Psalm 14
This poem is composed of 2 parts with 3 verses each and verse 7.
- Verses 1-3 describes the foolishness of evildoers.
- Verses 4-6 The divine response of judgment for the wicked.
- Verse 7 A communal hope for restoration for Israel from Zion.
EVILDOERS
1) Their Folly (Verses 1-3).
They are led astray by their arrogant assumption that there’s no limit to their personal power and control.
The fool says in his heart “There is no God”.
The fool is not ignorant but makes a deliberate commitment to a life without God and he concludes that God has no place in his life.
2) Corruption
Rejection of God leads to actions that flow from self-interest and personal choices of what is right and what is wrong.
The Hebrew word for corrupt is “spoil” or “ruin” or acting ruinously.
Vile deeds are the results of a rebellious life-style.
3) Described in verses 4 and 6
They are enmeshed in evildoing and they refuse to relate properly to God.
They rebelliously reject relationship with God.
The wicked refuse to seek God.
V4: they devour or eat God’s people like bread. Like daily and casual eating - they consume God’s people.
V6 From their godless perspective, the wicked have no qualms to oppress the poor.
THE LORD SEES:
- The Lord looks down from heaven on people.
- He surveys his creation from His heavenly vantage point.
- There’s a distance between God and us - He’s so far away.
- Sometimes it feels to us as if God is not there.
- That does not mean He is not aware of what is going on in the human world.
- Yahweh is not a God who dozes off or falls into a deep sleep.
- The wicked fools may act as if there’s not a God, but the psalmist and
- God’s children know better.
- He finds corrupt humans who corrupt their environment.
CALLING ON THE LORD
This means to ask His help and for His presence.
CORRUPTION, GOD’S RESPONSES AND DELAYS.
1) Corruption and God’s responses:
- Human power and evil and corruption go hand in hand with the suffering of the weak and innocent.
- In Psalm 14 we see God’s incompatibility with sin and evil.
- We also see His relentless goodness towards those who fear Him.
- God is not for the wicked, but is adamantly opposed to them.
- Divine judgment is the only correct response to the corrupt lives of the foolish.
2) Why does God delay to deal with the wicked?
- He permits His children to be tested and to grow by their circumstances..
- He gives time so that everyone can see that the world is too unreliable to depend on.
- God gives ample opportunity for the wicked to repent. He does not act impetuously.
- But note, He will deal with inexcusable, well-established and entrenched evil.
SUFFERING:
- God’s presence with the oppressed is no guarantee that they will never experience suffering.
- See the heading “God and the Oppressed” for His protection and ultimate deliverance.
- This does not make suffering easy for the oppressed.
- Oppression is NOT God’s intention for His creation.
- The poor can turn to Yahweh and take refuge in Him and find His presence to be a source of great comfort and even joy.
- Matthew 5: 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
GOD AND THE OPPRESSED:
- Psalm 14 leaves no doubt where Yahweh’s sympathies lie. In any conflict between the oppressed and the oppressor,
- God is always on the side of the poor.
- His delays do not men He is not passionately concerned for justice, equity.
- God is present in the company of the righteous.
- The poor can discover and know that the Lord is their refuge (verses 5,6)
- Verse 7 - God will restore the fortunes of His people. Not if God restores, but when God restores His people.
- There’s a certain future expectation here: waiting for the overturning of their captivity in Babylon.
- When this restoration is realised there will be gladness and rejoicing.
THE OPPRESSED AND US:
- Yes, there is much evil out there: genocide, abuse, oppression, torture, exploitation.
- These things need to be noted and confronted by prayer, influence and hands-on deeds.
- Am I aware and concerned for the needs and pains of those who live out their lives under oppressive governments?
- Do I care for those who experience continuous poverty and exploitation?
- Or do I suffer from overload media information: do I in denial, switch the TV off and so fail to know and to acknowledge the suffering in the world?
ALL HAVE SINNED
My initial reaction is to point to all those evil persons and their evil deeds “out there” in the world, far away from who and what I am.
- Fact is, Romans 3 is true of all of us.
- No one is righteous, no not one.
- All have turned away from God, no one understands or seeks God.
Today I humble myself and say yes to God’s verdict of the world, of the wicked, of the oppressed, of me.
This may very well be offensive to the proud heart and to a culture who believes we are inherently good.
This does not mean that by God’s grace there is no goodness in the world.
It does mean that there's no goodness good enough to present us before God’s presence, faultless.
Jude 1:24-2524 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Today I’m jubilant that God made a way where there was no way to either forgive or save me: that way is Jesus Christ.
