Fool’s Say

Scripture: Psalms 14:1-7 (NIV)

¹ The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;

there is no one who does good.

² The Lord looks down from heaven

on all mankind

to see if there are any who understand,

any who seek God.

³ All have turned away; all have become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.

⁴ Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;

they never call on the Lord.

⁵ But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,

for God is present in the company of the righteous.

⁶ You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,

but the Lord is their refuge.

⁷ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When the Lord restores his people,

let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

 

Devotion:

 

            The opening line of this psalm is well known inside and outside the church. The Hebrew word for fool here is nabal meaning one who is godless, and perverse. The first three verses of this psalm seem to indicate that every person is in some sense foolish and disobedient to God. The Lord is pictured as seeking any who do good and not finding even one example of an obedient, faithful believer.

 

            However, verses four through six speak of a people God calls His own. The contrast between these verses is pondered over by commentators on this psalm. Perhaps it is wisest to just live in the tension here and not try to resolve it by some theological explanation. In light of New Testament scriptures, we are made aware that there is no one who on their own is righteous, there are some who are declared righteous by the blood of Jesus. But that cannot be what the psalmist had in mind when he wrote these words.

 

            Verse seven stands on its own here. It expresses hope for a future salvation for the people of Israel. A time when the people of Israel would experience joy and gladness because they had been delivered fully and finally from the hands of their enemies. We may appropriate these lines as our own prayer for deliverance from the forces of evil that seek to dominate the world today.

 

            Today, there are many fools in the world who have declared their freedom from God. God acknowledges and honors their decision; however, these fools will have to withstand the judgement of God at the final judgement. Let us intercede for this foolish land in which we live by praying this psalm.