Talking Without Seeing

Psalm 53

I. Fools Talk Too Much

A. Atheism in words and deeds demonstrates evil; bad principles produce bad lives. “To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.” (Psalm 53:1)

B. Fools cannot see God but He can see them; Spurgeon said, “Where God’s eyes see no favorable sign we may rest assured there is none.” “God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.” (Psalm 53:2)

C. Jesus picked up on the theme. “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)

D. No one can reject God and do what is right. “Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psalm 53:3) “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)

II. Foolish Ignorance Is Invincible

A. The ignorance of God--which controls wicked people—astounds; God’s frequent statement of this doctrine must imply that it really matters to Him. “Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.” (Psalm 53:4)

B. The anthropologist who blames Christianity for the world’s problems calls everything else in the syllabus into question and shares in the destruction of lost souls by erecting barriers to missions. The ignorance of the fool is a repeated theme of Scripture; Total Depravity was Bible doctrine long before Paul wrote Romans. “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD. There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous. Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.” (Psalm 14:1-7)

C. Ignorance will turn to terror when God is ready. “There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.” (Psalm 53:5) The earthly mind envies those who obtain mercy but will not seek mercy itself.

III. Everything Will Improve in the End

A. Eventually God will avenge His chosen people on their enemies; “He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.” “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.” (Psalm 53:6)

B. With God, punishment ends and rejoicing follows. “A Song of degrees. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.” (Psalm 126:1-4)