Read Psalm 53
Guided question at the bottom.
For the director of music. According to mahalath.
A maskil of David.
The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2God looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.
God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;
you put them to shame, for God despised them.
6Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Questions
How does this psalm describe the foolishness of those who deny God?
What do you think the psalmist mean by “there is none who does good” in verse 3? How is this echoed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 3:23?
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
How does this psalm anticipate God’s salvation for His people?
How does this psalm compare to Psalm 14? What might be the significance of its repetition?