Psa. 13:0 ¶ To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
David is noted as the author of this psalm.
Psa. 13:1 ¶ How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
Psa. 13:2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
After reading through this psalm, it occurred to me that it would certainly make sense in relation to the period that David had to hide from Saul while waiting for God’s timing to make him king. Maybe it is in light of another time of waiting and feeling oppressed by an enemy, but I am going to assume it was the situation with Saul. I am sure it seemed like God had forgotten him at times. It probably felt like his prayers were not getting through and that God was hiding from him. David didn’t understand why God was allowing his enemy to have the upper hand over him for so long. Why had He declared that the kingdom was given to David, yet have him wait so long? It seems that David is examining himself and trying to identify if he was somehow responsible. Had he done something to cause God to turn away from him?
I think probably every believer has had to struggle with similar thoughts at one time or another. It takes a lot more effort to maintain a strong spiritual perspective when you are suffering physically and emotionally. It is also important to practice self-examination to determine if you have allowed sin to come between you and fellowship with the LORD.
I loved this observation from Spurgeon (He uses words so beautifully.): “Time flies with full fledged wing in our summer days, but in our winters he flutters painfully. A week within prison walls is longer than a month at liberty. Long sorrow seems to argue abounding corruption; for the gold which is long in the fire must have had much dross to be consumed, hence the question "how long?" may suggest deep searching of heart.”
Psa. 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Psa. 13:4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
David pleads for God’s consideration—for God to regard him with pleasure and favor (from the Hebrew). He yearns for the LORD to hear him and respond to him. As far as David is concerned, he might as well be dead without God’s good favor. Maybe he actually thought he was about to die. He doesn’t want his enemy to be able to rejoice in his defeat of David. He also seems to imply that his defeat will appear to be a defeat against Almighty God.
Wiersbe re “lighten mine eyes”: “This involved not only spiritual enlightenment but also physical and emotional vitality and strength. When the mind and body are weary, how easy it is to be discouraged!”
Psa. 13:5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
Psa. 13:6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
In spite of his feeling that God has closed his ears to him, David declares his trust and belief in God’s mercy. He “knows” that he will eventually experience the joy of God’s salvation. He is so sure that he has decided sing his praises to the LORD in light of the goodness He has shown him.
As he has talked with the LORD, David has finally realized that he has allowed the circumstances to get him down. He is now choosing to focus on his blessings in the LORD and realizes that he should be rejoicing in those blessings. Though he may be down for a time, he can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.
It seems that David had finally remembered to remember.
Numbers 15:38–41 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”
1 Chronicles 16:8–12 “Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth….”
Psalms 63:5–7 “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.”
Wiersbe: “God’s people don’t live on explanations; they live on promises, and those promises are as unchanging as the character of God.”
Psa. 14:0 ¶ To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
Another Psalm David wrote for the choir director of the temple singers.
Psa. 14:1 ¶ The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
This is a recurring thought in David’s heart; he repeats it almost verbatim in the opening verse of Psalm 53. David doesn’t pull any punches; he is not worried about being politically correct. He is not worried about hurting anybody’s feelings. He is not worried about possible repercussions to himself. He boldly declares that anyone who denies the existence and authority of Almighty God is a fool. The Hebrew definition of this word is direct—“stupid, wicked, vile person.” My response—Amen!
Those who reject God are always corrupt, seeking to destroy and ruin those that do believe in God. Their acts are often morally detestable. There is none that does good.
Frankly, this is the first time I have read this whole verse in proper context. Though the last clause mirrors the truth of Romans 3:12…
“…there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
…and I have used it in corroboration of the sinfulness of all men, the context in this Psalm is in reference to those that claim there is no God.
I liked Spurgeon’s comment: “He was a fool to think it. He was not fool enough, however, to say it except in his heart. Fools have grown more brazen-faced of late; for now, they not only say it in their heart, but they say with their tongues, ‘There is no God.’ Oh, no; I have made a mistake! They do not call them ‘fools’ now; they call them ‘philosophers.’ That, however, is often exactly the same thing.”
