Psalm 53

Psalm 53  •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 6
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The willful king or the boaster who refuses grace or divine goodness, having been apprehended by the prophet in the preceding Psalm, in contrast too, as we saw, with the penitent remnant, the same wicked one is still, through several Psalms, kept before his eye. Here he is challenged as the fool or the infidel; for such will he be. He will show himself to be God; he will act as though there were none above him; he will do according to his will, magnifying himself above every god, and speak marvelous things against the God of gods. Thus do prophets and apostles forecast the likeness of this apostate of the last days. (See Dan. 11; 2 Thess. 2.)
And how different the mind of the righteous remnant from that of this apostate. They are humbled and broken in heart, while he is in the fullness of pride. They make God everything to them in this day of their trouble, while he is saying and acting on what he says, “There is no God.” Such is the contrast. And thus the saints now distinguish themselves from the world. Jesus, Jesus, is their all in all—His fullness that treasure out of which they become complete. (See Col. 2.)
The “great fear” of this Psalm appears to be that of the penitent remnant; on the other hand, the “great fear” of Psalm 14 appears to be that of the boaster and his bands—the enemies of the remnant. This accounts for the difference towards the close of each of these Psalms.