Embrace the Word for Wednesday, April 22, 2026
CLICK HERE FOR AN AUDIO VERSION
Psalm 53 speaks of wisdom concerning key features of the wicked but also of their condemned future. Psalm 53 is very similar to Psalm 14, but they are not identical. While they share the same subject matter, they are each written for their own intended purposes. Interestingly, while Psalm 14 uses the covenant name, “the LORD” (14:2,4,6,7), Psalm 53 switches to the term “God” (53:2,4,6) in the first three uses and drops the term altogether for the fourth use. While both Psalms are attributed to David, Psalm 53 has a few additional comments in its superscription: “To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.” A Mahalath is either the musical instrumentation that the Psalm was to be played to or it identifies the musical setting. The term “maskil” in this context is probably referring to the wisdom of which this Psalm speaks. The chief difference between Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 is the composition of verses 5-6 in Psalm 14: “There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You would shame the plans of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge” and verse 5 in Psalm 53: “There they are, in great terror, where there is no terror! For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you; you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.” Psalm 53 puts a little more focus on the judgment awaiting the wicked.
Psalm 53 shares some common links with Psalm 52. Both Psalms use similar descriptions concerning the evil deeds of the wicked: Psalm 52 talks of the devouring words of the wicked (52:4), while Psalm 53 describes the wicked who, “eat up my people as they eat bread” (53:4). Psalm 52 emphasized the hostility of the wicked toward the king, while Psalm 53 emphasizes the hostility of the wicked toward all the people (53:4). Psalm 53 begins with a description of the wicked (53:1-4), then turns to the danger that awaits the wicked (53:5), before concluding with a word about the deliverance of God’s people (53:6).
Psalm 53 opens with a description concerning the wicked: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (53:1a). The starting description of the wicked is that he first of all talks confidently to himself. The wicked asserts that there is no God. In the Old Testament, the heart is not just the emotional part of who we are–it is the whole person–what makes you you. We think, feel, plan, fear, love, trust, and meditate in our hearts. What a person says in his heart is who he is. At the core of his being, the wicked do not want to believe in God. This is why he is telling himself there is no God. He is trying to convince himself what he knows is not true. All men know that God does in fact exist: "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (See Romans 1:19-20). But what the wicked attempt to engage in is an active suppression of the truth they know: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (See Romans 1:18). Such suppression of the truth qualifies one as a fool: “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools” (See Romans 1:21-22a).
The wicked are foolish. Foolishness is not about a lack of intellectual ability, but about a moral and spiritual orientation: “They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good” (53:1b). The wicked’s foolish defiance to acknowledge God is rooted in wishful thinking that stems from a moral bent hoping that they do not have to answer for their choices, that there will not be any accountability or consequences. Thus, their true loves flow out into acts that are ruinous, even perverse. The wicked, in their foolishness are unable to truly do good. I think we should take that to mean that even if what they do has some benefit for someone beyond themselves, it is not done for the glory of God and therefore it will ultimately be deemed as wicked.
David continues the description of the wicked by offering what most people assume is now God’s assessment of the wicked. As it turns out, David’s assessment in verse 1 coincides with the LORD’s assessment: “God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God” (53:2). This language suggests that the LORD had conducted a thorough search among all of humanity to discover if any, on their own, have responded positively to His instructions: “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (See Psalm 2:12). The subject of the study is does anyone in all of humanity truly, “seek after God.” The study results are tragically universal: “They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one” (53:3). Ever since Adam and Eve sinned against God, mankind has not sought God, but intentionally hid from Him (See Genesis 3:8). The universality of man’s corrupt condition is emphatically stated through the terms, “all,” “together,” “none,” and “not even one.” In their corrupted state, humanity will not turn and seek the LORD on their own; the LORD must work a gracious change in the human heart.
Foolish wickedness, which actively and continually suppresses any true notions of truth that the LORD has revealed, act in accordance with the false reality that they have manufactured: “Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?” (53:4). In their foolishness, the wicked are not conscious of the knowledge that they will stand before God and give an account of their beliefs and behaviors. The wicked are not cognizant of any accountability they will face before the LORD. This lack of cognizance is not due to lack of information provided to them, but a result of their suppression of such knowledge. As a result, they deem that hostility toward God’s people is without consequences. The root of such hostility is their refusal to acknowledge the LORD. They have no need for Him, and they see no reason why they shouldn’t treat others in any way other than to take advantage of them to the benefit of themselves. However, in their state of truth-suppression, they are not ready for the surprise of terror that awaits them: "There they are, in great terror, where there is no terror!” (53:5a). It will be too late, but they will be brought to the realization that God is really real: “For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you; you put them to shame, for God has rejected them” (53:5b). Notice the words of hope and comfort found for God’s people in this passage. The description of the wicked references that they were the ones opposed to the LORD’s people, but it would in fact be the LORD’s people, who would put the wicked to shame.
Psalm 53 ends with a prayer for deliverance: “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad” (53:6). David looked around and saw the unfolding misery around him. A misery from the hands of the foolish wicked who denied the LORD and therefore lived a life of moral chaos. So, in his hope and longing, he turned to the LORD and prayed. It’s the wicked who “do not call upon God,” but God’s people who look to and call upon the LORD. David prays to the LORD for deliverance. David knows that God exists and that He is faithful to all that He promises. So David prays. David knows that his deliverance will come out of Zion and when the deliverance comes, God’s people will be restored and will rejoice. So again David prays.
As we reflect on Psalm 53 we should consider the truths conveyed about wickedness, which extends to all humanity. The Apostle Paul quotes from Psalm 53 as he makes the Biblical case for the sinfulness of all mankind: “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (See Romans 3:10-12, quoting parts of Psalm 53:1-3). While originally made good (See Genesis 1:31), mankind is no longer good. Mankind is not pretty good most of the time, but sometimes messes up. No, the Bible portrays man as a fallen rebel directly opposed to God. Mankind suppresses the truth and refuses to turn to God. In such a state, mankind is unable to perform good for the glory of God. To these points it must be stated that mankind is trapped in that condition with no way out. No human way that is; however, there is a way out. God has provided a way: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (See Ephesians 2:4-5). As David prayed that God would send forth a deliverer from “out of Zion,” the LORD did just that. In fact, Paul, quoting from Isaiah echos the knowledge that David had of his deliverer coming from Zion: “And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins” (See Romans 11:26, quoting Isaiah 59:20-21). The grace of God displayed in Christ rescues the wicked: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (See Romans 6:23).
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Wednesday, April 22, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Friday, April 24, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 54.