Ironside: “As you look at the Psalm you will see that the words, ‘there is’ are in italics, which means that there is nothing in the original to answer to them. They are added to make the sentence a little clearer. Let us leave them out: ‘The fool hath said in his heart, No God’—no God for me, no God in my life, no God in my thinking—I am going to have my own way; I am going to do as I please; I am going to have my fling; I am going to live as I want to live!”
Psa. 14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
The first time you read these verses, it would seem to be a contradiction of truth. There are many that seek to follow God in faith and obedience. I think the key to understanding is in the phrase “the children of men.” Once one chooses to place one’s faith in God, he/she becomes reborn as a child of God.
I remind myself that David was writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit and may not have fully grasped the global truth of what he was saying. Maybe at the time he wrote this Psalm, he was overwhelmed with the wickedness that surrounded him.
Those who do not seek God and have no spiritual understanding always choose to ignore the truth of God’s word and follow the wisdom of this world as defined by the god of this world—Satan. It is he who has blinded them, causing them to deny the truth.
2 Corinthians 4:3–4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
Even so, the evidence of creation surrounds him, and the fool that denies the Creator is without excuse.
Romans 1:19–20 “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”
Psa. 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
All who reject God become more and more filthy, morally corrupt, more entrenched in the ways of wickedness, more closely aligned with the forces of evil. There is none that does what is good according to the truth as established by God and revealed in His word—not a single one. As our Creator, God is the only Being with the authority to define what is good.
Spurgeon: “The only reason why we do not more clearly see this foulness is because we are accustomed to it, just as those who work daily among offensive odours at last cease to smell them. The miller does not observe the noise of his own mill, and we are slow to discover our own ruin and depravity.”
Wiersbe: “Human depravity doesn’t mean that all persons are as wicked as they can be, or that all are equally bad, or that no man or woman can ever do anything good. It simply means that all have a fallen nature they cannot change and that apart from the grace of God none can be saved from eternal judgment.”
Psa. 14:4 ¶ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
In looking at the Hebrew for the word knowledge, it references “…to ascertain by seeing…comprehend…discern, discover…learn…understand.” David questions if such fools can ever learn to comprehend the truth about God. As long as they choose to yield to the deceit and lies of Satan, they will remain blind to what they should be able to see and will never be able to discern or understand that they are wrong. They will continue to attack and try to destroy those that call upon the LORD just as surely as they eat.
Spurgeon: “The same ignorance which keeps men bondsmen to evil, makes them hate the freeborn sons of God; hence they seek to eat them up "as they eat bread,"—daily, ravenously, as though it were an ordinary, usual, every-day matter to oppress the saints of God. As pikes in a pond, eat up little fish, as eagles prey on smaller birds, as wolves rend the sheep of the pasture, so sinners naturally and as a matter of course, persecute, malign, and mock the followers of the Lord Jesus.”
Psa. 14:5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.
Eventually these evil people will find themselves in great fear before God as they stand in judgment before Him. They will be made to recognize that God takes care of His own.
How blessed we are to know that as true believers, we are accounted righteous in Jesus!
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
David’s generation was dependent upon observance of the law and the sacrificial system.
Psa. 14:6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.
I liked the wording of the CJB for this verse: “You may mock the plans of the poor, but their refuge is ADONAI.”
No matter how prevalent were the wicked that surrounded him, David was confident that God takes care of his own.
Psa. 14:7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
David is longing for the people of Israel as a whole to embrace God as their LORD. He seems to be making direct reference to the coming of the Messiah, “the salvation of Israel” that will come out of Zion. He knows that such a time will be one of blessing and rejoicing.
We know that David’s longing will one day become reality as recorded by the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel and the Apostle Paul.
Jeremiah 31:33 “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Ezekiel 36:26–28 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
Romans 11:26 “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob….”