The Book of Psalms has been a source of spiritual reflection for God’s people down through the centuries. Protestant reformer Martin Luther spoke of it as “a Bible in miniature.” It is representative of various literary genres, diverse historical periods and different theological themes. As a pastor, I turned to the Psalms when I read and prayed with people in their homes and the hospital. They have been used to encourage and comfort people in times of difficulty, give words to times of confession and provide opportunities to express delight and praise. They constitute a profile of biblical theology, with expressions of faith from various parts of the history of God’s people.
British writer C.S. Lewis commented that the “Psalms must be read as poems; as lyrics, with all the licenses and all the formalities, the hyperboles, the emotional rather than logical connections, which are proper to lyric poetry.” They are not generally the voice of God speaking to us but are rather the voice of human experience, gathered over a long period of time yet with an amazing amount of authenticity and contemporary significance. They help us see how the life of faith encounters all types of human experiences, enabling us to turn to God for help.
Many modern translations ascribe authorship to several Psalms. Seventy-three are thought to have been written by David. Indeed, in the first book of Psalms, all but four are attributed to him. It helps to see the context of the particular Psalm, sometimes related to a historical incident in the author’s life. It is widely held that the Psalms had some sort of teaching purpose, with David’s life being viewed as a model for a godly life. In the Psalms, he is viewed as living a life in fellowship with God, through changing circumstances and various emotional experiences.
The Psalter is conveniently divided into five sections. The Jewish midrash (rabbinical commentary) on the Psalms says, “As Moses gave five books of laws to Israel, so David gave five books of Psalms to Israel.” Some suggest that the Psalms’ fivefold pattern was deliberate, especially if the overall purpose (as revealed in Psalm 1) was to offer instruction. The Psalms, like the Pentateuch, were intended to give instruction to God’s people.
Book I — David’s experiences
The first book is dominated by Psalms of David, in which we see him beset with problems, most often from the hands of others who are determined to make his life miserable. The lesson is clear: God’s purposes for His people do not come without considerable pain and adversity of mind as well as body. David testifies to the saving love and power of God, who supports His servant. This doesn’t mean that he is never perplexed by what is happening in his life. In Psalm 13:1–2, he cries out, “How long?” on four occasions. If the book’s testimony is an assurance that God is faithful to His word of promise, then the psalmist’s response is to express confidence in Him and obedience to His will.
Book II — Tribulation and security of God’s people
The general theme continues in the second book yet with a difference. David is not so dominant. Only 19 of 31 Psalms are attributed to him. In this section, the name for God is not Yahweh, as in the first section, but Elohim (the general Hebrew word for “God”). Many of these Psalms were written by Levites and speak of the difficulties of their life of faith.
Book III — Why? Why? Why?
The third book contains many Psalms of lament, in which the individual and the nation wrestle with events that challenge their view of God in light of evil existing in the world. If this book was compiled during the Babylonian exile, then it demonstrates how the people were struggling with doubts and fears. The psalmists are puzzled yet they do not run away from God but rather turn to Him for help and consolation.
Many of these Psalms are ascribed to Levites. In a time of exile, without a temple, they would have felt the pain of this even more than other Israelites. They were deeply downcast by the Temple’s destruction. Sometimes their pain was almost too much to bear, as in Psalm 77: “Will the Lord spurn forever and never again be favorable? Has His steadfast love ceased forever? Are His promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut up His compassion?” (7–9).
Book IV — The King
The theme that dominates the Psalter’s fourth section is that of God as king. He is the God who is supreme over the nations, including Babylonia and Persia. If these Psalms were written during the rebuilding of the Temple, then the theme of God as king is equally important as the Israelites struggled with new circumstances that could have led to discouragement.
Psalm 90, at the opening of this book, stresses God’s eternity in the midst of time’s perplexities, “for a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past or like a watch in the night” (4). God’s people often need a sense of the ongoing purpose of His timing. The times may appear to be long, but in God’s purposes, His timing is perfect.
Psalms 93 and 95–100 are celebrations of that kingship over all nations. In this context, the statement is made that “the Lord will not forsake His people; He will not abandon His heritage” (94:14).
Book V — Pilgrimage, precepts and praise
The final section consists of groups of Psalms that stand together. Psalms 120–134 constitute an “almost unbroken song of reliance on Yahweh alone,” in the words of Old Testament scholar G.H. Wilson. The Psalms of ascent were used in Israel in connection with the feasts of pilgrims going to Jerusalem. The final Psalms (146–150) are all praise Psalms. There is no lament or complaint in them. These final five Psalms were written to bring the whole Psalter to a climax and conclusion.
