The climax of evil reached; salvation looked for out of Zion
In Psalm 14 the evil has reached its climax in God’s sight. What is ever true of flesh is now brought up under God’s eye at the time when He is going to judge. Man rises up in pride before Him: yea, He judges because flesh does so. He looks down to see if any understand or seek Him among men; but there are none. A remnant indeed wrought in by grace, whom He already owns as His people (vs. 4), are there, and these the wicked eat up as they would bread-they do not call on Jehovah. It is man’s full-blown pride and wickedness; but all is soon changed: God is in the congregation of the righteous. Fear falls upon the proud, who but a while ago were scorning the poor for trusting Jehovah. The seventh verse shows us that all this is anticipative and prophetic, and where and how it will be accomplished. It is the desire of the godly one according to the intelligence of faith. He looks for it, note, out of Zion, not content till Jehovah establishes praise there. The people too, remark, are seen as in captivity.