Lesson 01 part 3

PSALMS (PART 3)
LESSON #01/P3
INTRODUCTION TO PART 3

• A SPECIAL NOTE: THIS SECTION OF LESSONS IS THE THIRD PART OF THE STUDY OF THE BOOK OF PSALMS.
• IF YOU HAVE NOT STUDIED THE FIRST SECTION OF LESSONS ON THE PSALMS (PART 1), YOU SHOULD AT LEAST READ THE FIRST INTRODUCTORY LESSON IN PART 1.
• THIS PARTICULAR PAGE OF INTRODUCTION IS A BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME OF THE IMPORTANT POINTS IN THAT LESSON FOR THOSE WHO HAVE STUDIED PART 1 PLUS SOME RELEVANT POINTS THAT PERTAIN SPECIFICALLY TO OUR STUDY OF PSALMS, PART 3.
• THE TITLE OF THE BOOK OF PSALMS:

• THE WORD “PSALMS” MEANS = PRAISES WITH MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT.

THE HEBREW TITLE FOR THE BOOK WAS “sepher tehillim” WHICH MEANS “BOOK OF PRAISES”. THE WORDS OF THE PSALMS WERE TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. THE PSALMS WERE USED FOR THE WORSHIP OF GOD IN THE JEWISH TEMPLE.

• THE AUTHORS IN PSALMS PART 3:

• ASAPH (PSA 73-83)
• ASAPH WAS A MUSICIAN IN THE TEMPLE.
• THE SONS OF KORAH
• THE SONS OF KORAH, MEMBERS OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI, WHO WERE THE PRIESTS, WROTE FOUR PSALMS IN PART 3.(PSA 84-85, 87,88)
• DAVID (PSA 86)
• DAVID WROTE ONE OF THE PSALMS IN PART 3.
• ETHAN, THE EZRAHITE (PSA 89)
• HE WAS A SINGER FROM THE TRIBE OF LEVI.

• THE THEME OF THE WHOLE BOOK OF PSALMS:
• THE KING AND THE KINGDOM
• THERE IS A MORE COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST IN THIS BOOK THAN THERE IS IN THE GOSPELS OF 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 THINKING AND FEELING.
• WHILE THE THEME OF THE BOOK IS THE KING AND THE KINGDOM, IT IS VERY MUCH PERSONALLY ORIENTED TO A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS KING. THE AUTHORS BARE THEIR SOULS TO THE LORD. THEREFORE, WE COULD SAY THAT THIS IS THE ONLY BOOK IN THE BIBLE THAT CONTAINS EVERY HUMAN 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 WITH THIS KING.
• THE RESULTS OF THIS EMPHASIS SHOULD PROMPT YOU TO WORSHIP THE KING MORE FULLY.
• THE KEY WORDS:

• THE KEY WORDS IN THIS SECTION OF PSALMS ARE “HOLINESS” AND “SACRIFICE” THAT RELATE TO THE CHARACTER OF GOD AND THE WORSHIP OF GOD.
• THE WORDS TABERNACLE, TEMPLE, HOUSE, ASSEMBLY, AND CONGREGATION APPEAR IN ALMOST EVERY PSALM, GIVING US THE THEME OF WORSHIP.
• AN OFTEN REPEATED WORD:

• THE WORD, “SELAH”, IS OFTEN SEEN IN THE PSALMS. DO NOT SKIP OVER IT FOR IT IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT WORD.
• THIS LITTLE WORD IS A MUSICAL NOTATION OF A “REST”. IT IS WHEN ALL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS STOP PLAYING AND THERE IS A PAUSE. WHEN IT OCCURS HERE IN THE PSALMS, IT MEANS = STOP AND THINK ABOUT WHAT WAS JUST SAID!
• WHEN WE READ THE PSALMS, WE SHOULD USE IT IN THE SAME WAY…PAUSE, THINK ABOUT THE MARVELOUS TRUTH THE AUTHOR JUST PROCLAIMED. THESE TRUTHS ARE LITTLE GEMS DROPPED IN THE TEXT FOR US TO NOTICE AS AN EMPHASIS.
• THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE PSALMS:

• THE ORDER OF THE PSALMS FOLLOWS 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 3 OF OUR STUDY: (THE LEVITICUS SECTION==PSALMS 73-89)

• IN THE LEVITICUS SECTION OF THE PSALMS, IT CORRESPONDS TO THE ACTIONS IN THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS WHERE THE SANCTUARY IS IN VIEW.
• THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS IS GOD’S PLAN FOR WORSHIP GIVEN TO HIS PEOPLE IN THE WILDERNESS FOR USE IN THE TABERNACLE AND LATER IN THE TEMPLE.
• THE PEOPLE WERE FREE FROM BONDAGE IN EGYPT AND READY TO WORSHIP GOD ACCORDING TO GOD’S PLAN.
• WE SEE IN THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS THE HOLINESS OF GOD AND THE AWFULNESS OF SIN.
• GOD EXPLAINS THE ANIMAL SACRIFICES AS A COVERING FOR SIN.
• GOD ESTABLISHES HIS PROPHETIC CALENDAR THROUGH THE FEASTS GIVEN TO ISRAEL.
• THREREFORE, WE SEE TWO ASPECTS OF EMPHASIS IN PART 3:
• THE HOLINESS OF GOD DESERVING OF TRUE WORSHIP
• THE NECESITY FOR THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD FOR THE REMISION OF SIN.

• INTERPRETATION OF THE PSALMS:

• THE PSALMS SERVE MORE THAN ONE PURPOSE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND WE WILL CONSIDER THESE MULTI-FACETED ASPECTS AS WE STUDY THEM.
• =1= THEY WERE WRITTEN FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE BY THE AUTHOR FOR THOSE PEOPLE OF HIS TIME, AND FOR THEIR USE IN TEMPLE WORSHIP.
• =2= THEY GIVE US THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF THE HUMAN WRITER REGARDING HIS OWN EXPERIENCES WITH GOD.
• =3= THEY GIVE US THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF GOD FOR THEY ARE PART OF HIS INSPIRED WORD.
• =4= THEY GIVE US INSPIRED PROPHECY OF A FUTURE FIRST COMING AND A SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, THE MESSIAH.
• THERE ARE 186 QUOTATIONS FROM THE BOOK OF PSALMS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
• SOURCES FOR OUR STUDY OF PSALMS PART 2:

• 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 73
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• PREPARATION FOR PSA 73
• READ PSA 73:1-28
• WHAT IS ASAPH’S PROBLEM THAT IS EXPRESSED IN THIS PSALM?
• WHERE DID ASAPH FIND THE ANSWER TO HIS PROBLEM? (17)
• WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WICKED THAT PROSPER?
• WHAT BENEFITS DO BELIEVERS HAVE THAT THE WICKED DO NOT?

MEMORY VERSE: PSA 73:28