Revelation: The Corruption of the Human Heart (vv. 1-4). In Scripture, an oracle is usually an authoritative pronouncement from the Lord; but here it is sin that is speaking an oracle deep in the heart of the sinner. In Psalm 10, the sinner talks to himself, but here sin speaks to the sinner. Sin deceives us (Rom. 7:11) and flatters us (10:3; Deut. 29:18-19), giving us the false assurance that our rebellion will go unpunished (Gen. 3:1-5). “Listen to your heart!” the world tells us, forgetting that “the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer.17:9 nasb).

Of course, the sinner’s self-confident arrogance brings tragic consequences, starting with an absence of the fear of God (v. 1). This is not the word for the reverential respect of God that all believers should cultivate, but rather the word that means the dread of God and of His judgment. Paul quotes this verse in Romans 3:18, along with other Old Testament statements that reveal the wickedness of the human heart. When we don’t fear God, we flatter ourselves, and that flattery gives us more confidence to sin. We don’t really see ourselves as the Lord sees us, and we are blind to our own sins and what they can do to us. (On the fear of the Lord, see 34:9; 55:19; 64:4; 111:10; 119:120; Josh. 24:14; Prov. 1:7.) This kind of person doesn’t hate sin (v. 2) or despise it or reject it (v. 4) but finds delight in doing it.

When they lose the fear of God, they start to lose everything else that is important to good character and conduct. Out of a sinful heart come sinful words and sinful deeds (v. 3; Matt. 12:34-35). Instead of acting wisely, they set themselves up to do evil. They don’t meditate on God’s truth while in bed (1:2; 16:7; 42:8; 63:6) but devise evil schemes. They can’t relax and go to sleep until they’ve hatched a new plot (Mic. 2:1). The corrupt heart has produced a defiled conscience, a confused mind, and a perverted will.