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TRUTH NEVER CHANGES (Psalm 53)

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”

Do those words sound familiar to you? That is exactly the way Psalm 14 begins, as we learned previously when we studied it. That psalm goes on to describe the foolish way of thinking and living that accompanies such a mindset — a willful ignorance of God and a rebellious spirit.

Now we have come to Psalm 53, also a psalm of David, and it begins the very same way. It sounds like this is a truth that David had to rehearse, that God repeated to him. It is not mentioned twice because God forgot that He said it the first time. It is there because He doesn’t want us to forget that He said it.

In the title of Psalm 53, we find the word “Michtam” which means “instruction.” This is a psalm intended to teach us something. "Michtam" implies "a composition so precious as to be worthy to be engraven on a durable tablet for preservation; or, as others render, 'a psalm precious as stamped gold" (Easton's Bible Dictionary). It is not just for us to look at the foolish people all around us. There is some instruction here for David and for the people of God. There is a title over Psalm 16 that reads, “Michtam.”

Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 are almost identical like parallel railroad tracks moving forward together. You should read them side by side and compare scripture with scripture. But Psalm 53 in particular describes the world in which we live, filled with sinners who have no thought of God. After the opening phrase we have already considered, David went on to describe the foolish person in greater detail.

Verse 1: “Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.” How many good people are there? Not one.

Verse 2: “God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.” He looked for just one and could not find him.

Verse 3: “Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” It sounds like not a single person is living for and thinking of God like he should.

We look at both of these psalms and want to think about those people who are openly atheistic, but Psalm 53 describes people who live as if there is no God. You can be a practicing atheist without being a professing one.

You might give mental or even verbal assent to the fact that there is a God, but if you are living your life without thinking of Him or making decisions without considering Him, you are living a very foolish life. Closing your eyes, blocking your ears, and putting the Lord to the back of your mind does not make Him go away.

God describes the foolish plight of the sinner by using these all-encompassing words and phrases such as “none,” “all,” “every one,” “altogether,” and “no, not one.”

Verses 4-5: “Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. 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.”

Do you see the progression, or perhaps the digression?

First of all, they would not think of God. They refused to do so. They had “no knowledge.” We live in a world of people who think they are pretty smart, but just because we have so much knowledge at our fingertips does not mean we have divine knowledge in our souls.

As Proverbs 9:10 says, “The knowledge of the holy is understanding.” You can be an educated fool. You can have a brilliant mind but a depraved heart if you do not know God. That is the greatest knowledge of all.

We see in verse 5 how these people who were so sure of themselves were suddenly in great fear. Where did that fear come from? They realized that judgment was coming. They were full of pride, but God would bring them to shame.

This is what it ultimately comes to for a sinful world. People will come to the end of themselves, and they will have to acknowledge not only that there is a God, but that He was right and they were not.

Thankfully, Psalm 53 does not end there. God shows us who we are but He does not leave us there. He moves from sin to salvation.

Verse 6: “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.”

That is quite a shift in theme and tone. Now it is dealing not with sin, but with a Savior; not with men, but with God.

Sin always leads to destruction, bitterness, sorrow, and emptiness. Salvation leads to joy, fullness, abundance, and peace. Which way do you want to live?

Lest you think this is an Old Testament principle meant solely for Israel, let me challenge you to do something. Read Psalm 53, and then read the first three chapters of Romans.

The book of Romans, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through the pen of the Apostle Paul, uses direct quotes from Psalm 53. You may have already noticed this when you read in Ps. 53:3, “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

It seems to me that if God said it in Psalm 14, then again in Psalm 53 and Romans 3, maybe this is a truth for every nation and every generation. We are all sinners, and without God, we live foolish lives that always end in destruction.

But when His salvation becomes a living reality in your life, when the Lord releases you from the captivity of your ignorance and foolishness, there is great freedom, joy, and gladness.

If you are not certain that your sins are forgiven, that Christ is your Savior, and that Heaven is your destination, call on Him now and be saved. Just agree with God that He is right and you are wrong. Agree with what He said about you and about His Son, the righteous One who died for your sins and rose from the dead. Receive Him as your Savior.

If you take Jesus, He will take you. If you come to Him in faith, He will come to you in mercy (Ephesians 2:8-9). The end of your story doesn’t have to be sin; it can be salvation.

If you are saved, share that truth with others. There is nothing good about any of us, but we have a good Savior who is ready to forgive.