Psalm 53 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Psalm 53 Short Summary:

Psalm 53 is the twin of Psalm 14. The two Psalms are almost identical, with only slight variations in a few verses. They begin with the famous words, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” The Psalm tells how God will punish those who deny His power and will redeem His faithful ones out of the hands of atheist abusers.

Psalm 53 Summary

AUTHOR:

• David is the author of Psalm 53.

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:

• Romans 3:10-12

THEMES:

• Atheism is a fool’s position.

• God will humble those who abuse others.

DEFINITIONS:

• Maskil (53:1) – The exact meaning of this term remains unknown. It may have been a musical indicator, telling the musician or performer how the psalm was to be presented. Other people think the term indicates a psalm that was written to impart wisdom.

• Jacob (53:6) – Jacob was the grandson of Abraham and the son of Isaac. Jacob was the father of the 12 patriarchs, the men from which the 12 tribes of Israel would take their names. Sense he was the father of the nation of Israel, his name is sometimes used to refer to the nation collectively. You’ll see it used this way in Psalm 14:7.

OUTLINE:

• *Psalm 53 is the twin of Psalm 14. The two Psalms are almost identical, with only slight variations in a few verses.

• THE FOOL SAYS IN HIS HEART, “THERE IS NO GOD” (53:1-6):

  • Fools tell themselves God does not exist.

  • This leads them to live lives full of corruption and “abominable iniquity.”

  • David wrote, “There is none who does good, not even one” (53:3).

  • David was astounded by the ignorance of these evil people. He asked, “Have those who work evil no knowledge?” Were they really not aware that God was watching the earth and watching them abuse other people?

  • Even though these men tried to convince themselves God wasn’t real, they lived in constant fear because inwardly they knew it was a lie (53:5).  

  • God was their enemy, and God destroys those who fight against Him. David wrote that God “scatters the bones” of those who encamp against Him” (53:5).  

  • David prayed for Israel to be delivered from these kinds of men.

  • He longed to see “Jacob” (see definitions section) rejoice when God delivered them.  
    

APPLICATION:

• As Christians, it is appropriate and often necessary to question the established cultural narratives of our time.

• God thinks only a fool would question His existence. The institutions of “higher learning” in the west would have you believe only a fool would believe in God.

• God’s truth is very far from the truth preached by men who want to make themselves God.

• Don’t feel bad or let someone shame you out of investigating the truth of popular narratives.

• You are right to question some of the things the world promotes.

• When those the world promotes as “experts” are called “fools” by God, it would be inappropriate for Christians not to question the things they say.

• If they get the existence of God wrong, can you really trust anything else they say?