The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
Psalm 14:1
Psalm 14 opens with a striking declaration: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (v. 1). This “fool” is not someone lacking intelligence but rather one who outright rejects God in arrogance and moral defiance. David describes the outworking of this rejection as corruption, abominable deeds, and the absence of good (v. 1). This is a universal diagnosis: “They have all turned aside…there is none who does good, not even one” (v. 3).
God is not indifferent to this rebellion. In v. 2, we see the Lord looking down from heaven to see if anyone seeks Him, finding no one – not even one. Everyone, all humanity in its natural state, neither understands nor pursues God, which is confirmed in Paul’s application of Psalm 14 in Romans 3:10-12, establishing the universal sinfulness of mankind.
The focus shifts in vv. 4-6 to the treatment of God’s people by the wicked. They eat the righteous like bread and live as if God will not (or cannot) hold them accountable. Yet, their self-confidence is misplaced. Psalm 14 assures that “God is with the generation of the righteous” (v. 5) and that He will be their refuge (v. 6).
Psalm 14 closes with a hopeful cry: “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!” (v. 7). David longs for God to restore His people and bring joy to Jacob and Israel.
Seeing Jesus in Psalm 14
What David saw dimly, we can see clearly: salvation has come from Zion in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the answer to humanity’s sin and fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem His people.
While Psalm 14 declares that “none is righteous”, Jesus is the one perfectly righteous man, and through Him, sinners are justified by faith (Romans 3:21-26). On the cross, He bore the judgment that should fall on the fools who deny God, transforming rebels into worshipers. His resurrection assures His people that God’s refuge is secure and His promises are certain.
Reflection
Psalm 14 confronts us with the reality of our sin and the foolishness of living as if God does not exist. Take time to reflect: are their areas of your life where you act (or function) as though God is absent or irrelevant?
Thank God for His salvation in Jesus Christ, who has transformed those who once denied Him into His beloved people. Let Psalm 14 remind you of the urgency to share the gospel, inviting others to turn from their folly and find refuge in the Lord.
Finally, rejoice in the hope of full restoration. Just as David longed for salvation, we await the day when Christ will return and make all things new. Let this hope fill you with joy and inspire your worship today!
The #dailyPSALMSchallenge gives us the opportunity to start 2025 in God’s Word by digging into a psalm a day. Each day will identify a key passage for us to meditate on as well as seeking to help us see Jesus in the psalm and reflect on what we have read.
Won’t you take the challenge?
Just Keith Harris 