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PSALMS
LESSON #1
INTRODUCTION
A STUDY OF THE PSALMS IS A MONUMENTAL TASK BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM. HOWEVER,WE WILL BREAK OUR STUDY INTO 3 PARTS. IN THIS FIRST SECTION, WE WILL STUDY PSALMS 1-41.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BOOK OF PSALMS:
THIS BOOK IS IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR BIBLE. WE CAN SAY, THEREFORE, THAT PSALMS IS THEHEART OF THE WORD OF GOD. IN FACT, YOU COME CLOSER TO THE HEART OF GOD IN THIS BOOK THANANY OTHER BOOK. THE ACTUAL MIDDLE OF YOUR BIBLE IS PSALM 119 WHICH IS THE LONGEST PSALM.THIS PSALM SINGS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORD OF GOD.
THE WORD “PSALMS” MEANS = PRAISES WITH MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT.
THE HEBREW TITLE FOR THE BOOK WAS “sepher tehillim” WHICH MEANS”BOOK OF PRAISES”
THEREFORE, THIS BOOK IS A HYMN BOOK (THE HIM BOOK) OF WORSHIP AND PRAISE TO GOD.IT WAS USED IN THE TEMPLE TO WORSHIP GOD. MANY OF OUR SONGS TODAY USE WORDS FROM THEPSALMS.
THERE ARE 186 QUOTATIONS FROM THE BOOK OF PSALMS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
AUTHORS:
THE BOOK OF PSALMS WAS WRITTEN BY MORE THAN ONE AUTHOR.
| AUTHOR | NUMBER WRITTEN |
| DAVID | 73 PSALMS |
| “ORPHANIC” PSALMS (ORPHANS) | 39 PSALMS OF UNKNOWN AUTHORSHIP. DAVID MAY HAVE WRITTEN MANY OF THEM. |
| ASAPH | 12 PSALMS |
| KORAH | 11 PSALMS |
| HEZEKIAH | 10 PSALMS |
| SOLOMON | 2 PSALMS |
| MOSES | 1 PSALM |
| HEMAN | 1 PSALM |
| ETHAN | 1 PSALM |
| TOTAL | 150 PSALMS |
TYPES OF PSALMS:
THEOLOGIANS DIVIDE THE PSALMS INTO CATEGORIES. FOR EXAMPLE:
39 OF THE PSALMS ARE “ORPHANIC PSALMS”. IN OTHER WORDS THEY ARE ORPHANS. THEIRAUTHOR IS UNKNOWN.
SOME PSALMS ARE “MESSIANIC PSALMS”. IN OTHER WORDS THEY ARE PROPHETIC ABOUTEITHER THE FIRST COMING AND/OR THE SECOND COMING OF THE MESSIAH. 16 OF THE PSALMS AREMESSIANIC IN NATURE.
SOME PSALMS ARE “IMPRECATORY PSALMS”. IN OTHER WORDS THEY CALL DOWN THE WRATH OFGOD UPON A PERSONS ENEMIES.
THEY ARE VINDICTIVE AND CALL FOR JUDGMENT. THESE PSALMS ARE THE RESULT OF A PEOPLE UNDERTHE MOSAIC LAW WHO LOOKED FOR FINAL JUSTICE.
THEN THERE ARE “PENITENTIAL PSALMS”. THESE SEEK GODS FORGIVENESS FOR SIN.THERE ARE 7 OF THEM.
SOME PSALMS ARE CALLED “THANKSGIVING PSALMS” OR “HALLEL”.
THERE ARE ALSO “ACROSTIC PSALMS”. IN A TIME WHEN THERE WERE NO PRINTING PRESSES,THE WORD OF GOD WAS MEMORIZED AND PASSED ON TO SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS. PSALMS ARRANGEDAROUND THE HEBREW ALPHABET WERE EASIER TO MEMORIZE.
THERE ARE HISTORIC PSALMS, MISSIONARY PSALMS, PILGRIM PSALMS, AND PSALMS OF NATURE, PLUSMANY MORE TYPES OF DIVISIONS.
THEME:.
