In the Bible a fool is described as one who has rejected God. We may see people who are very smart, have advanced degrees, high IQ’s, are kind and great friends, but if they have rejected God they are fools.
For example, Isaac Asimov, famous biochemist and gifted writer said, “I’ve got this beautiful mind, and its going to die, and it’ll all be gone. I don’t believe that I’m ever going to heaven or hell. I think that there will be nothingness.”
David would sing about how Isaac Asimov is a fool for refusing to believe in God.
| Psalm 14 (NIV)
A psalm of David. For the director of music. |
The Fool |
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1 The fool says in his heart, |
1. Fool’s opinion of God
Czeslaw Milosz, poet, writer: “Man must realize that he is an emanation of nothingness and nothingness will devour his clever constructs.” |
| They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven 3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt; 4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?They devour my people as though eating bread; 5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, 6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, |
2. God’s opinion of the Fool
a. They are corrupt: This makes sense because if there is no God, if there is no final judge, you might as well do whatever you want. b. The fool does not seek God, why would he, he has already decided that God doesn’t exist. c. The fool does not do good. As we saw in Psalm 2 they have no intention of following God’s law unless, of course they can gain some advantage by doing so. d. They devour people, taking advantage of them as if it were nothing; as easy as eating bread. e. Despite these actions, deep in the quiet of their hearts they are overwhelmed with dread. John Hersey, writer, journalist: “Death is my truly mortal enemy … I hate it and I consider it the bitter, serious task of my old age to temper that hatred, to come to terms with it, and to make peace with the great unfairness of life.” Hebrews 2:15 – [Christ] “freed those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” |
| 7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! |
3. God Offers Salvation For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 |
Salvation not only for Israel, but for the whole world did, in fact, “come out of Zion.” Or as Luke put it, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
Journalist and television icon, Alistair Cooke died lamenting, “I regret that I cannot join the devout practitioners of religion. The regret reflects my observation that on the whole my religious friends seem to enjoy lives more serene than those of my irreligious [but] we are on our own.”
But, praise God, we do not have to fear cosmic loneliness or death into meaninglessness or nothingness. Our Creator God came to us, Jesus Christ, offering us salvation.
Rejoice and be glad!
By Richard Loper