God Inspecting Man
W. Jones. Psalm 53:2-3 God looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.… I. GOD'S PROFOUND INTEREST IN HUMANITY. He bows Himself forward; and with zeal and concern examines man's moral state. Why is He so interested? 1. Because of the dignity of man's nature (Genesis 1:27). 2. Because of the peculiarity of man's moral condition. By disobedience man entered into the dread knowledge of evil. Unfallen angels are entirely holy. Fallen angels are utterly depraved. In human nature the battle between good and evil is being waged. 3. Because of the capabilities of man's being. Man is capable of rising to the highest, or sinking to the lowest, position in the universe of God. II. GOD'S SEARCHING SCRUTINY OF HUMANITY. His is the scrutiny of — 1. An all-seeing Being (Psalm 139:11-16; Ezekiel 11:5; Hebrews 4:13). 2. An infinitely holy Being. His dwelling, His ways, His works, His essential nature are all holy (Isaiah 57:15; Habakkuk 1:12, 13; 1 John 1:5; Revelation 4:8). 3. An infinitely merciful Being. If there be in us any sincere efforts after truth and righteousness, He sees and approves them. III. THE SUPREME CONCERN OF HUMANITY. Why does God so earnestly examine man? "To see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God." We should seek — 1. Moral intelligence. "Understand," or act prudently — the antithesis of "the fool " in verse 1. Not intellectual attainment, but practical wisdom. 2. Divine aspiration. Where there is any true wisdom, or any spiritual life, it will manifest itself in seeking fellowship and union with God. Only through the mediation of Jesus Christ can this union be obtained. Conclusion. — 1. He who now scrutinizes will one day judge man. 2. His judgment of man is infallible. He deliberately, patiently, and thoroughly examines into every case before pronouncing judgment. 3. He is also the merciful Saviour of men. 4. Our supreme interest is to seek to know Him as our Saviour. (W. Jones.) Parallel Verses KJV: God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. WEB: God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God.