The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 53:5a,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"But there they [those who say "There is no God"] are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread."
David calls those who claim there is no God "evildoers", verse 4. He says these kinds of people are everywhere, "God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." Verses 2-3.
Although David says God looks down from heaven at evildoers and uses terms such as "everyone", "all", "no one who does good, not even one" to describe the corruption he sees, he apparently does not have all people in mind. Afterall, these evildoers "devour" others who David describes as "my people". There are two groups of people we see in this psalm, those who say in their hearts, "There is no God", verse 1 and those who are "my people", those who believe in God, that don't say "There is no God".
Nonetheless, Paul uses this psalm as he claims that all people are sinners, both Jew and Gentile in Romans 3:12. In Romans 3:9-20 Paul makes the point that all people, everyone, is under the power of sin. The sinful tendency for those who say there is no God is resident in the heart of all mankind and all mankind needs to be rescued from God's looming judgment.
What is interesting is that David claims the evildoer's dread that is inherent in rejecting God is placed "where there was nothing to dread". It is misplaced dread, a misplaced angst. They "devour" God's people, thinking God's people are the source of their dread. But David notes a reality in his rhetorical question, "Do all these evildoers know nothing?" And this is why they set themselves to "devour" those who believe in God.
Misplaced dread, misplaced angst. Good for all believers to be aware of as the days grow more evil with sinful mankind on the ascendency as Paul warns us of in 2 Timothy 3:1-9.
where there was nothing to dread."
David calls those who claim there is no God "evildoers", verse 4. He says these kinds of people are everywhere, "God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." Verses 2-3.
Although David says God looks down from heaven at evildoers and uses terms such as "everyone", "all", "no one who does good, not even one" to describe the corruption he sees, he apparently does not have all people in mind. Afterall, these evildoers "devour" others who David describes as "my people". There are two groups of people we see in this psalm, those who say in their hearts, "There is no God", verse 1 and those who are "my people", those who believe in God, that don't say "There is no God".
Nonetheless, Paul uses this psalm as he claims that all people are sinners, both Jew and Gentile in Romans 3:12. In Romans 3:9-20 Paul makes the point that all people, everyone, is under the power of sin. The sinful tendency for those who say there is no God is resident in the heart of all mankind and all mankind needs to be rescued from God's looming judgment.
What is interesting is that David claims the evildoer's dread that is inherent in rejecting God is placed "where there was nothing to dread". It is misplaced dread, a misplaced angst. They "devour" God's people, thinking God's people are the source of their dread. But David notes a reality in his rhetorical question, "Do all these evildoers know nothing?" And this is why they set themselves to "devour" those who believe in God.
Misplaced dread, misplaced angst. Good for all believers to be aware of as the days grow more evil with sinful mankind on the ascendency as Paul warns us of in 2 Timothy 3:1-9.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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