Tag: foolishness

Study of Psalm 14 (Part Two)

The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one (14:2-3 CSB)

Having expressed mankind’s view of God and the conduct that flows from that view, David shows us God’s view of mankind. God is revealing what he thinks to us! The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race… What a picture of the infinite and holy God, as if bending down to examine his creatures closely. God is letting us know that his verdict has not been reached by mere hearsay, but that he himself has examined the human heart and the way of life that comes from the heart. As in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord presents himself as a righteous Judge, establishing the facts before bringing judgment (cf. Genesis 18:20-21.) God watches us, and he knows us intimately (Psalm 139:1-6). Now to be examined so closely may comfort us or cause us to feel most uncomfortable, depending on our relationship to the God who knows us.

What has God looked for in his examination? The answer is given: to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God. Sin has darkened human understanding. Although God’s revelation of himself is very clear and mankind was created with the capability of understanding it, sin has so affected people that no one understands (Ephesians 4:17-19). In addition, this search of mankind reveals that “no one seeks God” (Romans 3:11). Notice that modern evangelicalism has often denied the truth by claiming that people everywhere are seeking God, or the “Christmas card theology” of “wise men still seek him.” Wise people might, but all sinners are foolish, as we have already seen. What people fail to comprehend is that the sinner wants nothing to do with the true God. He or she will never seek the Holy One. The sinner may seek religion or some kind of a false god, but the God who judges righteously is far from their desire.

Someone might object: “But I know of someone who told me that they looked for God for many years before they found him.” We answer: Let God be true and every person a liar (cf. Romans 3:4). They may have been looking for some way out of personal difficulties or a burdened conscience because of sin, or looking for some kind of spiritual experience, but they were not seeking the true and living God. Instead, the Savior has told us that he is the one who seeks the sinner (Luke 15; 19:10).

Verse three records the condemning result of God’s investigation. While we “listen in his court,” the holy Judge of all announces three charges against all people everywhere:

  • All have turned away… Sinners have turned aside from God himself and from the laws he has commanded us to obey. God himself is the highest good in the universe, and his laws proclaim the best way to live. Yet such is humankind’s perversity that sinners constantly turn aside from good to pursue evil.
  • Notice that the idea of the first phrase of these verses quickly becomes the practice of this second phrase: all alike have become corrupt…” Humans cannot live in a moral vacuum. Having rejected what is good and glorious, sinners seek what stinks with corruption. We may not realize the extent of the corruption, like the person who works where there is objectionable odors often becomes used to them. But the stench is still there! Observe that sinners join in this practice of corruption together (cf. Romans 1:32).
  • As if to make sure that no one wiggles out, David adds in his song, “There is no one who does good, not even one” We often hear of a person doing some noble deed, and may be tempted to think that there might be an exception to this rule. But when we understand that all good actions must proceed from a heart of love for God and others and from a desire to glorify God and to help others, we know that all have failed miserably (Romans 3:23).

Let us not lightly dismiss the words of this psalm. In the words of Spurgeon, “This is the verdict of the all-seeing Jehovah [Yahweh], who cannot exaggerate or mistake… Do we not confess that we by nature are corrupt, and do we not bless the sovereign grace which has renewed us in the spirit of our minds, that sin may no more have dominion over us, but that grace may rule and reign?”

Grace and peace
David

Study of Psalm 14 (Part One)

The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.” They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good (14:1 CSB)

This psalm and Psalm 53 are twins; most of Psalm 14 is repeated in Psalm 53 with just a few minor variations. Paul quotes from this psalm in Romans 3:10-12 to prove that all people everywhere are sinners.

Few songs are written like this one. Some have thought that the best music is simply praise or worship songs, usually very upbeat. Others like “therapeutic” music, composed to soothe the soul and to give encouragement. There is nothing wrong with either, as long as you do not restrict your musical diet to either option. The Holy Spirit obviously disagrees with a limited viewpoint. Compare Ephesians 5:19 where the Spirit commends all kinds of music: speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord (NIV). Our music ought to be doctrinally sound and deep. Shallow music that says little, while fine for little children, only promotes a nebulous, empty Christianity that is not equipped to stand in the day of evil. Read Ephesians 6:10-18 to refresh your memory about the war we are in. In Psalm 14 we find the “sweet psalmist of Israel” singing about the radical corruption of mankind, and as God’s king and prophet, he directed that it be used in public worship. We need to broaden modern worship to declare musically the whole counsel of God.

We can briefly outline Psalm 14 this way.

I.          The world’s foolish creed and lifestyle (14:1).
II.         God’s view of human corruption (14:2-3).
III.       The hope of God’s people in spite of evildoers (14:4-7).

David began with rebellious man’s view of God. He did not pull any punches as he described what all people everywhere are like apart from saving grace. Lost people are fools, because they reject and suppress the knowledge of the true God. Then they exchange the knowledge of God for the worship of idols (Romans 1:18-25). Yet only with the knowledge of God may anyone be wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10 CSB).

The foolish person has a simple creed, “There’s no God.” This is the confession of faith that they say in their own heart. The word used here for heart refers to the totality of a human’s inner nature, mind emotions and will. Notice that we talk to ourselves, but what foolishness we can deceive ourselves with! Someone might object, “But aren’t people everywhere seeking for God?” No, not at all! See the next two verses. People may be religious, but that does not mean that they have any room in their religion for the true and living God (cf. Psalm 10:4; Jeremiah 10:1-10). People may profess anything they choose outwardly, but a lie holds the inner person of the heart. The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV).

We should understand that all sin (rebellion against God, transgression of his laws, falling short of his glory) has an element of practical atheism in it. When we sin, we say in our practice, “There is no God, no Holy One to whom we must give account.” It is like saying to the sun, “I have closed my eyes and I will act like you do not give light on the earth.” But such denials do not change the facts.

The sinner’s problem is basically moral, not an incapability of understanding the truth of God’s existence. God the Spirit communicates in plain, understandable words. People say in their hearts that there is no God, because they have another agenda. Sinners desire to follow their own ways and not walk according to the will of the Lord. David provides us with a description of what life is like when it is lived apart from God.

  • They are corrupt… People are ruined by sin; it destroys those who commit it. One of the great lies of sin is the belief that it will bring true happiness, but the actual result is destruction. Notice that the person is corrupt, and not just the actions. The bad record of activity comes from a bad heart (cf. Mark 7:20-23).
  • The lifestyle is also wrong. The Spirit says it strongly “they do vile deeds” or “detestable actions.” God has no pleasure in our sin; in fact, sin disgusts him.
  • They are unable to perform what is good. There is no one who does good.” Weep for the religious sinner who thinks he or she can be saved by doing good deeds. They cannot! What a ruin is the heart of rebellious people. They do not do good, but they do what is detestable.

Who can find any hope in the sinner? Salvation is found only in the blessed name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12 NIV).

Grace and peace,
David