#14 Understanding the Variety of Psalm Types and Their Unique Expressions:

Part 4 – Instruction

 

Understanding & Using the Psalms

  • Individual Lament:

Cries of the individual in times of distress

5,6,10,13,22,26,35,38,39,40,42,43,51,54,55,56,57,59,64,69,70,86,88,102,109,120,130,142,143

  • Communal Lament:

Cries of the community in times of distress

60,74,79,80,90,108,123,137

  • Hymns of Praise:

Celebrations of Yahweh’s goodness & character

8,9,19,29,30,33,34,65,66,67,68,76,95,96,97,98,99, 100,103,104,111,113,116,117,134,135,138,144,145, 146,147,148,149,150

  • Songs of Confidence:

Declarations of trust in Yahweh

3,4,7,11,12,16,17,18,20,23,27,28,31,36,41,46,50,58, 62,63,71,77,82,83,85,89,91,92,93,94,114,115,121,124,125,126,129,139,140,141

  • Royal Psalms:

Song in praise of Yahweh as Israel’s true king and the monarch who rules on Yahweh’s behalf

2,21,24,45,47,61,72,110,132

  • Psalms of Zion:

“National Anthems” that praise the earthly residence of Yahweh

14,48,53,84,87,122

  • “Thank” Psalms:

Expressions of appreciation for Yahweh’s deliverance

75,118,136

  • Wisdom or Priestly Instruction:

Poems which contain condensed teachings to be passed along by memorization

1,15,25,32,37,44,49,52,73,78,81,101,105,106,107,112,119,127

Instruction

  • Character: Poems which contain condensed teachings to be passed along by memorization
  • Examples: Psalms 1, 15, 25, 32, 37, 44, 49, 52, 73, 78, 81, 101, 105, 106, 107, 112, 119, 127

 

Instruction: Example #1 – Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

 

Note these things:

  • A comparison is made between two types of people, those who acknowledge and worship God, and those who do not. While many of their actions might be similar in life, the outcomes of their existences are very different.
  • The Psalm has two parts:
    -In the first half, the righteous person is praised for a particular lifestyle that conforms to the divine plans for humanity, and the wicked are seen as in opposition to God and to them
    -In the second half, the wicked are derided for denying the Creator’s intentions, and for harming the righteous
  • The Psalm is not directed toward God as a prayer.
  • Rather, it is the testimony of those who know and love God, seeking to pass this wisdom along to the next generation
  • In that sense, this Psalm is an educating tool.

 

Instruction: Example #2 – Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?

2 The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.

 

Note These Things

  • Notice that the Psalm begins with a synonymous parallelism question (one question, posed twice for poetic emphasis). This question is answered in the bulk of the Psalm (the lists of activities related to righteousness), and then the concluding synonymous parallelism recaps the answer to the initial question
  • The behaviors of the righteous encompass social activities of many dimensions, both outwardly expressed and inwardly thought or imagined.
  • Holiness is both a process and a reflection of God at work in one’s life
  • Therefore worship is the outcome of right living

 

Instruction: Example #3 – Psalm 37

Of David.

1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.

12 The wicked plot against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword
    and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
    and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
    and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20But the wicked will perish:
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses will be destroyed.

23 The Lord makes firm the steps
    of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
    for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
    or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
    their children will be a blessing.

27 Turn from evil and do good;
    then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
    and dwell in it forever.

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
    and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
    their feet do not slip.

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
    intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Hope in the Lord
    and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
    when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
    flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
    though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
    a future awaits those who seek peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
    there will be no future for the wicked.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

 

Note These Things

  • This Psalm is an acrostic. That means that each successive thought unit (usually a pair of synonymous parallelism lines, but sometimes longer units) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. That gives the Psalm the feeling of expressing the fullness of the ideas from A to Z. This might also be the reason for some of the perceived choppiness of the Psalm, since it is deliberately crafted to fit this writing convention.
  • Notice the variety of metaphors used to describe the manner in which God cares and God’s people respond.
  • Notice that righteousness and salvation are always closely interlinked.

 

Reflections on Instruction

  • These Psalms are essentially teaching tools, designed to help people remember why God is to be honored and how they are to live faithfully.
  • Righteousness is connected to right living, and also to salvation.
  • Righteousness is expected of God’s people, because it is the mark of God’s kingly rule expressed through them.
Last modified: Thursday, August 9, 2018, 9:15 AM