“if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” –Psalm 11:3
In America we are seeing many of our foundations destroyed. There are godly principles upon which for hundreds of years we have stood. These pillars of our society are being decimated by an increasingly liberal and progressive culture. So, what should people of faith do? What will happen to this great nation when these foundations are destroyed?
The answer for many of our evangelical leaders is to fight for these foundations while they are only tottering. In their mind, we must keep fighting for these foundations of our society, so that our freedoms will be preserved. If we do not fight then we will be left with the same question as the Psalmist. If our foundations are destroyed what hope will the righteous have here in America? So we must preserve these foundations no matter the cost.
I believe a good argument could be made for working to preserve the Christian foundations of our nation. But the fear-mongering which comes from this logic is unhealthy. In fact, this way of thinking is the exact opposite of the point of Psalm 11:3.
Psalm 11:3 is connected with Psalm 11:2 and is to be placed on the lips of the cynic who is telling King David he ought to flee to the mountains. The cynic is the voice of the modern hand-wringing evangelical. But the Psalm begins with a rebuke of such a thought. The king is trusting in Yahweh as his refuge, therefore it is not fitting to say that he ought to flee to the mountain because the foundations are destroyed.
Those who peddle fear would have us believe that it is on some particular point that the foundation is still teetering. To not follow the party line on this issue will be to surrender every foundation and if this one falls then to the mountains we must go. And so if we desire to protect the foundations then we must hold our nose and vote for immoral men. We must overlook sexual immorality and accept pride and narcissism as a necessary evil to maintaining our foundations.
All the while we do not realize that when we buy what the fear mongers are selling and begin to peddle their words ourselves we are grabbing a sledgehammer ourselves and swinging at our foundations. The gospel is not made of fear but of hope. And hope has no home in a world driven by fear.
Psalm 11 paints a different picture. Here we see a world in which the one who trusts in the LORD can be immovable even when the foundations crumble. The mountains are no refuge, nor are they an option. Our foundation is immovable. Psalm 11 reminds us that we can be assured that God will vindicate His own righteousness. Was this not the point and hope of the religious right? To see God’s righteousness realized within the world. If this is the case, if it is not power but love for a life patterned after God and His Word which we seek, then we can res assured that God’s righteousness will win the day. He is not blind to the ways of the wicked nor deaf to the cause of the righteous.
Furthermore, Psalm 11 confirms for us that God will continually respond to His children in love. Even if it’s tough and painful love in the midst of the wreckage of a broken society. But he is a sure and certain refuge. This means that hope is never gone. We do not have to flee to the mountains, nor do we have to resort to cynicism or use a fear of fleeing to the mountains to engage in fear-mongering.
“If the foundations are destroyed what can the righteous do?” is not intended to be a call to arms. It’s the desperate plea of a cynic. The words of hope are those of David: “In the LORD I take refuge”. This Psalm is realistic in that the foundations may crumble. But it’s also realistic in it’s hope and trust in the omniscient and omnipotent God of history. He will never crumble. This is a much better path to follow because David Murray is correct, “Christian hope has never been dashed on the rocks of reality.” (The Happy Christian, 93)
King David did not run. He stood. He did not back down. He stood. His position was not based on a hope “to see God’s righteousness realized within the world.” There is a multitude of biblical evidence to confirm that David did not think God’s righteousness will be realized within this world. Nor was that the goal of most of those of us who were identified as the “religious right” back in the 70’s and 80’s. To state that was the goal of the “religious right” is a poor and false identification. We never thought that we would bring about… Read more »
If the shoe doesn’t fit don’t wear it. There isn’t subtext here. I’m speaking of those who use fear to gain/keep political power. If that isnt you then you arent my point.
Mike Leake,
If there is no subtext, then what is this?
“Those who peddle fear would have us believe that it is on some particular point that the foundation is still teetering. To not follow the party line on this issue will be to surrender every foundation and if this one falls then to the mountains we must go. And so if we desire to protect the foundations then we must hold our nose and vote for immoral men. We must overlook sexual immorality and accept pride and narcissism as a necessary evil to maintaining our foundations.”
