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That will be $100. Please pay the clerk on your way out,” the judge said as she slammed the gavel onto the bench.
I stood there in awe and in total disbelief of what I had just witnessed.
“All he had to do was keep his mouth shut,” was the thought echoing through my mind.
On that particular day, I was in traffic court. As I was waiting on the judge to call my case, I had the opportunity to hear some very humorous, and some very serious, traffic incidents. Of all the cases that I heard, one captured my attention the most.
As I observed the judge motion to this young man to approach the bench, I leaned in a little closer from my seat to hear what seemed like some very interesting judicial instructions. Since the police officer who had issued this young man a citation was not present, the judge explained to him that he would be considered innocent of the traffic violation. The young man responded by entering a plea anyway and the judge sternly but fairly reminded him:
“The citing officer is not present so you don’t have to say anything.” That admonition would have been enough to silence me, but it was not enough to silence the offender.
“But, your Honor, let me explain my situation. I really didn’t mean to ...”
“That will be $100. Please pay the clerk on your way out,” was her interrupting remark.
I could only chuckle to myself and hope that my citing officer would choose to take a very long lunch. The judge had very clearly explained to the young man why he was not obligated to enter a plea, yet he spoke anyway. I’m sure the judge must have expressed silently, “The fool has spoken.”
The Amplified Bible version of Psalm 14:1 says the empty-headed fool lives in a way (manner) to say that there is no God. Verse 2 says that God looked to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely and sought after God. Today, God is still looking for a people who will inquire of and for Him and who will require His very presence. Will you be among that number?
Perhaps the most astonishing statement I have ever read in the Bible is found in Psalm 14:1. King David declares, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” Did you know that you can be characterized a fool just by what you say? Even if the listener did not know the speaker was a fool, just to hear him say there is no God says something is wrong with him. This verse reminds me of the statement, “It is better to be silent and be considered a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
I am convinced that there is a God. There must be a God. Likewise, your belief in Jesus Christ requires the very presence of God. Without God, faith is in vain and you are yet in your sins. I know my redeemer lives and that Jesus is alive and well.
Reading Psalm 14:1 may lead you to believe that only a few people would declare that there is no God. However, not only is the definition of “fool” broader and more inclusive than just saying there is no God, there are a lot more people who can justifiably be called “fools.”
The second half of the verse gives the description of those who say there is no God: they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, and none of them can do any good. So a further analysis of this verse reveals that a fool is characterized by more than just saying that there is no God.
The verse is literally saying a fool is a person who lives his life in a manner to say there is no God. He demonstrates, by his lifestyle, that he believes there is no God. He is not simply an atheist. He knows there is a God, but he’s living like there is no God. This description makes a lot more of you capable of being called a fool. Every time some aspect of your lifestyle contradicts the lifestyle God wants you to practice, you declare that you are a fool. Even though you have not spoken verbally, you have spoken by your actions. The way you live tells everyone around you whether or not you believe there is a God.
Restyle Your Lifestyle
Your lifestyle may give people more information about you than you think. You do not have to stand on your rooftop and declare there is no God because if you believe He exists, you would not do the things you do. You speak loudly and clearly everyday without saying a word.
Referring to the wicked in Job 21:14-15, Job expresses, “Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?” It has been established that you are a fool if you are living contrary to the ways of God. Now Job tells you that if you deny God, not only are you a fool, but you are also wicked. Psalm 10:4 verifies this with, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”
The wicked and the foolish tell God to leave them alone. Their lifestyles tell God that they are not interested in serving Him. Their actions tell God that they do not reverence His existence. Their desires are contrary to what God has reserved for them. Their instabilities and inconsistencies deny that there is an almighty God who empowers them to do all things. They mockingly believe that there is no great King to serve and no profit in praying unto Him.
I once witnessed my mother reprimanding a young woman for her lascivious lifestyle.
“Honey,” she said sweetly, “fornication is a sin. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, and He wants you to remain pure and undefiled, dedicated unto Him.”
“Mrs. Bronner,” she began, “I sure hate that you told me that.” Her irritated tone was a sure sign that she was not planning to change her lifestyle anytime soon.
My mother told her the truth of God, but most people who are happily living their sinful lives do not want to hear what God has to say.
“Webster’s Dictionary” defines a fool as “one who is deficient in judgment, sense or understanding.” God is looking for those who are wise enough to seek Him. He is looking from heaven for people who understand that there is a God and are willing to do whatever it takes to seek and to find Him. He is looking for people who are not deficient. If you have no understanding of God and no desire to seek God in order to gain an understanding of Him, you are considered a fool.
Advanced Ticket Purchase Required
Ironically, those who are living contrary to the Word of God will be the main ones trying to use their ignorance of God to gain admittance into heaven. Imagine, if you will, a man standing at the pearly white gates of heaven. The man tells the angel on duty that his name is John Smith. The angel proceeds to look up “Smith” in the Lamb’s Book of Life, but he advises Mr. Smith that his name is not listed. Incensed, Mr. Smith responds that no one ever told Him about God so he should not be held accountable.
The Bible says that ignorance is no excuse for all the wicked, unrighteous fools who try to get into heaven. Romans 1:20 states, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” God created the world in such a form and fashion that when you look at God’s creation, you are obligated to understand that there is a God. God designed the world so intricately and so harmoniously that no one can have an excuse for denying the existence of the Almighty God. Even the heavens must declare the glory of God. The natural earth is so supernatural that any fool would know that there is someone greater than himself who created all this.
God knew there would be some fools claiming ignorance. He placed the earth on its axis so we could experience the beauty of a new day. He put the earth in its orbit around the sun so we could experience the redemption of a new year. He organized the miracle of a child developing in its mother’s womb so that each generation could declare the splendid and majestic Word of God to the next. All you have to do is look at nature. If you look long enough and hard enough you are bound to find something that only God could have created.
The Holy Spirit has made it plain to me that you can only get into Heaven by pre-registration. You have probably been able to buy concert tickets at the door. You may have been able to buy a plane ticket at the departing gate. And, if you are a student, you may have been able to register for all the classes you needed by waiting until you returned to campus to register. BUT, YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER FOR HEAVEN. AN ADVANCED TICKET PURCHASE IS REQUIRED. YOU CANNOT WAIT UNTIL YOU GET TO THE GATES OF HEAVEN TO BUY A TICKET. If your name is not in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you will not be allowed to enter. You will have to pre-register on earth. As the old song says, you must have your bags packed and your ticket in your hand.
A Message From A Friend
One of Job’s friends and advisors, Eliphaz the Temanite, asked Job, “Who are you going to seek?” He then reported that wrath kills the foolish man and envy slays the silly one and that he had seen the foolish prospering, but suddenly his habitation was cursed (Job 5 :1-3). Fools may be prosperous for a little while, but since they do not know God, their prosperity will be taken away. In verse 8, Eliphaz goes on to say, “I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number (Job 5:8 - 9)”. God will do innumerable great, unpredictable, marvelous things in your life when you seek Him.
Another friend, Bildad the Shuhite, reminded Job that if he would seek God, and make his supplication to the Almighty, God would awake for him and make the habitation of his righteousness prosperous (Job 8:5-6). God neither slumbers nor sleeps, so the word “awake” in this verse actually means “stir himself up.” When you seek God, He will stir Himself up and restore you to the place where you should be in life. And, though your beginning may be small, when you seek God, your latter end will greatly increase (Job 8:7).
Summary --- The Fool Has Spoken
1. The Biblical definition of a fool is someone who lives his life in such a manner as if to say there is no God.
2. Even if someone does not believe there is a God, when he observes God’s creation, he must understand that there is a God.
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