Bible Survey: Psalms
The Psalms were the hymnbook of Israel, and their theme is worship. The book ends where it has been heading all along: Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD (Psalm 150:6). A good key verse is Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2).
There are five books of psalms, and each one closes with a doxology. David, the sweet psalmist of Israel (2 Samuel 23:1), wrote most of them, and others came from Asaph, Solomon and Moses.
Whatever a believer is going through, there is a psalm for it. Some are devotional: in thy presence is fulness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Some teach, like the first psalm, which warns us to watch the company we keep. Some were written in repentance, as David's were after his sin: Against thee, thee only, have I sinned (Psalm 51:4). Every sin is finally a sin against God.
Many are about Christ. Psalm 22 describes the crucifixion from the cross itself, a thousand years before it happened and long before crucifixion was known: they pierced my hands and my feet (Psalm 22:16). Psalm 45 is quoted in Hebrews, where the Father says to the Son, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever (Hebrews 1:8), as plain a statement of the deity of Christ as any in the Bible. And when the heathen rage, the second psalm reminds us that He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh (Psalm 2:4). God is still in control.
The imprecatory psalms, which call for judgment on enemies, are the cry of God's oppressed people for justice. They are not a pattern for our prayers today, but they are part of the inspired Word.
The New Testament tells us to go on Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19). Notice that it says spiritual songs, which leaves no room for the world's music in the worship of God.
Next in the series: Proverbs.
Taught by Brother James Barker in Sunday School at Naples Independent Baptist Church, August 23, 2020. Watch the lesson.
