two jesters - fools

Psalm 14 – The Fool Says!

 March 5, 2024

As it says in psalm 14 – the fool says! Fools say a lot of things. Why anyone listens to them is beyond me. Maybe because they are fools themselves or want to believe what is being said. What does Psalm 14 have to teach us about fools?

Psalm 14

What does the fool say according to Psalm 14? That there is no God. Even more than that, though, they are evil and corrupt.

The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good
.” (1)

God looks down from heaven and shakes his head at such foolishness.

 “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.”
(2)

Doesn’t anyone believe anymore?

The writer goes on to further describe these fools.

They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on the Lord.
But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is their refuge.”
(4b-6)

The writer confirms that God is the refuge of the poor.

He ends by referencing a future time when God will restore the fortunes of Israel.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!”
(7)

Fools

The Hebrew word for fool translates as one who is morally deficient. Part of the foolishness of those who said there is no God during the time this psalm was written, wasn’t that they didn’t believe in God, but that they chose to act as if God didn’t exist. This was a form of practical atheism. (For an interesting take on practical atheism, check out the article – Practical Atheism and Practical Theism — Warren Christian Apologetics Center (warrenapologetics.org)

Disbelief in God was not common during that time but there were people who lived their lives as if God didn’t exist. How much more foolish to believe in God but to act this way. Wouldn’t someone with a little common sense try to act better in order not to incur God’s wrath? That is a form of foolishness and moral deficiency.

Even more foolish are those who loudly proclaim their belief in God, wearing it on their sleeve like a badge of honor, then act in an immoral, dishonorable way, spewing lies and hatred, caring only for themselves. Their actions lead people to disbelieve in God and to distrust religion and believe that those who are religious are all hypocrites. Sad.

This is different from those who don’t believe in God and yet continue to live moral lives, as is the case of many atheists today. I prefer them to the above. To me, action has always spoken louder than words. The actions of the moral atheist is far better than the actions of the immoral theist. Matthew 25 lets us know we will be judged by how we treat others, not by our words. These moral atheists will find a place in heaven quicker than the immoral theists.

Psalm 14 – The Fool Says!

There is certainly no shortage of fools in our world today. Some of them profess a belief in God yet act as if God doesn’t exist, leading lives filled with lies and corrupt actions. They are the true fools for there is a God and they will be held accountable for their actions.

What do you think about these fools? Do you believe a word they say?

 

(For another take on this Psalm, see Psalm 14: What Fools These Mortals Be – Patricia M Robertson)

 


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