Note I’m not saying those who held their nose but those who used fear-mongering to make that argument.
I think the point of many who disagree with your conclusion, at least it is mine, is that we surrender our moral stance when we succumb to the either/or of American politics. I think the religious right of the 70’s & 80’s failed because it was co-opted by a political party leadership that did not share its values but coveted the votes. I understand completely not voting for Hillary, just as I understand not voting for Trump; but voting for Trump because he is better than Hillary is a terrible standard for the Christian and sends the message that the… Read more »
I do not think I compromised anything. I refused not to vote. I was not going to lay down what I believe is my obligation as a citizen of this country because we had two immoral people seeking the highest office in the land. I made the best decision possible based on what I believe to be a biblical worldview. I did not defend Trump in anyway regarding his lack of moral character. I do not do that now either. Trump is what he is. To deny that as some do is poor in my opinion. However, I did vote… Read more »
I would argue that by backing in to the either/or of the election you have settled. Trump is actually quite malleable as a president, but we Evangelicals get very little from it because we have no mechanism to influence him because en masse we belong to the Republican party. I have no doubt you do not feel as though you settled or compromised because you saw a duty to vote for 1 of the 2 major party candidates. My point is that settling is baked into the cake of the 2 party system as it currently stands. My contention is… Read more »
If we see this as simply another rehashing of Trump v. Hillary, I think we are missing the point. The question here is about leadership and fearmongering.
Michael, I didnt vote for T or H. But I don’t fault those that voted fot Trump. The standard, that higher standard, that we as Christians should aspire to, is a standard that speaks to how we live our lives and treat others. If someone, in good conscience, voted for Trump because he or she thought that such a vote was best for their neighbors and for their families, they have the Christian freedom to do so. And we have no cause to judge them. And, we can demand better all we want. In fact, many did demand better by… Read more »
Actually, some may be the whore, but not all. In this presidential election, which may be unlike any other in history, we were faced in the end with voting for one of two despicable people or not voting or writing in a candidate. The latter two are not to my liking. So, I voted, and yes “settled,” voted for Trump. It is my opinion that Trump’s character has not changed for the better. if anything, it has worsened. However, he has made some decisions that I favor and favor greatly. At the same time, I know that due to his… Read more »
First off, I apologize if I sound as though I’m blaming Trump voters. I am not judging them as poor Christians. I understand the arguments. Second, no they didn’t. Trump dominated the field by sweeping through the Evangelical south. Granted, many of those voters “identify” as Evangelicals; and are Christians in name only. (the number one factor of whether an Evangelical voted for Trump or another in the primary was regular church attendance. If you attended you voted someone else; if you didn’t, you voted Trump) Third, I’m doing a poor job of explaining my tracking of history. The mess… Read more »
CB, I wrote in what turned to be a non-vote, I knew that going into the ballot box I would not impact this election. To Dave’s scolding (I kid) I am not trying to rehash T vs. C from 2016; I am trying to point to the overall trend of the Evangelical who does not hold either party to any standard. We as Christians (as a whole, not you specifically), hold the Dems to the fire for everything, yet blindly vote R as better than the other guy while getting basically nothing in return. I don’t think the game is… Read more »
CB: I was also in the era of the Religious Right began by Jerry Falwell, I was there when Pat Robertson ran for President elect. What Mike has stated was their goal and they did not hide that.
Likewise, I disagree thatour goal as Christians is to shore up the foundations of this republic. ur goal is to be witnesses of the Gospel in any circumstamce and enviroment. I see no mandate from the Bible to Christinize the political government of a nation [outside of praying for their salvation]. No where in the NT did the apostles seek such a thing. Yet they upturned the pagan government. Neither did Jesus seek to change the way the land was governed, instead pointing the people to the new kingdom that was coming and whose king was present. That doesn’t mean… Read more »
This post raises the age old tensions of the Christian in the US and his relationship to the state – the US government. This country was founded by religious people, Christians, and our heritage reflects that. There’s so much “God” in our founding and past, that despite the co-existing Enlightenment presence, and continued openness to other ideas, that even in 2018, US laws are for the most part based on Christian morality. Add to that the ideas of freedom of religion (not just the “freedom to worship”), free speech, free association, free economics (the favoring of private ownership of property),… Read more »
Louis,
One more thing.
