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Exploring the Psalms

In seeking to explore more of the wonderful character and nature of God, I have found the Psalms indispensable.

What are the Psalms?

The original Greek word meant ‘songs sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments’. We are reminded of that fact by the various titles or superscriptions associated with many of them, such as “Selah” and “For the choir director.” (Psalm 54, for example)

They are prayers and praises
The collection of the Psalms is divided into five books, each ending with a doxology. When we look at the note following the end of Book II (Psalms 42-72), we find it says “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended” (Ps. 72:20 KJV). Book IV begins with Psalm 90, the oldest in the entire collection, carrying the title “A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.” So some have suggested ‘Prayers’ as a more appropriate title for the Psalms. Martin Luther saw in the Psalms a school of prayer. The standard Hebrew title, however, is a word meaning ‘praises.’

They are poetry
We recognize that the Psalms are poetry, and although we find poetry several other places in scripture, there are few where it is directed to God as the Psalms are. We can think of the songs of Moses and Miriam in the book of Exodus, along with Mary’s Magnificat, the prophecy of Zacharias and a few others, but nowhere else are they concentrated and extensive as they are here.

Why are they unique?

In addition to being prayers in the form of poetry, the Psalms have several other qualities that make them unique in the scriptures.

They are personal

Although the Psalter became the hymnbook of the nation of Israel, it wasn’t written by a hymnal committee! Each psalm was first of all the individual heart cry of a worshipper of Yahweh. Some are the overflow of a life gripped by fears, dangers and trials. Some express a hunger to know and worship God more deeply, others the crushing burden of guilt over past sins. Many psalms contain a combination of these emotions along with others. We see honest expressions of elation, depression, joys, doubts and fears - in other words, the full range of human emotions.