The Book of Psalms Be Real! Ray of Hope Christian Church May 8, 2012

Psalm 150

The Psalms, as the Greek name Psalmoi suggests, is a “collection of poems sung to an musical accompaniment.”

Psalm 100 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth Worship the Lord with gladness; Come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are His; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.

Psalm 46 God is our refuge and our strength, an ever- present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, and though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.

The Psalms were not only sung in the Temple during corporate worship, but they were the substance of personal devotion as well.

Psalm 5:1-3

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Psalm 102 Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I cry and answer me quickly.

Psalm 121:1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills where my help comes from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalms as Poems

Parallelism The relationship of one line to another

In synonymous parallelism, the second line repeats the first Psalm 15:1 Lord who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?

In antithetical parallelism - it is just the opposite - the second line contrasts with the first Psalm 37:9 for evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

In synthetic parallelism, each successive line expands the meaning Psalm 19:8 which talks about God’s revelation through His Word, his statutes, his precepts

The Psalms are a collection of poems written by people like David, who wrote 73 of the Psalms, Asaph, Solomon, the Sons of Korah, Ethan, Heman and Moses among others.

Jeremiah 17:10 I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind. Psalm 139:1 O Lord, you search me and you know me.

Psalm 3 David running from his son Absalom

Psalms 32 and 51 David dealing with the sin of sleeping with Bathsheba

There are other confessional Psalms such as 130

Psalm 103:3,8

Psalm 55:1 David dealing with the betrayal of friends and running for his life.

Fear – Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation –The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid.

Frustration Psalm 64:1

Discouragement Psalm 42:5

Concern When you cannot figure out where God is and what he is doing Psalms 10:1;13:1

Anger Especially at those who have mistreated us Psalms 109; 139:19ff

Cursing Expressing anger against enemies and evildoers Psalms 35, 52, 58, 69, 140

If you were to write your own Psalm at this moment what would the theme be?

Was it difficult to share your honest feelings with God? Why? Or Why Not?

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and the mire; he set my feet on a a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Discussion: Why is it so difficult for us to wait on God?

The Hebrew title for the Psalm is the word “Tehilim” which means “praise songs”

God is in charge – Psalm 93 God speaks and things happen, his purposes prevail – Psalm 33 God protects and takes care of his own – Psalm 90

I will bless the Lord at all times Psalm 34

Let the afflicted hear and be glad Psalm 40 – He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and hear and put their trust in God.

Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands, all you nations, shout to God with a voice of triumph Psalm 48:1 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise

Psalm 65:1 Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion Psalm 92:1 It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.

Psalm 96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song... Psalm 107 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good

Everything and everyone who has breath is to praise the Lord Psalm 8, the heavens declare the glory of God, therefore, let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Messianic Psalms The Psalms testify about Jesus!

Jesus himself said that the Psalms spoke of him Luke 24:44

He is the Suffering Savior/The Good Shepherd – Psalm 22 (John 10:11) He is the Living Savior/The Great shepherd in Psalm 23 – (Hebrews 13:20) He is the Exalted King/The Chief Shepherd – Psalm 24 (I Peter 5:4)

He is the High Priest in Psalm 110 (Hebrews 7:17-21) He is the Stone that the builders rejected in Psalm 118:22-23 (Matthew 21:42 and I Peter 2:4) He is the coming King in Psalm 2 (Acts 4:25-26)

The Word of God Psalm 119