The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.
Psalm 14:2 NLT
The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race;
He looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. v.2
This morning I feel a bit like the proverbial deer staring into the headlights. My Michigander friends will appreciate that analogy better than most. I am dumbfounded. I know these words and have some understanding of what the words mean. But still, have I thought about the meaning and implications of “the Lord looks down”, “He looks to see if?” There is a contrast here: Man does not look for God. God looks for man. Adam and Eve hid from God (Gen. 3:8 “So they hid from the Lord God”). The Lord came to them and the Lord called to them and the Lord clothed them (Genesis 3:8-21).
Are you looking for God? God is looking for you.
Main Point:
God is looking for wise people, God-seeking people, to be with those who obey him. (vv.2,5)
Knowing God from Psalm 14 (Theology according to Psalm 14)
God exists. v.1 Come on people, we surely don’t need to start here and “prove” the existence of God. Don’t be a fool! I’m not even going to waste my time here any more.
God finds the actions of God-deniers repugnant. v.1 This is God’s standpoint, so don’t argue with me about it, take it up with God. Still, theologically God is the standard, God determines what is right and acceptable. The human race has been weighed and found wanting.
God is in heaven. v.2 So much could be said about this statement. He is above, He is in a position of judgement. God has perspective. God is perfect. God is other. God sees the whole human race.
God is looking. v.2 God is not aloof. God is seeking. God is surveying. God is assessing and seeking and weighing up people. God is taking the initiative. If you want to see what God is like in His search for you, then look no further than Jesus and the incarnation (Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”)
God protects the obedient. v.6-7 If you read the Bible much you’ll see that God’s plan of rescue is never far from focus. God seeks, protects, rescues, saves and He does that ultimately through Jesus. Jesus is the one from Mount Zion v.7.
Conclusion:
David reveals to us so much about God, and we can see that all that we learn about God points us to Jesus. You may have been fed the lie that the human race has what it takes to pull itself up by its bootstraps and get on with making things better all on its own without the notion of God (let alone the reality). But nothing could be further from the truth.
God is looking for wise people who know He exists, that He is the righteous judge of all human intentions and actions and that He alone can provide a Saviour.
John 14:15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
James 4:8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you.
Philippians 2:5 Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
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