Psalm 14 picks up the well worn theme of Psalm 12 for another round. But in repetition there is learning. Examining David’s lament of sinners and saints in his day can benefit our lives today.
Verses 1-3
On the surface, this psalm appears to have conflicting thoughts. David begins by describing sinners. He is a fool who says, “God does not exist.” The sinner is corrupt and does vile things. He turns away from God.
As Christians, we may be tempted to exempt ourselves from this description because we do believe in God and we try to do good things. So why then does David say the Lord cannot find a single person who does good? There are two explanations that come to my mind.
- David lived during a time when the Holy Spirit did not permanently indwell most people. He would come upon people, but mostly to enable them to prophecy or fulfill an important task. In David’s day, the blood of Jesus had not yet defeated sin. Therefore, sacrifices had to be made to make forgiveness possible. Since this was a temporary remedy, it meant many people were walking as slaves to the flesh much of the time. Praise the Lord this is no longer the case! The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
- The second consideration is we can believe in God and still act as if He doesn’t exist. Anytime we willfully sin, we are acting as the fool does when he says, “God does not exist.” We must take care not to live our lives by the motto, “better to ask forgiveness than permission.”
What shall we say then? shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid! – Romans 6:1-2
Verse 4
David continues his complaint in verse 4 with a question.
Will evildoers never understand?
The answer is a resounding no. Apart from God’s miraculous intervention at salvation, sinners will continue to act in opposition to God. They consume the people of God. ISIS immediately comes to mind. God may allow His people to endure great grievances, but He will always allow a remnant to endure. He will always provide a refuge and comfort to the spirit of the afflicted who turn to Him for strength.
Verses 5-6
The result of the sinners actions is given in verse 5.
Then they (the evildoers) will be filled with terror.
The end of verse 5 provides balance. God is with the righteous. Even though evil people try to thwart the plans of the saints, and often succeed, the righteous have the Lord as their refuge.
Verse 7
David closes with a heart cry for deliverance. He prophecies that when the Lord restores the fortunes of Israel, the nation will rejoice and be glad. The idea presented is not one of Israel escaping her enemies by the skin of her teeth, but God bringing about a reversal of destiny. Instead of going to the grave in torment, they will be delivered and greatly blessed. God will restore the splendor of the people He so greatly loves. His favor is undeniable! Israel will sit resplendent in the glory of God once more.
This post is Day 14 of the 31 Days of Journaling through the Psalms series. If you would like to read the first post, Psalm 1: The Wise and the Wicked, click here. The introduction to the series can be found here.
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