Psalm 14 Continued…
Psalms 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
The Hebrew for fool in this verse is nabal. This may ring a bell in your thinking, because there was a man by the name of Nabal who was married to a lovely woman by the name of Abigail. His story is told in 1 Samuel 25. His name certainly characterized him accurately. He acted a fool. The word nabal may be translated silly, simple, simpleton, fool, or madman. Nabal fools are self-righteous and don’t need or want God. They want to live their own lives the way they please. The problem is willful ignorance, and not lack of normal intelligence (2 Peter 3:5; Romans 1:18-28). But this decision causes sad consequences in both their character and their conduct. By leaving God out of their lives, they cause their inner person to become more and more corrupt—the heart (v. 1), the mind (vv. 2, 4), and the will (v. 3). Sinners are called “fools,” because they think and act contrary to right reason (Genesis 34:7; Joshua 7:15; Psalm 39:8; 74:18, 22). In the Bible, the designation “fool” carries moral rather than intellectual meaning (Isaiah 32:6); and refers to one whose moral thinking is vile and his actions wicked; he has deliberately closed his mind to the reality of God and to the implications of His moral rule (Deuteronomy 32:5; 2 Samuel 13:12; Isaiah 32:6); Romans 1:19, 22, 28). He is a man who is wholly indifferent to the moral standards of the Law, and who daily adopts as his own principle the belief that deity cares nothing about the differences between men’s behavior. Out of this practical atheism proceeds an evil influence upon men, for they are corrupt, or ‘spread corruption’—a life abhorrent to God and without moral worth. The root of atheism is not found in the head, but in the heart (Romans 1:21). Men do not like God: they try to ignore Him, and end by blatantly denying Him.
The word for God in verses 1, 2, and 5 needs explanation. In the original the word is the usual one for God. Ancient Hebrew writers known as the Sopherim, say the name here was changed from Yahweh to El. In the original text the name was Yahweh. El stands for God the Omnipotent, ‘Yahweh’ stands for God in covenant with His people, God as he reveals Himself to men.
To claim there is no God is to claim omniscience for yourself. It is to say: “I know everything. It is not possible that a God could exist beyond the boundaries of my knowledge.” The Bible rightfully labels this as foolish.
PRAY
Father show us how to live in a place where we are aware of our constant communion with You. As Your child I humbly come before You. Thank You that I get to rest under the shelter of Your wings, here in Your presence. I praise You, and I worship You, Lord.