Psalm 14 — A Statement to the Scoundrels
14 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.
2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.
5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.
6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge.
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.
Although there are elements of lament, wisdom, prophecy, and hymnic quality in Psalm 14, we must see it foremost as a communal statement confronting foolish men. The Psalms regard the work of evildoers as a group effort (ie. plural pronouns). The individual qualities of the fool can be applied to groups of unprincipled men. Man is always pursuing more money, more power, and political positions from which to operate his oppressive schemes.
We have established primacy for the internal affairs of Israel during the days of David (Psalms 1–41). Some of the most oppressive powerbrokers in Israel’s history were its own leaders. YHWH raised up the prophets to confront Israel’s leadership (c/f Ezekiel 34). John Calvin and others see the corrupt church in full view here.
Church leaders are not typically professing atheists, but the psalmist is actually confronting practical atheism. Ancient near east atheism hardly denied the existence of gods, but it scoffed at the revelation of YHWH, the God of Israel. The little God of this little people group was not worthy of consideration. Whatever laws He established were ignored, in favor of the sensual gods of the surrounding nations. Visiting the temple of gods, to worship Baal or Ashtaroth with lewd acts of sexual immorality, was more inviting than visiting the chaste and idol free tabernacle of YHWH at Shiloh or Zion.
God is in covenant relationship with His chosen people (Jn 15:16; Eph 1:4; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 2:9), who have been rescued from the mass of humanity destined for hell (Mt 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Rev 20:14–15). The fool shirks God and covenant because he finds no value in these priceless treasures. The fools’ message is always about money, power, sex, and politics. There is always a new program, model, or pet interest to lure the cash. The corruption of his heart manifests in the corruption of his godless actions (Gen 6:5; Is 64:6; Jer 17:9). Here the psalmist confronts the scoundrels for their lack of understanding.
David identified the fool, his reasoning and works, and the universal representation (v. 1). Everyone born is born into a family of fools (Heb. ben adam). The inheritance left to humanity by Adam was a godless sin nature (Rom 5:12–21; Eph 2:3). Man is born dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1).
The total depravity in his heart is anxious to speak, “There is no Elohim.” The attack on YHWH’s power is evident. The Bible’s assessment of the human heart is very low as the psalmists and prophets incessantly expose corruption, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jer. 17:9).” Therefore, we see man’s assessment of God is set in direct contrast with God’s assessment of man.
The Psalms repeatedly condemn the wicked for their words, but this exposition calls their works abominable. Unregenerate man is rotten in thought, word, and deed. Resisting this judgment is a regular labor for secular humanists and liberal theologians. The exaltation of man is the objective; and his ability to achieve, accomplish, and even deliver himself by his choices marks the profession of a twisted faith.
Arminians “decide” to follow Jesus to secure their own salvation (which they can lose), and Arians (JWs) follow an even lower view of Jesus. All of this is designed by the devil for man to impress himself, with the impression he feels he leaves, at the throne of works to be judged. Indeed, they will be judged, but the fool cannot see the condemnation is already established against him (Jn 3:18).
David expressed a familiar Hebrew idiom displaying YHWH’s condescension to assess the state of humanity (v. 2). Avoiding a pathetic interpretation (George A. F. Knight, The Daily Bible Study Series, 1982, p. 67), suggesting God must go mobile to find out what is going on with man, we prefer the figure of speech pointing to immanence for the purpose of judgment by God against sinful man. This same movement is seen in the judgment of YHWH at the time of the Flood (Gen. 6); the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11); and Sodom (Gen. 18). Sin is lawlessness and deserves punishment to ensure God’s justice and holiness (Mt 25:46; 1 Jn 3:4). The fool can expect a visit from God on the appointed day (Mt 3:7; Lk 3:7; Rom 1:18).
The apostle Paul incorporates verses 2–3, along with a collection of other quotes from the Psalms, in prosecuting the case against humanity in Romans 3:10–18. Sinful man’s actions, in addition to being filthy rags (Is 64:6), are judged by God to miss the mark of approval and acceptance (Rom 1:18). The fool does not care because he does not understand the ramifications of his rebellion. Otherwise, he would seek after God.
To be clear, sinful man does seek after gods other than YHWH. The gods are the demons behind the idols in his life (Rev 9:20). The fool worships whatever promises to satisfy his sensual desires. He has never been satisfied, but his misguided quest for money, sex, influence, and authority continues in competition with his fellow man. Even the children know the name of the game is, “King of the Mountain.”
David revealed God’s judgment against universal corruption (v. 3). All have sinned, through inheritance (Adam) and by turning aside from the narrow path that leads to life (Mt 7:14). Favored is the wide and well-traveled way that leads to destruction (Mt 7:13). Sin loves company, so “they” do sin “together.” The applause of fellow sinners spurs the reprobate to spurn the Almighty (Rom 1:32).
The universal assessment of man, regarding himself and the rest of humanity, is that “we are the world, we are the children, and we are the people…we are…” something to behold. Man assesses YHWH as irrelevant, while he assesses his own heart and actions most commendable. At this point, the psalmist turns to hear a Word from God in this matter.
