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Introduction to Psalms

You are about to read a book of poetry, even a book of songs. It is the Hallmark of Hallmark cards, even a mirror for your soul. Most of the books of the Bible speak to us, but the Psalms also speak for us. For many the Book of Psalms is their favorite book, because in it we find just the right words for the particular circumstance of our lives and which meet our needs as adequately as if they were composed exclusively for our sake and in such a way that we ourselves could not improve on them or find, even desire, any better psalms or words. In the Psalms, we can listen to how devout believers talk to God. The number of moods which are expressed here, joy and suffering, hope and care, make it possible for every Christian to find themselves in it, and to pray to God.

Read the Psalms both with an open mind and an open heart, for there is both lofty theological teaching (Psalm 139) as well deeply emotional expression (Psalm 42). Next to Isaiah, it is the most frequently quoted OT book in the NT. Jesus particularly loved the Psalms and said they testified of Him (Luke 24:44). His expression of deepest agony was borrowed from the Psalms (Mark 15:34; Psalm 22:1). The argument which silenced the religious leaders and affirmed His deity came from the Psalms (Matthew 22:44; Psalm 110:1). The apostles used the Psalms to prove that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts 2:24-36; Psalm 116:8-11; 110:1). And from the Psalms they found expression to pray for boldness amidst persecution, and God answered them (Acts 4:23-31; Psalm 2:1-2). The Psalms have a central place in living "filled with the Holy Spirit": "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18-19).

As you seek to understand and apply the Psalms, keep in mind the primary genre of this book. It is poetry. And not the kind that you might be used to reading. It is ancient Hebrew poetry. There is little emphasis on rhyme but much on repetition and development of thought. This repetition is known as parallelism. And there are three primary kinds of parallelism: synonymous, antithetic, and climactic. In synonymous parallelism, the first line is echoed in the second, with only a slight change of terms:

Why do the nations cause a commotion?
Why are the countries devising plots that will fail? (Psalm 2:1; see also 3:1).

In antithetical parallelism, the words of the first line are affirmed in the second, not by repetition, but by contrast:

Certainly the Lord rewards the behavior of the godly,
but the behavior of the wicked is self-destructive (Psalm 1:6; see also 40:4).

In climactic (or synthetic) parallelism, the second line refines, develops, and completes the thought of the first::

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength! (Psalm 96:7)

Parallelism is the backbone of all Hebrew poetry. Unlike, rhyme, which would be difficult to translate from language to language, our all-wise God instead chose this medium to convey the poetic strophe such that Hebrew poetry is among the easiest to translate to any language. Furthermore, as poetry,  you should expect to find more imagery, metaphors and other figures of speech than you might find, for instance, in historical narrative.

The Psalms are also songs. This is why in the superscription of most psalms there is reference to musical directors, instruments and notes. In the Hebrew Bible, the title for the Book of Psalms is tehillim, which means "songs of praise." Therefore, it fits the purpose of the psalms for them not only to be prayed but also to be sung. And again, the all-wise God has likely not preserved for us the original musical score for the psalms because He wanted every culture, language and people to develop their own unique scores to convey the message of the psalms to their own time. Thus, we often sing the psalms in various ways, sometimes as a chorus, sometimes as a hymn, sometimes slowly and solemnly and sometimes quickly and loudly.

Let us also remember that the Psalms are expressions of worship. They are the individual and public response to God in light of a particular circumstance. While they express the whole gamut of emotions, anger and gratitude, fear and confidence, anxiety and joy, every expression is bounded by the reality and authority of a sovereign, holy and merciful God.

Finally, the Psalms are also instruction. They are a summation, a condensation, of Old Testament theology. The attributes of God are a constant theme in the Psalms. The Law as it was meant to be viewed is so presented in the Psalms. The Psalms summarize the history of God’s dealings with man in the Old Testament (cf. Psalms 78, 105). They also contain a great deal of prophecy. The Psalms even make it easier to learn God’s Word and to memorize it. For instance, Psalm 119 is arranged alphabetically (known as "acrostic"). Each segment of the psalm begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Many people enjoy reading through the Book of Psalms every month, which can be achieved by reading just five psalms a day. In our anxiety-filled lives, the Psalms provide rest and refreshment to keep life's turbulence in perspective. May the Lord bless each of you as you drink deeply from this river of delight.

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