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Psalms
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Summary
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Many
human emotions are expressed in the book of Psalms.
A psalm is essentially a poem that is sung - another
way of saying that a psalm is a song! There are many
authors of the psalms most of whom are acknowledged,
although there are some that remain anonymous.
The authors went through many different experiences.
Many psalms were the result of the writers' feeling
of elation in the service of God. Other psalms were
written by men who were in the depths of despair. Some
relate to the history of Israel, and many are prophetic
both of Jesus - the saviour, and Christ - the anointed,
and of God's future kingdom. We might just draw attention
to some of the psalms in some of these categories.
The Authors.
King David composed 73 psalms, and others were written
by Asaph (12 - 73 to 83), the sons of Korah (11 - 44
to 49) Solomon, Heman, Ethan and Moses - the last three
contributing just one each.
Structure.
There are 150 psalms in the collection and they comprise
five sections:
Book 1: 1 - 41; Book 2: 42 - 72; Book 3: 73 - 89; Book
4: 90 - 106; Book 5: 107 - 150.
Each section ends with words of praise such as: "Praise
be to his glorious name for ever; may the whole earth
be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen." (72:19).
The only 'exception' to this is Psalm 150 which is,
anyway, a psalm entirely of praise.
The ultimate message.
Apart from the glorious messages covering a wide variety
of circumstances, the real value to individuals is the
way in which individually we can identify with many
of the ideas and emotions expressed, and in the most
beautiful language.
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Outline
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Messianic
Psalms.
These are generally given this title because they refer
specifically to the work of Jesus and the Messiah. For
example, Psalm 2 questions why the nations rise up against
the Lord and his anointed. Psalm 22 commences with "My
God, my God why have you forsaken me" - words quoted
by Jesus on the cross. What better authority is there
about the Messianic nature of this psalm that the authority
of Jesus! Psalm 72 is another. Written by Solomon, this
one is refers to the coming kingdom that will last forever.
Praise Psalms.
There were 24 psalms that begin or end with "Praise
the Lord." These are often called the 'Hallel'
psalms because of this - 'Hallel' being a shortened
form of 'Hallelujah'. It is interesting that all of
these psalms were anonymous which perhaps suggests that
they had been written for Temple worship and were in
common usage. Some of these psalms are 104 - 106, 111
- 120.
Songs of Degrees.
This was a special set (Psalms 120 - 134) that were
sung while the Jews were ascending Mt Zion to celebrate
the Temple feasts. They are a remarkable set in that
they are a cameo of many aspects of life in themselves.
Psalms in Distress.
David was one who was frequently distressed. There is
a number of psalms that indicate the different forms
this distress took. He was distressed, for example,
that he was persecuted by his enemies and he sought
God's assistance (Psalm 4). He was distressed over his
own sinfulness (Psalms 13 and 32), and he was distressed
that there was so much wickedness around him (Psalm
55). The most important feature of these psalms is David's
recognition of the need to rely on God for help.
Psalms of Hope.
The Bible contains many examples of God's judgements
on the wicked. At the same time, it contains many examples
of the hope that the righteous have providing they place
their trust and confidence in God. Some of the Psalms
that suggest this hope are: 42, 80, 84 and the very
beautiful but meaningful poem 137. Of course, the most
well-known psalm of hope is 23.
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Psalms
Author
– David and others
Time – 1450 – 700 B.C.
Summary
– The Psalms are divided into five sections, each according
to a specific classification. The Psalms are a form of Hebrew
poetry, many of which were accompanied by music. The content of
the Psalms includes prophecy of Christ, praise to God, and visions
of the future Kingdom of God and its glory. David is named as
author of approximately half of the Psalms. A handful of other
men are responsible for about fifteen, while the remainder are
unnamed.
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Passage
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Subject
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| Psalms
1 to 41 |
Section
1 Concerns man – Gives the advice of God to man |
| Psalms
42 to 72 |
Section
2 Concerns Israel – The advice of God to Israel |
| Psalms
73 to 89 |
Section
3 Concerns the sanctuary and the Law |
| Psalms
90 to 106 |
Section
4 Concerns Israel and the nations of the earth |
| Psalms
107 to 150 |
Section
5 Concerns God and His Word |
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