O
OntheDL
Guest
Here is a study I have on the book of Psalms.
The book of Psalms was the hymn book of ancient church. Luther called it the little bible. As one studies the book of 150 Psalms, one discovers it covers the whole gamit of human experience.
As the poets of Israel looked through their experiences under inspiration, they caught vivid glimpses of the messiah who was to come and save and to bless His people. These are known as the messianic psalms.
As they looked through their own experiences and sensed God through their daily lives they wrote poems on the experiential aspect of religion. These are experiential psalms.
And there were also contemplative psalms that looked through nature and interpreted nature through the understanding of the eternal God who created and maintained.
There is a whole section of the hymn books of Israel that deals with the last day events. These are eschatological psalms.
The purpose of Psalm was for vertically: praise God; and horizontally: witness the faith of God to our fellowmen.
1. Authorship
As the New Testament authors quote them, they acknowledged God, the holy spirit is the back of authors. No one knows exactly how many as David being the first with about 50% of the Psalms. Moses wrote one perhaps two. Then other writers filled in various details.
2. Ancient church it as their hymn book
We are told that the music should be joyful. There should be joyful noise other than singing aloud. The musical instrument added to the beauty of the singing of the psalms.
3. Poetic forms of the psalms
In Hebrew poetry, it consists parallel ideas. One parallels the second and third, forth... They may not all agree, they may complementry or contradict. They add either directly or indirectly to the concept first mentioned. The Hebrew poetry is different in many ways from the English poetry. There is little ryming. But there is parallelism and rythm.
Several of the psalms, the 119th being the paramount example, are acrostics. The poet evidently laid down the 22 Hebrew alphabets. Selected his themes under inspiration and started each verse with the appropriate letter. If you look at the 119th, the poet had eight verse per Hebrew letter.
4. Division of the psalms
Some deal with nature of God through nature, experience of human needs and passions, the messiah and His ministry, the sanctuary and its service, the victory of right, the vindication of God and His saints, the last day events and the triumph of God and His people.
They are also divided into 5 books. The 5 divisions of psalms corresponds to the 5 book of Moses. 41 ends with Amen Amen. The same for 72 and 89. But psalms 106 and 150 ends with hallelujah. Amen is a term of affirmation and resignation. But last two books has triumph over resignation into praise and exaltation. Hallelujah.
The early manuscripts of psalms, masoretic authority, Talmud as well as the ancient versions divides the psalms into 5 parts. Midrash on Psalm 1:1 says Moses gave the Israelites 5 books of the law. And corresponding with these, David gave 5 books of the psalms.
Book 1: Psalm 1 - 41: This is the Genesis' book. It concerns man, he must obey and live or disobey and be ruined. Psalm 1-8, man and the Son of man. Psalm 9-15, man of the earth: antichrist. Psalm 10-18, benediction. This book ends with a double amen.
Book 2: 42 - 72: The Exodus' book. Concens Israel as a nation. 42-49: Israel's ruin. 50-60: Israel's redeemer, 61-72: Israel's redemption. It begins with Israel's cry from deliverance and it ends with the Messiah's victory. The book ends with benediction and a double amen.
Book 3: 73 - 89: The Leviticus' book. Concerns the sanctuary. 73-83, sanctuary's relation to man. 84-89, sanctuary's relation to the LORD. The sanctuary, congregation assembly or zion are referred to in nearly every chapter of this book. It ends with benediction and a double amen.
Book 4: 90 -106: The Number's book: deals with Israel and the nations of the earth. It begins with the prayer of Moses in the wilderness, the oldest psalm, and closes with rebellion in the wilderness. Psalm 96:11 gives the name of Jehovah as an acrostic. The book concludes with benediction, amen and hallelujah (praise the Lord).
Book 5: 107 - 150: The Deuteronomy's book. It concerns God and His word. It concludes with 5 psalms each begins and ends with Hallelujah.
5. Theme and theology
The theme of psalms is looking through life to the triumph of God. The theology shows God is a God of love of mercy of compassion and of justice.
6. Application of Psalms to the human needs
All the poets looked through their mortal experiences to God expressing trust that one day God would vindicate their cause.
There are 7 amens, 24 hallelujah, 26 benedictions in the psalms. 7 authors are known for 100 psalms and about 50 anonymous writers. David wrote 74, .... Solomon 2...Mose 1 or perhaps 2.
