The Nature of Man - Psalms 51-53

Psalms 53:1-3 (ESV)

TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO MAHALATH. A MASKIL OF DAVID.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;

there is none who does good.

God looks down from heaven

on the children of man

to see if there are any who understand,

who seek after God.

They have all fallen away;

together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one.

There is perhaps no greater dark passage in Scripture than the above lines from the Maskil of David.   The term, Maskil, is probably a musical or liturgical term.   It was, in essence, a poem or a contemplation about something.    David is contemplating the nature of man.   As we discuss various areas of life it might always be best to first remind ourselves about the nature of mankind.   It might be wise to think about how man is wired to reject God and to avoid God, deny God and even be hostile to God. According to Paul’s writings man is ...

Romans 8:7-8 (ESV)

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

When God looks down from heaven He finds no one seeking Him.  This is the thing we need to realize about our own lives.  Until God intervenes and awakens our souls, we do not seek God.   Our entire salvation is based upon this important truth: God seeks us, we do not seek Him.  Again, note what Paul wrote:

Ephesians 2:5 (ESV)

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Colossians 2:13 (ESV)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

We were dead in our sins which means we never once sought God and found Him.   Dead people don’t seek anything or find anything.   He found us in our dead state and made us alive.    It was by grace.    Mankind is hostile to God at brith and until God makes them alive they remain dead in sin and in a place of denial of Him.   We can praise God that He made us alive and by His grace we are saved.