(I decided to go ahead and post this today, since I had it done)
The book of Psalms is the largest book in the Bible, located in the middle of the Scriptures. It is made up of 150 different Psalms. The singular of Psalms is Psalm (so you cannot turn to Psalm-s 150 - but you can turn to Psalm 150...it's one of my pet peeves preachers do).
The more I have researched this book, the more I begin to realize how valuable it is to life as a Christian. Truly learning about the Psalms will turn a person's worship and prayer life around. This book covers the keys to connecting with God's heart - and not in a teaching, 3-points kind of way, but in a practical way where we are given the examples of prayers and praise that have ministered to God and have expressed the hearts of His children for millennia.
The book of Psalms contains some of the oldest passages in the Old Testament, and also some of the most recent. It's passages were written, compiled, and sometimes edited over centuries. The largest portions of the book were written from 1000 B.C. through 400 B.C., though some individual Psalms perhaps were written earlier or later.
WHAT IS A PSALM?
Psalms are essentially poems, often written in a specific, tight, balanced structure (that is not always readily apparent in English translations, since the Psalms were originally composed in Hebrew and according to a different set of poetic rules than we are used to in modern times). Psalms were sometimes accompanied by music, and other times were used as liturgies to lead the people in prayer.
The Psalms were more often used in corporate worship than in individual devotions - such a thing was less common when not everyone had access to their own copies of the Scriptures. As such, we need to remember that the Psalms were to be read orally, not silently. Silent reading is a relatively new phenomena. In essence, the Psalms were performed. As you read the Psalms through this study, try reading each one aloud as we go.
That the Psalms were meant for corporate worship is also clear in that they rarely mention the names of the characters, "I" or "they" are often used, but generically. The titles to the Psalms were not added until much later - after the return of the exiles to Jerusalem, probably. That does not automatically mean the titles are false, but we don't need to put a lot of emphasis on them.
This is especially true since even the Psalms that were composed under specific circumstances are really designed for corporate worship - they are written so that the congregation can identify with the psalmist's predicament. The congregation can become the "I" in the Psalm, and it can be intensely personal and practical for everyone. As Broyles observes, "So the question is not 'Where does this Psalm fit into David's life?' but 'Where does this Psalm fit into Israel's worship?'" (Broyles, 4)
Further, the Psalms are possibly the most important part of the Old Testament for understanding the Hebrew's popular views of their religion and of God. Not everyone had access to their own copies of the Law or the prophetic oracles, but use of the Psalms was frequent at Festivals and in Temple worship, and later in the synagogues. Therefore the Psalms became key in teaching the people the truths about God, His laws, and the people's responsibilities in their part of the Covenant. The theology presented in the Psalms is the theology of the common folk. They are at the very center of Jewish doctrine and experience with God.
The 150 Psalms found in the book are not the only ones used by Israel in its history. Scripture itself lists many other examples of Psalms - the very earliest being the "Song of the Sea" celebrating deliverance from Egypt after God parted the Red Sea. This is the moment that Israel began to exist as a nation, and it was instantly connected to praising God. In fact, praise for God was put ahead of obedience to God, which was signified shortly after through the giving of the Law at Sinai. The emotional response came first, followed immediately after by the praise act of the will (that is, obedience).
Hannah's song in 1 Samuel is another example of Psalms. Luke even records Psalms in the New Testament era, as does Paul, indicating that this practice of praise continued through the centuries and is an important part of our experience of God as Christians. Praise through Psalms isn't just a Jewish ritual - it is for all Christians.
One would imagine that the Psalms would have a special place in Pentecostal tradition, but they don't. We tend to think of them as too liturgical or too old-fashioned (largely because we haven't taken the time to understand them). Psalms speak mainly to our emotions, to our hearts, and teach us the fundamentals of prayer and praise. Not old-fashioned concepts at all.
(Totally unrelated note: Pentecostal churches even engage often in another age-old praise tradition, common to the monks in the medieval era - I noticed this at church this morning as we went over and over and over a chorus, yet the praise continued through it. The repetition wasn't bad at all - it was an ancient form of worship: chanting. Okay, that was free.)
NEXT TIME: Introduction, part 2 - types of Psalms
