It is likely that by the time of Ezra, the books of the Psalter were organized into their final form. Each section concludes with a doxology, with the entire Psalter capped by Psalm , a grand doxology.
The poetry was often set to music—but not always. The psalms express the emotion of the individual poet to God or about God. The psalms include unique Hebrew terms. The word Selah , found seventy-one times, is most likely a musical notation added by worship leaders after the Israelites incorporated the psalm into public worship.
Scholars do not know the meaning of maskil , found in thirteen psalms. Occasionally, a psalm appears with instructions for the song leader. These and others can refer to melodies used with the given psalm or perhaps to suggestions for liturgical use. The book of Psalms expresses worship. Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more.
Faith Faith and Reason. Clifford December 12, What is there about the Psalms that have attracted so many down the ages? The Psalms connect us to God as part of an unbroken chain of gratitude. Elizabeth Kirkland Cahill. How the psalms can guide us through the storms of our lives. Rabbi Daniel F. Clifford Richard J.
Show Comments. Join the conversation: Login or create an account. Before you can comment, you need to update your profile to include your first and last name, as required in our comments policy. Then reload this page and you'll be set up for commenting. Update your profile. Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. Psalm 27 is a song of confidence in God's sovereign ability to strengthen the life and steady the heart in the face of conflict and distress.
Psalms 28 through 31 describe various experiences of David and his recognition of his need for God's help in these circumstances. Psalm 32 is the noteworthy psalm of repentance and forgiveness.
This psalm meant so much to Saint Augustine that he had it carved on wood and hung at the foot of his bed that he might see it every morning when he awoke. The apostle Paul quotes from it in Romans 4 as an example of what God will do with human sin when it is confessed before Him.
The closing psalms of Book I express the human heart's deep-seated longing in its separation from God and its desire to find Him in the midst of need. Psalm 40 is a beautiful example of this: "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God" Ps.
Psalm 41, which closes Book I, looks back to Psalm 1 and describes the blessed man--this time not one who is perfect in his own integrity, but one whom the Lord protects and sustains. This psalm ends the book with the doxology: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen" v. The second book of psalms covers Psalms 42 through 72, and corresponds in theme to the book of Exodus. As Exodus tells us the story of Israel in captivity in Egypt-- describing their sorrow, their bondage and the slavery of sin, yet learning much of the grace of God in His power to deliver them and bring them out of captivity--so the second book of psalms traces the same theme in a wider human experience.
The slavery of sin and the longing for deliverance is beautifully expressed in the opening words of Psalm "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food-day and night, while they say to me all day long, 'Where is your God? But immediately the theme focuses upon the greatness of God and His power.
Book II finds its theme in Psalm 45 which describes God as King, ruling in sovereignty over man and all his experiences. The book also closes with a psalm of the King, Psalm 72, in which God is pictured in mighty conquering power, setting man free from the bondage which has enslaved him. Psalm 46 becomes a very appropriate expression of confidence in God as a refuge: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes, he does not keep silence, before him is devouring fire, round about him a mighty tempest" vv. The theme of redemption is continued in Psalm 51 which is one of the great biblical expressions of confession and cleansing from sin.
This was written after David's twin sins of murder and adultery, and records first his godly sorrow then his forthright confession and desire to turn from his evil, calling for the forgiveness of God and God's restoration to service so that he might tell others of the restoring grace of a loving God. Psalm 59 includes a good example of the imprecations of God's people when they are suffering persecution and oppression: "My God in His loving-kindness will meet me; God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes.
Do not l slay them, lest my people forget; scatter them by Thy l power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be caught in their pride, and on account of curses and lies which they utter. Destroy them in wrath, destroy them, that they may be no more; that men may know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth" w. Many of us today feel exactly like this when we are being persecuted or oppressed, but we must always remember that the New Testament reveals that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.
Our oppressors are victims themselves and need our prayers and help that they may be delivered from that which causes them to act with cruelty and bitterness. Psalms 60 through 64 describe similar experiences of. Psalm 65 breaks out into a note of praise for God's delivering grace. This theme is continued through Psalms But like Israel at the Red Sea, having been delivered from the bondage of Egypt and yet sinking again into despair at the waters before them, so Psalm 69 cries out: "Save me, O God!
For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold, l have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God" vv.
This beautiful psalm moves on to describe sufferings which could only have been fulfilled in the sufferings of Jesus, and several of the verses are quoted in the New Testament in this way.
But again deliverance comes from the mighty hand of God and, as we have already seen, the book closes with the great psalm of the King and the doxology: "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen" Ps. Psalms 73 through 89 constitute the third book of Psalms.
This corresponds in theme to the book of Leviticus which is the book of Tabernacle worship, the discovery of what God is like when man comes before Him and what man is like in the presence of God. Thus the theme of Book III reveals the inner workings of man's heart and his discovery of what God is like.
Psalm 73 opens the book by facing one of the most common problems of faith in an unbelieving world--the problem of why the ungodly prosper and seem to enjoy so much of God's blessing while the righteous suffer. The psalmist describes how terribly unfair this seemed to him until he went into the sanctuary and there reamed what the end of the unrighteous will be. His conclusion is: "For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish; Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee.
This psalm establishes the theme of Book III. We praise the Lord for all He has done Psalm When we remember God and dwell on His characteristics as described in Psalms, we can rest knowing God is with us. I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me live in safety.
But rest is more than just sleeping. God never changes. We can rest in that truth, knowing any circumstance in which we may find ourselves is temporary. But even when they lamented, mourned, and asked questions, they frequently ended those same passages with joy as they remembered God. But even in this precarious situation, David rejoiced, writing:. But I will sing of your strength and will joyfully proclaim your faithful love in the morning.
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