The Folly of the Fool - Psalm 14

Psalm 14 The Folly of the Fool 20210411 Believe God’s promise of salvation in Christ In CH Spurgeon’s The Treasury of David, he tells the story of a man aboard a ship who claimed to be an atheist. As the ship rolled and tossed he fell upon his knees and confessed to the chaplain that he was an atheist and now believed. When some of the men on board heard there was an atheist on board, having never heard the word before they thought it might be some strange type of fish. But soon after the winds died down and the seas calmed and port was in sight. This man, who claimed before to be an atheist, now begged the men on board to say nothing of what happened around his confession of belief in God. After being on shore for two days one of the men began giving him a bad time about his confession, and it got so heated that it resulted in them dueling. The atheist was struck with a sword and again confessed belief in God. But once he learned that the wound would not be fatal, he again denied. Is this the way of wisdom? Scripture Passage: Psalm 14:1-7 The Fool’s Corruption (v.1) 1. v.1 “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” - We’re going to stop and give this due consideration. 1. David isn’t concerned with what is on the lips of the fool, but what is said in his heart. The heart, in the Bible, is the center of the person, their thought and emotion and will. This isn’t only what they feel, but what they think and believe and decide to act on. 2. This person, who speaks in his heart that there is no God, is called a fool. 1. A fool because this is against all good reason. It’s not that they’re uninformed, or questioning, or inquiring, but that they are obstinate. This is the folly of the fool, that they refuse sound judgment. 1. Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” 2. Proverbs 15:5 “A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.” 3. Proverbs 18:2 “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” 4. Proverbs 28:26 “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” 5. Do you see that the fool isn’t the village idiot, the one with a low IQ? The Westminster Bible Dictionary says, “Foolishness…is not a negative condition, but a condition of wrong action in the intelligence or heart, or both.” The fool might be highly educated and degreed like Fahrenheit, be wealthy and powerful. An example of this is found in the story of a man whose name was “Fool.” 6. 1 Samuel 25 and the story of Nabal, the fool. David had protected Nabal’s massive flock of sheep and goats, and the lives of Nabal’s servants. David asks for provisions, but Nabal, against reason and evidence, is obstinate and disrespectful toward David. Even Nabal’s wife, Abigail, says, “Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. (v.25)” 7. Romans 1:18-25 The truth about God is known, but suppressed (v.18). It is seen throughout. God’s creation; they have no excuse. They cannot claim ignorance about God. Instead, they exchanged God’s glory for lesser glories, spiraled into further darkness, and became fools. 8. You might say all sorts of right things about God with your lips, but what is said in your heart, and carried out in your actions? This is a case of practical atheism. One might confess belief in God with their lips, but resist or deny God in their heart and with their actions. Just look at Paul as an example. He was exceedingly religious, even while persecuting Christ himself. When he was confronted on the Damascus Road, he finally submitted to God. Transition: If this is man looking up and stating there is no God, then what is God’s perspective, looking down on man? The Lord’s Observation (vv.2-3) 1. v.2 “The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man…” - Of all the things that might interest us, this should be of most interest. What is God’s perspective, what is God’s understanding, what are God’s conclusions as he looks down from heaven upon men and women? 2. v.3 “They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” - This is what God knows to be true about men and women, apart from his saving work. This corruption is broad and inclusive; it’s not limited to any special nation or language, but includes all people. This corruption is also deep and comprehensive. It’s not just that there’s the occasional wrong choice, but like Genesis 6, when God looks down from heaven and sees that, “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Gen. 6:5)” 1. Maybe at this point this Psalm seems familiar to you. Did you know this Psalm is exceedingly important? All of them are, but anything that’s repeated in the Bible is repeated for emphasis because it’s important. This words of this Psalm are found 3 times in our Bibles. Nearly word-for-word in Psalm 53, and then again in Romans 3. 2. We’ve looked already at Romans 1, where we saw the exchange of truth for a lie, which is foolishness. Then in Romans 2 Paul moves through the religious ranks, from the judges to those who try to follow the law and teach the law, those that are circumcised. Then in Romans 3:9 he summarizes, that “all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin.” Then he quotes Psalm 14, to the point of proving that nobody will be justified by their own works. There must be a justification that comes from outside of them. There must be a salvation, a Savior who comes to them to deliver them from their depravity. Transition: This is where we’re going in v.7, but first we see the evildoer’s frustration in vv.4-6. The Evildoer’s Frustration (vv.4-6) 1. v.4 “Have they no knowledge…” - David wonders and ponders on this, that the evildoers can act as they do. How can they be so set against God? Their words might sound high and lofty, highly intelligent, but the fact is that they act as though they have no knowledge. They are irrational. They work against God’s people and refuse to call upon the Lord. 2. v.5 “There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous.” - They carry irrational fear, living in great terror. Rather than living in the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7), they live in terror of rustling leaves and sounds in the night. 1. Psalm 53:5 “There they are, in great terror, where there is no terror!” 3. v.6 “You would shame the plans of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge.” - They have irrational hopes. They would shame the plans of the poor, but they don’t figure the LORD God into their calculation. They would get rich off the poverty of others and take advantage of their fellow image-bearers, but God will not have it. 1. This is the human condition apart from God’s intervention. This is depravity. Until God grants a new heart, the human heart is set against him and the human actions are opposed to him. Transition: But our Psalm this morning ends on a note of hope and triumph. The Believer’s Salvation (v.7) 1. v.7 “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.” - Although the natural condition of mankind is set against God, living in the practical atheistic denial of God, carrying out the irrational hopes and fears of one refusing God, God has not left humanity without rational and real hope that conquers fear. 1. David, as an OT saint, looked forward to a great salvation. He knew God’s choosing, as he was chosen as the youngest and smallest of his brothers, the least likely in their eyes to be a success. But the Lord chose him and had him anointed as king. Not only that, but God promised to David that his house and kingdom would be made sure forever, and his throne would be established forever (2 Sam. 7:15-16). This was a promise too great to be fulfilled in David’s lifetime. It was a promise looking forward to the Messiah, the Redeemer and Savior who would come from David and establish his throne forever. This was accomplished in Jesus, the greater than David, who descended from David. 2. Jesus fulfills the hope and expectation of v.7, that salvation would come out of Zion, the Lord’s holy hill. This is Jerusalem, where Jesus was betrayed, mocked, beaten, and crucified. This is where Jesus died and was buried, and where he rose from the grave in victory and triumph. From Jerusalem Jesus ascended to heaven as the disciples looked on, and it is to Jerusalem that Jesus will return when he comes again, not as a suffering Servant, but as conquering King. 3. Do you see that all mankind is split in two around Jesus? These are the two fundamental categories: believer and unbeliever, repentant and unrepentant, wise and foolish, regenerate and unregenerate, born again and dead in sin. We are all, by nature, children of wrath and turned away from God. This is our inheritance from our first father, Adam. Romans 5:18–21 “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Conclusion: As we’ve considered the folly of the fool this morning, let me say in conclusion that the greatest folly is to hear God’s Word, to know your depravity (which is undeniable), and to believe that you can make reparations apart from God. This is the height of folly, and will lead to the deepest of darkness, separated from God forever.