Psalm 14
The Prevailing Corruption and the Redemption Desired
Ps 14:1
1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
There are many words for ‘fool’ in the Hebrew language. This word is related to the word for ‘scoffer’ and points to the person who is empty, hollow, and devoid of (a working) mind. The insanity of denying God bears the fruit of rebellion against the laws of this God which does not exist. The fact that Paul leans upon this text to make the case for the general depravity of humanity demonstrates that David had all those in mind who refuse to bow the knee to the revealed will of God. They are fools, fools who refuse to do good and who insist on doing ‘abominable works.’
These are works which go beyond the pale of ordinary human sin. These are those which are off the scale of the moral mind whether toward perversion, selfishness or cruelty. These are the fruits of the mind which
denies God.
Ps 14:2
2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
This verse uses an ‘anthropomorphism’ to describe God as looking ‘down from heaven’ in the attempt to discover something which He does not know. In truth God’s all seeing, all piercing eyes see all of His universe and know all things from eternity past. This verse simply makes the point that not even the omniscient eye of God can find among the descendants of Adam a single soul which has understanding (who is not a ‘fool’ v.1) and manifests that wisdom by seeking God. But…instead…
Ps 14:3
3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
This is one case in which the word ‘all’ means every single one without exception. What the eye of God does see is that, rather than seeking God, the entire race has ‘gone aside.’ There is not a single one of them that practices the doing of good.
Ps 14:4
4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
The matter is actually incredible that there should be such ignorance and lack of wisdom in a race which is capable of so much learning and intelligence. Here their wickedness is defined in terms of how they treat
the people of God. It is not enough that they themselves refuse to call upon the name of the Lord but they despise and abuse those who do. This, too, is manifestly ignorant. Even men will defend their children more vigorously than they defend themselves. The Most High is greatly offended when His children are abused.
Ps 14:5
5 There were they in great fear; For God is in the generation of the righteous. (ASV)
Such people will come to a time of terror because the God they denied, whose law they despised, and whose people they abused actually does exist and He does care about what happens to His people. When God’s long-suffering changes into wrath, terror seizes the hearts of the wicked and they tremble. But let Him remove His hand of judgment and they return immediately to their wickedness.
Ps 14:6
6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.
The wicked of the world seek to frustrate, undermine, and defeat the purposes of the poor (as in Matt. 5) to serve God. Since the Lord is his strength and refuge, he (the poor one) seeks to serve Him. And because the Lord is his refuge, those who oppose him will ultimately be brought into judgment.
Ps 14:7
7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
David longs aloud here for the same thing that God’s people in every age have longed for, God to move and deliver His people from the wicked, granting salvation and gladness to all those who trust in Him. In other words, he longs aloud for a mighty moving of God to reverse the tide of human corruption and deliver His people from its power.
We should pray for no less.
— April 16, 2020