To be continued...
Psalm of Experience
The book of Psalms was the hymn book of ancient church. Luther called it the little bible. As one studies the book of 150 Psalms, one discovers it covers the whole gamit of human experience.
As the poets of Israel looked through their experiences under inspiration, they caught vivid glimpses of the messiah who was to come and save and to bless His people. These are known as the messianic psalms.
As they looked through their own experiences and sensed God through their daily lives they wrote poems on the experiential aspect of religion. These are experiential psalms.
And there were also contemplative psalms that looked through nature and interpreted nature through the understanding of the eternal God who created and maintained.
There is a whole section of the hymn books of Israel that deals with the last day events. These are eschatological psalms.
The purpose of Psalm was for vertically: praise God; and horizontally: witness the faith of God to our fellowmen.
1. Authorship
As the New Testament authors quote them, they acknowledged God, the holy spirit is the back of authors. No one knows exactly how many as David being the first with about 50% of the Psalms. Moses wrote one perhaps two. Then other writers filled in various details.
2. Ancient church it as their hymn book
We are told that the music should be joyful. There should be joyful noise other than singing aloud. The musical instrument added to the beauty of the singing of the psalms.
3. Poetic forms of the psalms
In Hebrew poetry, it consists parallel ideas. One parallels the second and third, forth... They may not all agree, they may complementry or contradict. They add either directly or indirectly to the concept first mentioned. The Hebrew poetry is different in many ways from the English poetry. There is little ryming. But there is parallelism and rythm.
Several of the psalms, the 119th being the paramount example, are acrostics. The poet evidently laid down the 22 Hebrew alphabets. Selected his themes under inspiration and started each verse with the appropriate letter. If you look at the 119th, the poet had eight verse per Hebrew letter.
4. Division of the psalms
Some deal with nature of God through nature, experience of human needs and passions, the messiah and His ministry, the sanctuary and its service, the victory of right, the vindication of God and His saints, the last day events and the triumph of God and His people.
They are also divided into 5 books. The 5 divisions of psalms corresponds to the 5 book of Moses. 41 ends with Amen Amen. The same for 72 and 89. But psalms 106 and 150 ends with hallelujah. Amen is a term of affirmation and resignation. But last two books has triumph over resignation into praise and exaltation. Hallelujah.
The early manuscripts of psalms, masoretic authority, Talmud as well as the ancient versions divides the psalms into 5 parts. Midrash on Psalm 1:1 says Moses gave the Israelites 5 books of the law. And corresponding with these, David gave 5 books of the psalms.
Book 1: Psalm 1 - 41: This is the Genesis' book. It concerns man, he must obey and live or disobey and be ruined. Psalm 1-8, man and the Son of man. Psalm 9-15, man of the earth: antichrist. Psalm 10-18, benediction. This book ends with a double amen.
Book 2: 42 - 72: The Exodus' book. Concens Israel as a nation. 42-49: Israel's ruin. 50-60: Israel's redeemer, 61-72: Israel's redemption. It begins with Israel's cry from deliverance and it ends with the Messiah's victory. The book ends with benediction and a double amen.
Book 3: 73 - 89: The Leviticus' book. Concerns the sanctuary. 73-83, sanctuary's relation to man. 84-89, sanctuary's relation to the LORD. The sanctuary, congregation assembly or zion are referred to in nearly every chapter of this book. It ends with benediction and a double amen.
Book 4: 90 -106: The Number's book: deals with Israel and the nations of the earth. It begins with the prayer of Moses in the wilderness, the oldest psalm, and closes with rebellion in the wilderness. Psalm 96:11 gives the name of Jehovah as an acrostic. The book concludes with benediction, amen and hallelujah (praise the Lord).
Book 5: 107 - 150: The Deuteronomy's book. It concerns God and His word. It concludes with 5 psalms each begins and ends with Hallelujah.
5. Theme and theology
The theme of psalms is looking through life to the triumph of God. The theology shows God is a God of love of mercy of compassion and of justice.
6. Application of Psalms to the human needs
All the poets looked through their mortal experiences to God expressing trust that one day God would vindicate their cause.
There are 7 amens, 24 hallelujah, 26 benedictions in the psalms. 7 authors are known for 100 psalms and about 50 anonymous writers. David wrote 74, .... Solomon 2...Mose 1 or perhaps 2.
To be continued...