There are two cities, the city of God and the city of man.
Politics has always been and will always be, worldly, for it is of the city of man.
Louis, Just a point. Most laws made by governments across the world and throughout time look very similar to our nations laws. Many were made before Jesus came into the world, think the Romans empire, among others. That is because God gave men consciences and they know right from wrong. Thus the laws of their governments reflect their consciences. But as always, men pervert the things of God. So in this counrty we have gay marriage, abortions, and greed all sanctioned by the government. But theyalso reflect the will of the people [as a whole]. So vote your conscience, and… Read more »
Mike: I don’t disagree in total, but perhaps in part. Christians who have the opportunity to vote and have a say so, should try to have a say so. I am not sure if your response is more on the passive side. I tend to believe we should be active, just temper our expectations and focus. Also, while there are similarities between cultures, it would be too much of a generalization to say that laws around the world look the same. Modern Democracy came by the hard work and effort over more than a millennia. Christians should remember that. Consent… Read more »
Louis, There are at least two ways of looking at things. The God run country of ancient Israel did have certain laws because of its unique position before God. The USA has never been such a country. God has granted us USA Christians certain freedoms and liberties that are rare in the world. We did not gain them simply by blood shed. And many of those brave soldiers were not believers. Many people shed their blood in France a few years before our own revolution. And In England. In Russia. And across the globe. Truth is, God raises up countries… Read more »
I discovered long ago that I liked (and generally agreed with) 99+ % of the folks I’ve known from Alabama. This includes C. B. in the 99+ %— along with his indisputable comments here.
dbrady
“God has granted us USA Christians certain freedoms and liberties that are rare in the world. We did not gain them simply by blood shed.” Actually, God, in His sovereignty and providence, has granted the USA, those of us who are Christians and those of us who are not, certain freedoms and liberties that are rare in the world. . . . and frankly, Mike White, there was nothing “simple” about the blood that was shed in the gaining and maintaining of those “certain freedoms and liberties” that Sovereign God knew was going to be shed in the process. The… Read more »
“In the US, we have not faced as much of that because of free economics – the right of private property, and the right to contract. We take those for granted. But for most of the people in the world, in most places, those rights do not exist, though things have improved through the spread of democracy, and the death of oppressive monarchies, dictatorships, and socialist regimes.” Well, there it is. In this one, concise statement is the reason many Christians who hold a strong biblical worldview voted as we did in the last presidential election. It was just a… Read more »
CB,
Do you consider praying possessive?
Do you think voting ones conscience passive? I have suggested both of those as our duty as Christians to be good citizens of both kingdoms.
Other than those things (and loving our neighbors) I see no Biblical mandate to engage in earthly politics. But your conscience dictates a different approach, then Godspeed.
Do you think praying passive (not possessive)
Mike White,
No, I do not think praying to be passive. I consider it to be a weapon granted of God for spiritual warfare. There is absolutely nothing passive about prayer. He who does not pray lives a defenseless life and becomes easy prey for Satan.
CB,
Saying something is “simply not” isn’t declaring the first thing simple. It is saying that there is more to it than that.
Mike White, You are right. There was more to it that. Sovereign God knew the process would necessitate the shedding of blood. I do not take that shedding of blood for granted. I do not think God does either. I do not believe we are to passively watch what God has evidently provided to us to be destroyed by that which is obviously evil. I think therein is a fundamental difference in my perspective of a biblical worldview and yours. I base that only on what I read that you write here on Voices. I realize I do not know… Read more »
I am not a separatist. I believe that this is our home for the time being. We are here for a very long time and I live my life to the fullest. I participate where I feel like participating and I don’t participate where I don’t feel like participating. And I and God are just fine.
Mike: Good post. Well worded.