As you read the book of Psalms, you will
notice that the fourteenth psalm and the fifty-third psalm are nearly identical
to one another. Both are psalms of
David, and the only significant differences are found in the fifth and sixth
verses of Psalm 14 and the fifth verse of Psalm 53. It may seem curious that David would write
two psalms that are the same, but perhaps he reworked the first one to add more
specific detail to the message, or maybe it was due to a musical design. Regardless of the reason, we should consider
that the repetition of this divinely inspired message gives it a certain
emphasis that should cause us to take notice.
The single message of these two psalms must be important.
The
opening words of each of these psalms set the tone for the whole message: "The
fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.'”
This fool sets his heart on the motto of the atheist, who has decided
against evidence and nature that God does not exist. Consider Paul's description of the
unbelieving Gentiles, who were such fools, in Romans 1:18-23:
For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who
suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is
evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly
seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without
excuse. For even though they knew God,
they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their
speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and
exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of
corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Both David and Paul define unbelief in the
true and living God as a willful state of denial rather than a reasoned
conclusion. A few verses later, Paul
said that these men "did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer” (Rom.
1:28), which means that they defied their natural tendency to believe in God
and chose instead to abandon Him. God
made all men that they would seek Him (Acts 17:26-27), but fools live in
opposition to their own creation.
This
foolish and false notion of unbelief is countered in Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1 with
a true and sober statement: "They are corrupt, and have committed abominable
injustice; there is no one who does good.”
This statement is given emphasis and a fuller meaning when it is further
explained in verses 2 and 3 of both psalms:
God has looked down
from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there is anyone who understands, who
seeks after God. Every one of them has
turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good,
not even one.
These verses reveal to us that the fool
under consideration in verse 1 is not just the publically confessed
atheist. This fool is any man whose
unbelieving heart has led him to do evil in defiance of God's will. Sadly, God looks down and sees that every man
fits this description, for there is not even one who understands, seeks God,
and does good. This may be poetic
hyperbole to some extent, but it is literally true in that "all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
Consider the contrast of these two statements
from Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1. The
first statement is the pure figment of a fool's own delusion and desire to
escape judgment. In his heart, the fool
tells himself that there is no God so that he may imagine his sins will go
unpunished. Every time he sins, he
denies the truth of God, deceives himself, and supposes that he will never have
to give an account to His Creator. The
second statement is the grave declaration of the Almighty God who knows all
things and will bring them into judgment.
As He speaks, His words pour forth truth that cannot be altered by the
desires or opinions of man. Indeed, "the
word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and
piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Man cannot simply wish away the existence of
God or the contents of His words.
Thus, we see that the first three verses
of Psalms 14 and 53 present a contrast in how the foolish man and the
omniscient God view each other. The
foolish man thinks of God in his heart and mistakenly says to himself, "There
is none.” The omniscient God looks down
at the sinful world in search of anyone who understands truth and does good,
and He rightly says, "There is none.” Of
course, the foolish man is absolutely wrong, and God is absolutely right. Thankfully, God's view of man and His
immeasurable love has led Him to extend His hand in tender mercy through His
Son, Jesus Christ. Even fools who have lived
as if there is no God can find forgiveness from the one they have denied. For those who will repent and faithfully obey
the gospel of Christ, God will say of their sin, "There is none.” Let us thank God for that!