An oracle of divine response came with questions for the wicked (v. 4). God asks the wicked workers three questions: (1) Don’t you understand? (2) Don’t you see your oppression of others? (3) Don’t you see the difference between you and God’s people?
A computer company magnate might accumulate all the money in the world, but his mortality crosses his mind one morning. Early retirement interlards a new work of philanthropy. He perceives his generosity, which produces his name on buildings far and wide, as a righteous sacrifice before a God he suddenly fears will judge him for his greed. Never does it cross his mind that his prodigious giving is actually stealing glory from God, who will indeed judge him. The fool does not understand.
The apostle James identifies the rich as the oppressors of the poor. The rich are running for office “to serve” the people. Their angry accusations propagandize the people through every media outlet. Their opponents are scoundrels, while they themselves are saviors of the economy, the state, and of course, the voter.
Oppression will continue and the people know it, so they go to Starbucks instead of the voting station. They are rich, too, and their self- justification comes from buying a $6.00 cup of bitter coffee from some oppressed third world country. They do not see their oppression of others, either. We might say that everyone is hoping for someone or something better, today, but they are not looking for Jesus.
The final question is rhetorical and condemning. Why don’t you call on the name of the Lord? The difference between the oppressed and oppressor, the suffering and the persecutor, the righteous and the wicked is discerned by whether they call on YHWH or not. The fool sits in the stadium and hears a sales pitch to buy eternal fire insurance. He lights a nefarious fire under himself and walks the sawdust trail of easy believism.
“Today, I will please myself and maybe this God I am not sure about,” says the momentary enthusiast to himself. He is told to, “call on the name of the Lord in order to be saved.” He lives by the mantra, “Whatever it takes,” so he does what the people tell him to do and who knows, maybe it will work. Everyone goes home happy in Jesus, but he wakes up the next day not so much in Jesus.
God’s people call on the Lord, not in order to know Him, but because they already do know Him. This is the difference between the righteous and the wicked. The wicked schemes for salvation, but the righteous receives it through the gracious imposition of the Holy Spirit (Mt 3:11; Eph 2:8–9; 1 Pet 1:3).
David contrasted the fear of the fool with the covenant relationship of the righteous (v. 5). Apparently, when the wicked is questioned about his foolishness, it produces fear in him. His motivational greed to get more becomes his motivational fear to avoid YHWH’s judgment via self-aggrandizing sacrifices. The rich computer guy is not alone.
The knowledge of God, especially His wrathful judgment, makes men mad. They will do anything to please this universal menace, except to do what He requires. He wants men to take Him at His Word. In short, it is required of sinners to trust the God of Israel, prepared to judge them, but who extends a peace agreement through His mediating Son, Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5). Jesus is perfect, and the other players hate the real King of (every) Mountain. He is showing them up. They do not understand. Man must acknowledge Jesus as King, and repent from rebellion against Him, “For God is with the righteous generation.”
So how does one become righteous? The twisted reasoning in the heart of man says it comes by being good and doing good. Man will never understand how perverted his perspective on this “goodness” and “good deeds” is at every juncture of decision. Man cannot decide to change his heart. God must replace a spiritually dead man’s heart with a new heart…Christ’s heart (Ezek 36:26). A new nation is born again with a new heart from God. The righteous generation, the only holy nation (1 Pet 2:9), assembles as the great cloud of witnesses of YHWH/Jesus through all periods of time (Heb 11).
David directly confronted the fools for rejecting the counsel of the people they oppress (v. 6). The priceless testimony of the saint is ignored. Bearing witness to the God of Israel is the new purpose for the re-made child of God. Solomon captured this wisdom, “What the righteous say is like the best silver, but what the wicked think is of little value (Prv 10:20).”
For the righteous, it is the Holy Spirit, intimately residing in the heart made right before God. To reject the righteous’ message is to commit the unforgivable sin. Blasphemy against God’s Spirit, by denying God’s person and work in Christ, denies salvation to the reprobate. The fool is a vessel of wrath prepared for destruction (Rom 9:22). The redeemed are transferred by God into the refuge appointed for them (Col 1:13). Communion with Christ is by His choosing (Jn 15:16).
David prophesied of God’s deliverance, and the pending joy of God’s people (v. 7). Salvation is already known (Titus 3:5), but not yet exacted fully in time (Rom 8:30). Salvation has come from Zion, the place of God’s enthroned dwelling, but salvation is coming again to all Israel (Rom 11:26).
There is still some number of saints in bondage to sin (Jn 8:34; Rom 6:6). God’s plan of salvation is to restore them from their fallen state of captivity. On the day of their salvation, they will rejoice and be glad. The crescendo of singing praise will rise until the full number of saints comes into the Christian choir from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rev 5:9; 6:11). Then, comes the end of rebellion — the sorry state of scoundrels. Psalm 14 is a clear statement of warning to them.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
June 2, 2021
