Psa 14:1 | KingComments | STEP | Now that wickedness has reached its nadir under the leadership of the antichrist, we find in this psalm the description of the wickedness of the people. It is a foolish ( ) and totally deviated ( ) people, both in word ( ) and in deed ( ). Seeing so much wickedness, the faithful remnant seeks refuge in the LORD alone ( ). This psalm is almost identical to Psalm 53. In Psalm 53, the name LORD, the God of the covenant, is replaced with the name God, making the form of address more distant. The ending of that psalm is also different. For “for the choir director” ( ) see at Psalm 4:1. For “[a Psalm] of David” see at Psalm 3:1. “The fool” ( ) – Hebrew nabal – is not the ignorant or the unbeliever, the atheist, but the wicked who deliberately excludes God. He hates and despises the LORD ( ). It is not just about his thinking, it is deeply rooted in his inner being and visible in his actions ( ). He does so “in his heart”, the center of his existence. All his actions flow from it and make it clear that he ignores the existence of God. The thought that there is no God does not mean so much the denying the existence of God, which is what the atheist does. The fool is one who pretends as if there is no God ( ; ). For him, “in his heart” – meaning this is his conviction – He is not present, because He does not assert Himself. He does not show Himself, therefore there is no God. The fool denies that he is accountable to God and that Divine judgment will follow. His life is all about himself. He acts entirely according to his own judgment, without taking God into account in the slightest. He totally ignores Him. If God is not taken into account, it also has harmful consequences for the fool’s environment. There is an inseparable and undeniable connection between religious decay and social decay. One who excludes God becomes a disaster for his fellow men. In three lines David describes the actions of the wicked. In doing so, he switches from the singular, “the fool”, to the plural, “they”. The one fool has become a great company of fools. It is common in Hebrew, that the fool is often a designation for a group of people who act foolishly. Prophetically we see here the antichrist and the unbelieving mass of the people who follow him. The first characteristic of fools is, “they are corrupt” (cf. ; ). Their actions are rotten and create an atmosphere that causes decay and calls down God’s judgment. It is the same word “corrupt” as in Genesis 6, where it is mentioned as the reason for the flood ( ). The less awareness a person has of God, the lower the standards and values he holds. Second, “they have committed abominable deeds”. Their deeds are abominable to God. They are in connection with idols, which are also called “abominations”. Their deeds are abhorrent and reprehensible and arouse abhorrence (cf. ). Third, fools are characterized by a total lack of doing good. There is no godliness, that is, no fear or reverence for God. If that is not present, there can be no doing good. Doing good is not present in any member of this group of fools who count themselves among God’s people. There is truly “no one who does good”. There is an abundance of destruction and abomination present, while not the slightest bit of doing good can arise in them. People may think they are doing good if they donate some of their wealth to charities. They don’t do that because God tells them to, because they don’t care about Him, but for a good feeling. The determining factor, however, is not what people see as “doing good”, but what God judges as “doing good” (cf. ). The conclusion that there is no one who does good makes all human charity valueless. This is hard to swallow for all those who give and all those who work so hard for any good cause. If it is not done out of obedience to God, it is sin, because “everything that is not done by faith is sin” ( ).

‏ Psalms 14:1

Introduction

Now that wickedness has reached its nadir under the leadership of the antichrist, we find in this psalm the description of the wickedness of the people. It is a foolish (Psa 14:1) and totally deviated (Psa 14:3) people, both in word (Psa 14:1-3) and in deed (Psa 14:4-6). Seeing so much wickedness, the faithful remnant seeks refuge in the LORD alone (Psa 14:7).

This psalm is almost identical to Psalm 53. In Psalm 53, the name LORD, the God of the covenant, is replaced with the name God, making the form of address more distant. The ending of that psalm is also different.

The Fool

For “for the choir director” (Psa 14:1a) see at Psalm 4:1.

For “[a Psalm] of David” see at Psalm 3:1.

“The fool” (Psa 14:1b) – Hebrew nabal – is not the ignorant or the unbeliever, the atheist, but the wicked who deliberately excludes God. He hates and despises the LORD (Psa 74:18 ; 22). It is not just about his thinking, it is deeply rooted in his inner being and visible in his actions (Isa 32:6a). He does so “in his heart”, the center of his existence. All his actions flow from it and make it clear that he ignores the existence of God.

The thought that there is no God does not mean so much the denying the existence of God, which is what the atheist does. The fool is one who pretends as if there is no God (Lk 12:16-20; Zep 1:12). For him, “in his heart” – meaning this is his conviction – He is not present, because He does not assert Himself. He does not show Himself, therefore there is no God. The fool denies that he is accountable to God and that Divine judgment will follow. His life is all about himself. He acts entirely according to his own judgment, without taking God into account in the slightest. He totally ignores Him.

If God is not taken into account, it also has harmful consequences for the fool’s environment. There is an inseparable and undeniable connection between religious decay and social decay. One who excludes God becomes a disaster for his fellow men.

In three lines David describes the actions of the wicked. In doing so, he switches from the singular, “the fool”, to the plural, “they”. The one fool has become a great company of fools. It is common in Hebrew, that the fool is often a designation for a group of people who act foolishly. Prophetically we see here the antichrist and the unbelieving mass of the people who follow him.

The first characteristic of fools is, “they are corrupt” (cf. Deu 4:16; Isa 1:4). Their actions are rotten and create an atmosphere that causes decay and calls down God’s judgment. It is the same word “corrupt” as in Genesis 6, where it is mentioned as the reason for the flood (Gen 6:12). The less awareness a person has of God, the lower the standards and values he holds.

Second, “they have committed abominable deeds”. Their deeds are abominable to God. They are in connection with idols, which are also called “abominations”. Their deeds are abhorrent and reprehensible and arouse abhorrence (cf. Eze 16:49-52).

Third, fools are characterized by a total lack of doing good. There is no godliness, that is, no fear or reverence for God. If that is not present, there can be no doing good. Doing good is not present in any member of this group of fools who count themselves among God’s people. There is truly “no one who does good”. There is an abundance of destruction and abomination present, while not the slightest bit of doing good can arise in them.

People may think they are doing good if they donate some of their wealth to charities. They don’t do that because God tells them to, because they don’t care about Him, but for a good feeling. The determining factor, however, is not what people see as “doing good”, but what God judges as “doing good” (cf. Isa 64:6).

The conclusion that there is no one who does good makes all human charity valueless. This is hard to swallow for all those who give and all those who work so hard for any good cause. If it is not done out of obedience to God, it is sin, because “everything that is not done by faith is sin” (Rom 14:23).