“His will is the rule of righteousness, and righteousness is the rule of his will. ”
Elisha Coles
Psalm 11 – The Lord, our Righteous Refuge
“In the Lord I take refuge.” (v. 1) Such a simple and straightforward statement and yet able to convey so much comfort. How the saints, through the centuries have looked to the Lord for consolation, protection, and guidance and he has failed them not. He protected David and his unchanging character (Heb 13:8) guarantees that he will shelter you today. The practical question remains, ‘How does one take refuge in Christ?’ ’
The partial answer to that question may be found in verse 7, “For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.” (NAS) God only allows the ‘upright’ to have communion with him. To be in the presence of God is to be on holy ground, “The Lord is in his holy temple.’ (v. 4) We are able to enter into his presence only when we are righteous. This is a tall order for two reasons. First, all of mankind are sinners in their nature and by their personal choice. Our sin separates us from God. Second, the standard of God is a perfect standard. Fortunately, the righteousness which God’s righteousness requires is the righteousness of Christ.
This righteousness of Christ involves his person and his work. He is our mediator because he is both fully man and fully God. He is the Son of God who perfectly kept the commands of God. He is the Son of man who bore our sins on the cross. His righteousness becomes our own when we trust him. The apostle Paul writes “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21) The ‘him’ in that verse is none other but the Lord Jesus Christ. Henry Smith describes Christ’s work as follows, “He hides our unrighteousness with His righteousness, He covers our disobedience with His obedience, He shadows our death with His death, that the wrath of God cannot find us.” (Puritan’s Golden Treasure, p 162)
David asks an urgent question, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3) This is what they can do. They can trust Christ and in him find the refuge that the seek.
Unto Him be glory,
Pastor Dale
