The complaint of the psalmist in this verse appears to us as an expression of hopelessness and pessimism concerning the possibility or ability of the righteous to do anything in the face of widespread social decline. We might wonder about the appropriateness of the attitude reflected here; and we certainly would not be alone in this view, since many translators (including the RSV) take the words of this verse as part of the advice that the faint-hearted counsellors gave to the king. They told him to flee to the mountains, and the reason they are then assumed to provide is: the righteous are not able to do anything here anyway.

Yet it is more probable that the words of this verse come from David himself. In a certain sense he shares the fears of his advisers, and expresses in these words that the situation is one of crisis, affecting the basic stability of the nation. The exact historical circumstances cannot be determined with any certainty, although most commentators think of the civil war that brewed with the rise of Absalom. This conspiracy did, in fact, grow very strong, and David was eventually left with no recourse but to flee. At any rate. David sees himself surrounded by wicked and treacherous men who are relentless in their pursuit of those who fear the LORD.

So forceful is the onslaught of evil power that the very foundations of the heavenly city are threatened with destruction. And what are those foundations? The use of the same term in Isaiah 19:10 indicates that the word refers to the social and economic fabric of the community, the "invisible hand" through which order and economic stability are guaranteed. The evil workers strike at the very basis of the community, and threaten to destroy the basic relationships of trust and decency required for a society to function.

But what is David's response? Is this really a song of escape, a flight from the battle enjoined by the LORD? David rather takes his refuge in the LORD! And even if this may entail flight, then it only includes flight at the appointed time, and under God's clear guidance and direction. But his stand begins with a sound appraisal of the real situation. And this remains the only honest and realistic approach, David himself realizes that when the foundations are attacked, and when the whole social fabric suffers under the strain of destructive forces, the righteous are essentially powerless in themselves. What influence can they bring up against such an attack?

Rejecting premature flight does not imply that David takes the stand of the hero who looks for fame and recognition. He takes his stand in the LORD, and begins the battle with Him! And the battle begins by a realistic assessment of the situation, which implies a clear and unequivocal statement of the antithesis. To take up battle, one must draw proper battle lines, and for David this is the battle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, between the Church and the world, between the wicked and the righteous, between those ingrafted into Christ by a true faith, and those outside of Christ.

Once this antithesis has been properly set, one can take his position in the battle, knowing that "those who are with us are more than those who are with them," 2 Kings 6:16. The onslaught is fundamentally against the LORD and His Anointed! In such a battle, the righteous man is powerless in himself. He cannot draw on his own resources, nor choose the avenue to compromise in order to bolster his strength. Compromise may appear to increase one's effectiveness and strength, but the real effect is a loss of solid conviction and an erosion of the enduring foundations. In this battle, the righteous can only serve in faithfulness, waiting and resting in the sovereign and free decision of the LORD!

Still today the forces working for the overthrow of the foundations are at work everywhere. What can the righteous do? "Do not be amazed at the matter," says the Preacher, 4:8; fret not yourself because of the wicked! (Psalm 37:1). Has not the shaking of the foundations been foretold? Have we not heard of the growth of apostasy, and the appearance of Anomos, the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2)? Still today, we must remember that the Seed of the woman, and all His own. forms the focal battle point of the powers of lawlessness and evil.

In a battle like this one will be as innocent as a dove – he will not relinquish or compromise his confession! He will also be as wise as a serpent – he will flee if the necessity requires it. And he will be ever watchful for the devious ways of Satan, who through pious words seeks to lead the righteous astray! Fundamentally, he will not build his own defence, but rest in the LORD, who acts, and who also uses the righteous as His instruments in the manifestation of His victory.

For if we adopt the style and pattern of the secular player, we have already lost the battle, – for ourselves and our children. A voice in social life today can never be a voice divorced from the Church, and from the union with Christ through His Word and sacrament! Only those who properly draw the antithesis can fight a meaningful battle. For only they learn that the battle is not theirs but the LORD'S, and He will come at His time, and in His way, to reward both the righteous and the wicked. Psalm 11:6, 7.

What can the righteous do? Wait on the LORD, and serve Him with sincere faithfulness and with a living consciousness of the antithesis that shapes this world. Then we may be assured of inheriting a city with lasting foundations!