible witness."   We look at America then, and the America of now, and ask, "what has the righteous done?"

"For the foundations will be destroyed," has come to pass in the United States of America, and the question for you and me today, "....what has the righteous done?"  There are some who think that it is enough to accept a person's response to a poll as to the state of Christianity in a nation.  Others look at the mega-church phenomenon when accessing the strength of the Church in America.  I put no argument before you today other than, "....the foundations will be destroyed, what has the righteous done?"

Father, in Jesus' Name, I say that I am, "righteous," only in Jesus, and the Blood of Jesus; therefore, I accept the "title," and with it ask myself, "What have [I] done?"  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Who, "Sincerely Cares For Your Welfare"?

"For I have no one like-minded, who will care for your state (also translated, 'welfare, well-being').  For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:21)

".....the things which are of Christ Jesus."  What are these, "things"?  Perhaps at least one of them is, "sincerely care for your state, welfare, well-being."  Remember, Jesus told Peter that if Peter did indeed love Jesus, Peter would, "Feed, tend, ('care for'?) my sheep."  The demonstration of our love for Jesus is our, "care for," all who are His. 

The phrase, "care for," has a sense of caring almost to the state of anxiety, distraction.  This is the heart of a true shepherd/pastor, someone whose primary concern is for the "sheep," and who looks for others with the same, "care for," the sheep to assist him.  Furthermore, I believe that every "fivefold ministry" should be motivated by a, "care for," pastor's heart.

Some are saying that the recent riots in Baltimore, Maryland, are caused by pent up frustration, feelings of neglect, nobody caring.  There may be some truth in this, though allowing all the aforementioned to lead to hatred, which is what I saw in so many of the rioters, even news pundits, is inexcusable.  There is something in those rioters, however, which is also in many who attend church gatherings today, viz., frustration, feelings of neglect, nobody caring.  Many people over the years have left one church for another church in order to find "cures" for such feelings.  But I also suspect that, having not found what they so desperately need, many are just putting up with larger, busier, more entertaining churches in an attempt to fill that void of, "sincerely cares for your state." 

And this is not just a "word" for "professionals."  Every person who claims to follow Jesus Christ should have such a heart of----- "sincerely cares for your welfare."

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to always have a heart of, "sincerely cares for your welfare," a heart more intent on giving than receiving.  Amen.
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* DC Tomorrow 

* New Article at:    jhs58.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"The Things Which Are Of Christ Jesus"

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit....Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus....He humbled Himself and became obedient....Do all things without complaining...in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation....For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus." (From Philippians 2)

The thought occurred to me earlier today that I had the privilege to spend Easter Day, 2013 with the only congregation which is allowed to meet "publicly" in North Korea.  I know that congregation is state controlled, but there were Followers of Jesus there; one can tell.  Please pray for our Brethren in Christ in that nation which is the number one persecutor of the Followers of Jesus.

Some times when things are going particularly "bad" for us, it is good to remember that we are a part, not only of the Church of Jesus Christ, but of a humanity that knows suffering, trials, and "hurdles" in life to come over.  No one is exempt.  Yes, we are "special" in our relationship in Jesus, because of Jesus' Blood, Death, and Resurrection Jesus, and we do have in Jesus, "exceeding great and precious promises," which give us battle advantage.  But history has revealed, as does our present existence, that this "life," this present age and the majority of accompanying difficulties, challenge everyone, Believer and unbeliever alike.  The Ecclesiastes writer reminds us of this.  Now this "theology" does not fit in with much of the Evangelical-Charismatic teachings over the last 50 years, but that community is not exempt from error any less than what that community calls the left, the liberal church.  "Beware," is a Biblical word.

Such "rose garden" deception and, hence, the accompanying great disappointment, does not come from Scripture.  It comes from "kingdom builders," people who, "seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus."  Our text reveals that this has been going on from the beginning of the Church Age.  The only "newness" about it is that you and I are now a part of that battle through the centuries for the hearts and minds of men, to bring them to Jesus Christ, His Church, His Kingdom, to proclaim and demonstrate to humanity, "the unsearchable riches of Christ."  We are dealing with the same Church struggle which Paul and all the First Century Apostles faced, and, by the way, all the Followers of Jesus have faced up to this very moment.  The Church in North Korea still witnesses to the global community, however, that no matter what the suffering, what the heartache, the "unfairness," the sickness, poverty which they face on a daily basis, the words of the old hymn are still truth. There is "Victory in Jesus."

Now what are you and I going to do?  The words of Romans 12 are as "now" as are all Words of Scripture, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God....And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...."  Of course, the only way our minds are transformed is through and in, "the Words of God."  As repetitive as this may be, and as too-much-"over and over and over again" as it may be, I will continue to repeat: Only the Words of Jesus, Those "God-Breathed" Words, will keep us, sustain us, and bring us through the conflict of the ages.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I need Your Words over and over and over again, because that is exactly how I need You.  Amen.
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Please pray for the April 29 DC Mission and the accompanying provision.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2