THE KING AND THE KINGDOM
THERE IS A MORE COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST IN THIS BOOK THAN THERE IS IN THE GOSPELSOF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
THE GOSPELS TELL US THAT JESUS PRAYED, BUT THE PSALMS TELL US WHAT HE PRAYED.
THE GOSPELS TELL US THAT JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED, BUT THE PSALMS TELL US WHAT HE WAS THINKINGAND FEELING.
WHILE THE THEME OF THE BOOK IS THE KING AND THE KINGDOM, IT IS VERY MUCH PERSONALLYORIENTED TO A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS KING. THE AUTHORS BARE THEIR SOULS TO THELORD. THEREFORE, WE COULD SAY THAT THIS IS THE ONLY BOOK IN THE BIBLE THAT CONTAINS EVERYHUMAN EMOTION AND EVERY HUMAN EXPERIENCE. IT IS AN ANATOMY OF THE SOUL.
OUR EMPHASIS ON THE THEME:
THE THEME IS THE KING AND THE KINGDOM, BUT WE WILL EMPHASIZE OUR HUMAN RELATIONSHIP WITHTHIS KING.
THE RESULTS OF THIS EMPHASIS SHOULD PROMPT YOU TO WORSHIP THE KING MORE FULLY.
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT IN NEW TESTAMENT TIMES, THE BELIEVER SHOULD WORSHIP THE LORD INSPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. (JOH 4:23)
WHEN WE LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT WHO OUR KING REALLY IS, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN USE THAT TOPROMPT A DEEPLY FELT WORSHIP WITHIN US.
COMPLETE WORSHIP INCLUDES:
1. EXPOSING YOUR CONSCIENCE TO THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
2. FEEDING YOUR MIND ON THE TRUTH OF GOD.
3. OPENING YOUR HEART TO THE LOVE OF GOD.
4. DEVOTING YOUR WILL TO THE PURPOSES OF GOD.
KEY WORD:
“HALLELUJAH” WHICH MEANS = PRAISE THE LORD
WHAT IS MISSING?:
THERE ARE SOME NEW TESTAMENT CONCEPTS THAT ARE MISSING IN THE PSALMS SIMPLY BECAUSE THISIS A VERY JEWISH OLD TESTAMENT BOOK.
FOR EXAMPLE:
WE WILL NOT SEE GOD CALLED “FATHER” IN THIS BOOK. HE IS GOD, THE FATHER, NOT THEFATHER GOD. THEREFORE, BELIEVERS ARE NOT CALLED “SONS”. THIS IS STRICTLY A NEWTESTAMENT PHENOMENA.
WE WILL NOT SEE THE ABIDING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PSALMS SIMPLY BECAUSE THE HOLYSPIRIT DID NOT COME TO LIVE INSIDE BELIEVERS UNTIL THE BOOK OF ACTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
WE WILL NOT SEE THE “BLESSED HOPE” OF THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH IN THE PSALMSBECAUSE THE BOOK IS JEWISH, AND THE JEWS WILL NOT RECEIVE CHRIST UNTIL THE SECOND COMINGOF JESUS CHRIST.
THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE PSALMS:
MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT THE PSALMS ARE RANDOMLY PLACED IN THE BIBLE…THAT THERE IS NOORDER TO THEM. HOWEVER, ON CLOSE EXAMINATION, WE WILL SEE THAT THE ORDER OF THE PSALMSFOLLOWS THE GENERAL ORDER OF THE BIBLE ITSELF.
| ORDER OF THE BIBLE: | ORDER OF THE PSALMS: |
| GENESIS | PSALM 1-41 |
| EXODUS | PSALM 42-72 |
| LEVITICUS | PSALM 73-89 |
| NUMBERS | PSALM 90-106 |
| DEUTERONOMY | PSALM 107-150 |
UNDERSTANDING THE OUTLINE FOR PART 1 OF OUR STUDY: (THE GENESIS SECTION)
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS MEANT BY “THE GENESIS SECTION”, THERE ARE SOME THINGS WENEED TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND FIRST.
TURN IN YOUR BIBLE TO GENESIS 1.
