What does 'the fool hath said in his heart, There is no God' mean?
It means the fool is a person destitute of faith who says no to God. The italicized words 'there is' were added by translators and should be left out, yielding 'The fool hath said in his heart, No, God.' He rejects what God has said, as Cain, Ishmael, and Esau did.
Les explains that Psalm 14:1 is also appropriate for verse 22. He points out that the words 'there is' in 'There is no God' are italicized, meaning the translators added them; in this place he thinks that is unfortunate, so they should be left out. The reading then becomes, 'The fool hath said in his heart, No, God.' The foolish man is destitute of faith, so he says no—not that there is no God, but no to what God has said. Les shows this pattern in Biblical history: Cain said no to God's instruction to bring a blood sacrifice and instead brought what he had grown; Ishmael, who had the same godly father as Isaac, said no, God; and Esau, probably a good young man, said no way, I'm not interested. Les applies it to mankind in 1995: God has said it, but man says no way, I won't believe it, I won't do it, I don't want any part of it, leave me alone, and 'I'm comfortable.'
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.
More Questions
Why does the fool in Psalm 14:1 say no to God according to the teaching?
The foolish man is destitute of faith, and that is why he says no to what God has said instead of simply denying God's existence.
How does Les apply the fool's 'No God' to people living today?
Mankind today is exactly where the fool is: God has said it and expressed it, but man says no way, I won't believe it, I won't do it, I don't want any part of it, leave me alone, I'm comfortable.