Compare Psalm 14:4 with Romans 3:10-12. What similarities do you find? Setting the Scene Psalm 14 exposes the folly and corruption of humankind from David’s day; Romans 3 brings that same charge into Paul’s sweeping indictment of every generation. Paul is actually quoting Psalm 14 (and Psalm 53), showing that what David observed locally is a timeless, universal reality. Key Texts Side by Side • Psalm 14:4 – “Do all the workers of iniquity not know? They devour My people like bread; they refuse to call upon the LORD.” • Romans 3:10-12 – “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’ ” Shared Themes • Universal Sinfulness – Both passages insist that sin is not an isolated problem; it is the defining mark of every person outside God’s grace (cf. Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23). • Spiritual Blindness – Psalm 14:4 asks if the wicked “know” anything; Romans 3:11 states “there is no one who understands.” Ignorance here is moral, not intellectual—people choose darkness (John 3:19-20). • Rejection of God – Psalm 14:4: “they refuse to call upon the LORD.” – Romans 3:11: “no one who seeks God.” – Both stress an active turning away, not mere passivity (Jeremiah 2:13). • Harm Toward Others – “They devour My people like bread” (Psalm 14:4) pictures habitual, casual oppression. – Romans 3 continues past verse 12 to describe throats like open graves and paths of ruin (vv. 13-17). Sin against God spills into violence against neighbor (1 John 4:20). • Lack of Genuine Good – Psalm 14 implies the wicked act as though evil were normal nourishment; Romans 3:12 flatly says “there is no one who does good.” Good works done apart from faith are tainted (Isaiah 64:6). Takeaway Truths • Scripture speaks with one voice across Testaments that humanity is hopelessly fallen; this unity underscores the need for a single remedy—grace through Christ (Romans 3:21-24). • The refusal to “call upon the LORD” is the root of every other evil. Salvation begins when we call on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13; Joel 2:32). • Because the problem is universal, the gospel invitation must also be universal (Matthew 28:19-20). Further Scriptural Echoes Psalm 53:2-4; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 1:18-23; Ephesians 2:1-3—all reinforce the same diagnosis given in Psalm 14 and Romans 3, preparing hearts to prize the cure found only in Jesus Christ. |
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