Christian approaches to the Psalms
The New Testament draws heavily upon the Psalter, more so than any other book in the Old Testament. Many Psalms look forward in time, anticipating God’s intervention. This resonated with the early church’s sense of the fulfillment of God’s purposes being found in Christ’s coming. The laments of Psalm 22, which are often linked with passages such as Isaiah 53, appear to be similar to Christ’s experiences on the cross. For Christians, the Psalms draw us toward our faith in Christ and help us think about Him.
The Psalter’s God
There is no sense of doubtful speculation within the Psalms about their knowledge of God. The picture we have of God within the Psalms is vibrant with life, rich with blessing for His people if they will but trust Him. Many names of God are used within the Psalter, although Yahweh occurs more than 600 times — nearly twice as often as Elohim. This should be no surprise, as this was the name by which God revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 3. Yahweh is the distinctive, personal name of the God who enters into personal relationship with humankind. If Elohim speaks of God’s awesome majesty, then Yahweh reveals His gracious activity in our lives.
Many metaphors of God with which we have become familiar are found in the Psalms. Not all the pictures were unique to Israel, because they were the common stock of the people among whom Israel lived in the ancient Near East. They include God as redeemer, craftsman, father, king, judge and shepherd. The Psalter has a many-sided understanding of God and gives us a fuller picture of His nature.
Law
Three Psalms in particular focus attention on God’s word: 1, 19 and 119. In Psalm 119, the Torah is central: The term itself is used 25 times, and various synonyms also are used to suggest the many-sided significance of the way the Torah works (“commands,” “instructions,” “decrees,” “precepts,” “statutes” and “ordinances”). All three Torah Psalms show great regard for the Law, even delighting in meditating on it and seeking to observe it. Through the Torah, the psalmist believes that God’s people are taught His ways. The people’s response should not merely be devotional but ethical.
Worship
When most people think of the Psalms, they view the book as a worship manual. This is how it was used within Judaism. The Christian church has made use of the Psalter in chants, hymns and contemporary songs. In the Psalms, there is a rich resource for personal and corporate worship.
Deeply theological, the Psalter is also deeply doxological. The Psalms do not speculate on God’s character. They are deeply moved by God’s being and His ways. The Psalter is “speech directed toward God,” in the words of Old Testament scholar Claus Westermann. To go through the Psalms is to be led increasingly toward the praise of God. This is true theologically, because in praise, more than any other human act, God is glorified. It is also so in the life of spiritual pilgrimage, because praise more than any other act in the life of faith utters devotion to God and confidence in His nature. In praise, selfish ambitions are lost in awe.
There is an aspect of exuberance in praise and worship within the Psalms. Psalm 98:4 says, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.” Worship in the Psalter engages the whole person. True worship is the response of all that I am to all that God is.
Laments
Even a cursory examination and reading of the Psalms makes you aware of the fact that most of them deal with some sort of trouble or adversity. Indeed there are more Psalms of lament than praise in the Psalter. The Psalms speak about human experiences that we do not offend the ears of those we want to impress, the Psalms do not indicate any desire to maintain a “stiff upper lip.” Human experience can be traumatic. We need the words of these Psalms to express our sense of feebleness, our anger, our disappointment in God’s seeming absence. The psalmists know that life is not all blue skies and red roses. They express their feelings in an open way that is sometimes disconcerting. Yet the Psalms of lament bring assurance into our hearts that when we pray, we do not need to censor our words.
There are some 40 individual laments in the first half of the Psalter. The complaints arise out of issues such as sickness or the activity of enemies. They generally make an appeal to God for help, describe the nature of the complaint, confess sin (if appropriate) and give reasons why He should intervene. They often conclude by offering a vow and expressing faith that God will act.
Sadly the notion of lament has largely disappeared from personal and corporate worship within the church. These Psalms remind us that faith is not stoic resignation and that even in our darkest moments, hope can shine through the shadows of doubt and despair.
Enemies
Like it or not, yearning for vengeance is in the Psalms. It is there without embarrassment, apology or censor. Either officially or unofficially, most Christians eliminate the offensive passages in the Psalms from their Bibles, either by not using them in the public worship, passing over the verses in private devotional reading without giving them any attention or spiritualizing them by making them refer to “spiritual enemies.” Protestant reformer John Calvin called the Psalms “an anatomy of all parts of the soul.” They tell us about ourselves. They also affirm and legitimate expressions of anger and even rage at sin and evil. It is important to notice, however, that the psalmists never take issues into their own hands. They leave things with God.
The laments of anger and vengeance are not inferior types of Psalm. However, they do not have the last word. Psalm 139 ends with these words: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (23–24).
The final Psalm is one of pure praise. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann was right when he commented, “Only those who willingly begin in Psalm 1 can honestly and gladly end in Psalm 150. Praise as glad exuberant yielding and self-abasement … takes place only when one comes to terms emotionally, psychologically, dramatically and theologically with the demanding sovereign reality of God. Affirmation of this God becomes the reason, warrant, ground and substance of praise.”
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