20141205 Friday, December 5 2014
Psalm 014: What Religions Deny That God Exists?

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"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"

The English word "fool" originated from a French word, fol, which itself originated from a Latin word, follus, that referred to a bellows ("a mechanical device that blows a strong current of air; used to make a fire burn more fiercely or to sound a musical instrument" The WordWeb Dictionary by Princeton University). The word later came to be used for someone with puffed-out cheeks as they "bellowed" in a clown show (the Latin word was also the origin of the word folly i.e. "The trait of acting stupidly or rashly) and follies ("a silly show"). According to the original literal definition, a "fool" is a loud, puffed-up clown.

"Fool" is used to translate a number of original words from the Holy Scriptures, including:

The Hebrew word, pronounced saw-kal, that means to be silly

The Hebrew word, pronounced naw-bawl, that means to wilt or to fall away

The Hebrew word, pronounced kes-eel, that means to be puffed up

The Hebrew word, pronounced ev-eel, that means perverted i.e. evil

"Fool" is not a matter of intelligence (although it should be). Some of the most intelligent and educated people of human history have also been the greatest fools because their intelligence and knowledge was misapplied.

The greatest Biblical example (apart from imperial Rome's invasion and occupation forces who regarded their Caesar as "divine" - a folly that the Roman people welcomed because it was merely a projection of their personal and nationalistic self-righteous arrogance that grew from the victories that Satan "blessed" them with; see Truly Uplifting and The Most High) were the religious authorities who claimed to represent the LORD - but rejected Him when He came to them.

Notice how the "show business" definition of "fool" also applied to them i.e. "they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi." The LORD was not impressed; He simply called them what they were - "fools" and "hypocrites" - who couldn't see Him through their corrupt eyes.

"23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 23:6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 23:7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 23:10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

23:16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 23:17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 23:18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 23:19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 23:20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 23:21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 23:22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 23:30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 23:32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 23:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Matthew 23:2-39 KJV)

Many regard David's statement "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" as referring only to atheists, but as we read above, according to the true definition of the word, fools can be very religious people, even claiming to be Christian, but they in effect say that there is no God by ignoring His Word as though He didn't exist (see the Fact Finder question below). They take His Name in vain i.e. they use His Name for their vanity.

"14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

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. 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. 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

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. 14:5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous. 14:6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.

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." (Psalm 14:1=7 KJV)

Fact Finder: How can someone who claims to be Christian deny that God exists? How do they also violate the Commandment against taking His Name in vain?
See Why Call Me, Lord, Lord, and Do Not The Things Which I Say? and The Messiah's Warning About Christian Charlatans; also Truly Uplifting and The Most High