PSALM 14

1 To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David. The fool has said in his heart, “[There is] no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. 2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; [There is] none who does good, No, not one. 4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people [as] they eat bread, And do not call on the LORD? 5 There they are in great fear, For God [is] with the generation of the righteous. 6 You shame the counsel of the poor, But the LORD [is] his refuge. 7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel [would come] out of Zion! When the LORD brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice [and] Israel be glad.

PSALM 14:1-7, NKJV

A NEW SONG FROM OLD PIECES

One of the churches I used to serve had a woman who would make a “breakfast cake” every week and set it out in the foyer with doughnuts. Every week the cake was the same shape and size, it had the same general texture, but it was almost always a different cake than the week before. Sometimes it had a banana-nut taste, other weeks it was pumpkin, still other weeks I’m pretty sure I tasted bits of apple or pear, then there were weeks that it definitely had chocolate chips. Then someone told me the secret, the cakes she made were, “whatever is on hand cakes”. She used the same base of flour, eggs, oil, or whatever and then would see what she had “on hand” to make the rest of the cake. If it was baking with apples earlier in the week, we got an apple cake. If she had done a banana nut bread earlier, we had a banana-nut cake, etc., etc. Sometimes the cakes had peculiar combinations that somehow seemed to work really well (my favorite, banana-nut-chocolate chip!).

That’s kind of what we have with this Psalm here. It’s got the basic set up of a good Psalm. All the structure, theological depth, etc. is there, but it seems like many of the ingredients were borrowed. Not only that, but some of this Psalm is quoted later in the New Testament.

It reminds me of the first time I had a real conversation with a friend about Jesus. I had never lead someone to faith in Christ before. I didn’t know that there are different “approaches” to sharing my faith, we simply had a conversation and I presented the gospel in a way that I understood it and it made sense to me. It wasn’t a cookie cutter approach. We didn’t walk down the Romans Road, or go over the four spiritual laws (different approaches to sharing the gospel). I just simply quoted the verses I knew about the things we were talking about. It was encouraging to me because I was seeing how to apply scripture to a given situation and it was helpful to my friend.

David writes a new song with familiar words that in several generations will become an old song with familiar words. God uses the lyrics of this song throughout the scripture because they carry key truths about who he is and who we are. They are relevant for worship in every generation because they speak to the greatness of God and our desperate need of Him.

I can’t help but think of all the old songs, made new in my generation. I love it when a musician plays an old tune or sings an old lyric for modern ears. I can’t help but think of what Chris Tomlin has done with Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for this old song made new. We all truly stand in desperate need of you. Let us not brag on our positions in life as though we have achieved something great. Let us walk in humbleness and holiness because of your great work in our life. It is you the preserved the Nation of Israel in the Old Testament and it is you who preserve those who trust in you even now. We are saved by grace, through faith, not of our selves. So let us sing with confidence today of your great grace and goodness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.