Big Idea: History repeats itself in periodic unbelief, and God’s judgment falls upon humankind, as it did in the generation of the flood.

Understanding the Text

Psalm 53, an adaptive version of Psalm 14, is considered by some to be an individual lament, even though it is one of those genre-defying psalms that enjoy a noble company in the Psalter.

Psalm 52:1 addresses the “mighty hero,” who, in his arrogant boasts, is much like the “fool” of Psalm 53. Descriptively they look very much alike, for the mighty hero loves evil rather than good (52:3), while in Psalm 53 “there is no one who does good” (53:1, 3). If their moral degeneration is not equivalent, the difference between them is negligible.

As an adaptation of Psalm 14, Psalm 53 has been used as virtual evidence for the existence …