I don’t remember seeing a reference to God having a soul before. That’s one concept that caught my attention in Psalm 11. Another one is his extreme dislike of wickedness and violence.
“The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates” (Psalm 11:5 NIV). It’s disturbing to think of God hating someone, but I think the explanation for this is clear in the following verses.
“On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face” (verses 6-7).
He observes us, he examines the righteous, and he hates the wicked and violent, because the Lord is righteous. He loves justice.
In verses 2 and 3 the writer talks about the wicked shooting their bows from the shadows at the upright in heart and asks “what can the righteous do?”
The answer: “In the Lord I take refuge” (verse 1). I won’t “flee like a bird” to a mountain, I’ll go to him for shelter. He’s the righteous and just One, and he’ll take care of changing hearts and bringing an end to the violence. And following his lead, that’s what I’ll work for as well.
by Kathy Sheldon Davis
kathysheldondavis.com 