GENESIS 1 AND 2 ARE ABOUT A PERFECT CREATION.
GENESIS 3 IS ABOUT ADAM AND EVE WHO SINNED AND REBELLED AGAINST GOD.
READ GEN 3:15
THIS VERSE IS SPOKEN BY GOD TO SATAN. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT VERSE IN THE WHOLE BIBLEBECAUSE IT GIVES US GODS PLAN FOR ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY.
1. “ENMITY BETWEEN THEE AND THE WOMAN” = HATRED BETWEEN SATAN AND ISRAEL.
2. “ENMITY…..BETWEEN THY SEED AND HER SEED”= HATRED BETWEEN SATANS SEED,WHO IS THE ANTI-CHRIST, AND ISRAELS SEED, WHO IS JESUS CHRIST.
THE MENTION OF THE WOMANS SEED IS VERY STRANGE. EVERY OTHER PLACE IN THE BIBLE WHERE”SEED” IS MENTIONED, IT IS MANS SEED. THEREFORE, THIS IS A REFERENCE TOTHE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
3. “HE SHALL BRUISE THY HEAD” =
JESUS CHRIST SHALL BRUISE SATANS HEAD. THE HEAD IS THE SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY ANDPOWER. THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD DESTROYED SATANS AUTHORITY AS”THE GOD OF THIS WORLD”.
4. “THOU SHALL BRUISE HIS HEEL” =
SATAN SHALL BRUISE THE HEEL OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS. THE HEEL IS BRUISED BY THEPROCESS OF CRUCIFIXION.
OUTLINE FOR PART 1, THE GENESIS SECTION (PSA 1-41)
A VIEW OF MAN IN A STATE OF BLESSEDNESS, THE FALL INTO SIN, AND MANS SEARCH FORSANCTIFICATION.
A. THE PERFECT MAN (PSA 1)
B. REBELLIOUS MAN (PSA 2)
C. THE PERFECT MAN REJECTED (PSA 3)
D. CONFLICT BETWEEN THE SEED OF THE WOMAN AND THE SERPENT (PSA 4)
E. THE PERFECT MAN AMONG HIS ENEMIES (PSA 5)
F. THE PERFECT MAN IN CHASTISEMENT (THE BRUISED HEEL) (PSA 6)
G. THE PERFECT MAN AMONG FALSE WITNESSES (PSA 7)
H. MANS REDEMPTION THROUGH THE BRUISED HEAD (PSA 8)
I. THE ENEMY AND ANTI-CHRIST CONFLICT RESULTS IN FINAL DELIVERANCE (PSA 9-15)
J. CHRIST AMONG HIS PEOPLE SANCTIFYING THEM TO GOD (PSA 16-41)
SOURCES FOR OUR STUDY:
THRU THE BIBLE COMMENTARY SERIES BY J. VERNON McGee.
TEACHING NOTES BY ADELE CARMICHAEL.
THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY –OLD TESTAMENT BY JOHN F. WALVOORD AND ROY B. ZUCK.
MISC. NOTES
HOMEWORK
PSALMS 1-2
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
PREPARATION FOR PSALMS 1:
READ PSALM 1 THE GODLY MAN AND THE UNGODLY MAN
FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING CHART:
| THE LIFE OF THE GODLY MAN (1-2): | THE LIFE OF THE UNGODLY MAN (4-5) |
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| THE RESULTS OF BEING A GODLY MAN (3) | THE RESULTS OF BEING AN UNGODLY MAN (6) |
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WHAT DO YOU THINK VERSE 3 MEANS?
PREPARATION FOR PSALM 2:
READ PSALM 2 MANS REBELLION AGAINST GOD
HOW DOES GOD FEEL ABOUT MANS REBELLION? (4-5)
READ ACTS 13:14-34
PSA 2:7 IS QUOTED IN PAULS SERMON IN ACTS 13:33.
WHAT DAY HAD THE FATHER BEGOTTEN THE SON?
WHEN WILL PSALM 2:9 BE FULFILLED?
WHAT DO YOU THINK “KISS THE SON” MEANS IN PSA 2:12?
MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 1:2
