Psalm 53
by Pastor David Groendyk

This psalm is a community-wide lament mourning humanity’s sin. The two major effects of humanity’s sinfulness are 1) that they do not seek God, and 2) that they persecute God’s people. It shows just how deep our sin runs in us and just how much we are in need of God.

Psalm 53 stands out in the book of Psalms in that it so clearly teaches us that sin universally affects humanity and causes all people not to seek God. No one who has ever lived (except Jesus) naturally sought to know God. All of us have been plunged into sin and are totally corrupt apart from God’s help. In fact, Paul quotes this psalm in Romans 3:10–12 at the climax of his argument for the fact that every single human being is dead in their sin. No one could ever be saved by merely doing good works, so the argument goes, because no one naturally seeks God or desires to know or glorify him (Rom. 3:10–20). At the core, human nature actively rejects and rebels against God. What does this say about our need for God to initiate the work of salvation? How does this affect our evangelism with unbelievers?

It’s been noted many times that Psalm 53 describes atheism. But it’s not the kind of academic atheism where skeptics try to disprove God’s existence like we’re used to hearing about. Rather this is a practical atheism where the fool in verse 1 says, “Even if God does exist, there’s no way he cares about what I do.” This fool doesn’t try to disprove God; he merely lives his life as if God functionally doesn’t exist. In fact, whenever the Bible describes someone as a “fool”, it’s not saying that he is not smart, but rather that he is immoral. Fools live sinfully thereby treating God as if he doesn’t even exist. This exposes the natural tendencies all of us have in our hearts. The sin we still struggle with wants us to live and make choices as if God doesn’t exist or doesn’t care. Every time we sin, we reject God from being God over us. That will be the ongoing struggle for us until the day we reach glory. What does that tell you about your own personal need for Jesus Christ? In what ways do you see yourself living as if God doesn’t exist or doesn’t care about what you’re doing?

Psalm 53 is almost word-for-word the same as Psalm 14, but repetition is not a foreign concept in Scripture. For example, King David’s words in 2 Samuel 22 are used as the basis for Psalm 18. Psalms 14 and 53 are probably alternate versions of the same hymn used for different occasions. The only major difference between the two is in Psalm 53:5. After all the discussion of denying God and corruption and treating God’s people cruelly, while Psalm 14:5–6 highlights God’s care for the poor, Psalm 53:5 highlights the terror of the wicked when God comes for them. God sets his armies up against all those who rebel against him, he rejects them, and he puts them to shame, despite all their prideful boasts. Historically-speaking, 1 Samuel 25 is considered the backstory to Psalm 53 (the name “Nabal” in 1 Samuel 25 is the same as the word “fool” in Psalm 53—how would you have liked your parents to name you “Fool”?). Just as God strikes terror in Nabal’s heart and takes his vengeance on him, so God will do to all of his children’s true enemies. In the midst of a psalm describing the total corruption of humanity and persecution of God’s people, how do verses 5–6 give you comfort and hope?