Introduction to the Book of Psalms

The Book of Psalms has long been cherished by Christian readers of the Bible. Typically, the Psalms have been used in the context of either corporate worship or private devotional reading. Some Psalms have headings, such as “A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom” (Ps 3), which help us appreciate them better. But it is easy just to take the individual Psalms on their own and forget that they are part of a book which has been put together, likely with an overall message.

The Book of Psalms, or Psalter, is well known to consist of Five Books (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150). This fivefold division may be an intentional creation to parallel the five books of Moses, known as the Torah. This view is strengthened in that Psalm 1 is a Torah (or Wisdom) Psalm and within it there is strong emphasis on “the law of the LORD” (1:2) and immense reward for the person who takes it to heart. So, though once human words to God, the Psalms are now to be treated as God’s word to his people as a path to life.

A brief scan of the Psalter reveals that Laments tend to occur in Books I-III and hymns of Praise are predominately found in Books IV-V (indeed Book V ends with exuberant praise). It is likely then that the Book of Psalms was put together as a collection after Israel’s exile and the book as a whole enables the nation to come to terms with their failure and regain their focus on God as king, looking in faith to the hope of renewal. The main idea is that Books I-III record the failure of the Davidic kingship (reaching a climax in Book III) and Books IV-V are the response to this failure. This would seem to reorientate the community to seek redemption, and there is the general move away from lament to praise, culminating in the picture at the end of the Psalter of the LORD being seen as the cosmic king receiving praise from all creation.

Psalms 1 and 2 are the introduction to the whole book. Psalm 1 as a Wisdom Psalm urges obedience and Psalm 2 as a Royal Psalm celebrates that our God reigns. This is the perspective that we as readers need as we take our journey through the Psalter and indeed through life. Aided along the way by further Wisdom Psalms (14, 19, 90, 107, 112, 119 and 145) and Royal Psalms (45, 72, 89, 110 and 144), we can face the troubles we meet with God, repent of our sins, remember his goodness, give thanks for the deliverances he gives, as we await the full coming of the kingdom of God when everything that has breath will praise him (150:6).

As we start our Sunday series exploring the Psalms, here is what we will be covering:

11 May               Series Introduction and Wisdom Psalms: Psalm 1

18 May               Royal Psalms: Psalm 2

1 June                Penitential Psalms: Psalm 51

8 June               Thanksgiving Psalms: Psalm 34

22 June              Imprecatory Psalms: Psalm 109

29 June              Lament Psalms: Psalm 55

6 July                  Historical Psalms: Psalm 105

13 July                Trust Psalms: Psalm 23

20 July                Praise Psalms: Psalm 150