Psalm 53 - His People

Read: Psalm 53 vs 1-6

The Old Testament part of the Bible is a treasure trove of stories, many of which are particularly well known. In 1 Samuel 25 we read a story about David and his encounter with a man called Nabal, and his wife Abigail. Nabal was very rich and Abigail was very beautiful. David and Nabal got into a row. It was one of those rows that started over something small but it turned into something so big. Things got so out of hand that David ordered his men to strap on their swords and he led four hundred of them ready to wipe Nabal out. David is angry, full of rage, going headlong onto a bloody and needless battle. At that moment, Abigail, stopped David in his tracks, pleaded with him to see sense, and … David listened, and everyone went home ‘in peace’. 

The name ‘Nabal’ means ‘fool’ (1 Samuel 25:25). This episode illustrates that there is often a very fine line between being wise (David often was) and acting foolishly (as David nearly does in this story). 

Psalm 53 (written by David) is a Psalm about a fool (vs 1) someone living blind to the reality of God in their life. But in this Psalm David doesn’t only have someone else in mind, David realises that as God looks on this world He sees a world where:

‘Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt.’

The message of the Bible is that we all need rescued from ourselves and from our foolishness. God sent Abigail to rescue David not because David was good, but because at this moment David was about to be a fool. It is very very easy for us to judge other people, and then to kae a habit of it. Like David we can become self righteous, even angry, strap on our swords and bear down on them. But this is not our role in life. True wisdom begins when we realise that we too are foolish and we often need stopped in our tracks. Thank God for Abigail, for Psalm 53, and for the LORD who has kept us more times than we know (1 Samuel 25:26).

Prayer: Lord I acknowledge that often I think and act foolishly. Thank for your keeping often in spite of me. Please save me from wrong words or actions that can so easily cause all kinds of trouble. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.