Psalms Panorama

Psalms Panorama

1. a. The Praise

   • The Psalms are Israel's Songbook of praise (Praise the Lord, Praise God in his sanctuary... | Psalm 150:1)
     • a. the Psalms were written between 1400 & 400 BC
     • b. The Psalms contain 5 'books' which mirrors the Torah
       • Book 1: Psalm 1 - 41
       • Book 2: Psalm 42 - 47
       • Book 3: Psalm 73 - 89
       • Book 4: Psalm 90 - 106
       • Book 5: Psalm 107 - 150
     • c. The Greek word is 'Psalmos' which comes from the Hebrew word meaning 'to pluck' - taking hold of instruments with the finger. Psalms were originally songs for the Iyre
     • d. The key word is "Hallelujah", which means : Praise Yahweh

2. b. The Poetry

   • 2. The Psalms express in poetry human love for and longing for God. Hebrew Poetry uses "Thought Rhyme" also known as "Parallelism" (Thought rhyme involves arranging thoughts in relation to each other).
   • Synonymous
     • For he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters (24:1)
   • Antithecal
     • For the lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish (1:6)
   • Introverted
     • Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him, I will set him on high, because he has known my name (91:14)
   • Rhyming of words is secondary to the reason of the words

3. c. The Prophecy

   • Psalm 22 predicts Jesus' crucifixion. David was writing 1000 years before the cruxifixion was invented by the persians. How did David know about the cruxifxion?
     • "David himself, speaking by the spirit" (Mark 12:36)

4. d. The Purpose

   • the Psalms points us to Jesus. After his ressurection, Jesus said, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fullfiled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms" (Luke 24:44-45)