Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

Keys To The Psalms

The Key of Music “ Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King! ” (Ps. 98:5,6) The kingdom under David enjoyed an explosion of music, instruments, singing and composition like none other in history. David himself was an accomplished harpist and composer and separated 288 musician singers to practice, pray, study, arrange and compose music for the service of God. The Psalms were to be understood through the melodies and harmonies of music. “The word psalm (mizmor) means a composition set to music, and, in the first instance, speaks of the music rather than of the psalm. “But for the lyre we might never have had LYRICS–and but for the art of sweeping the strings, which we call Psalmein (psalming) we might never have had in our hands the poetic products which we call Psalmoi (Psalms) “. 2 This quote is saying that a true psalm is first music and then words where as a hymn is when words are composed first and then they are set to music.The music styles of every generation change, but the hymnbook of the Holy Spirit remains a continual example and source of inspiration for the ages. The ‘New Testament’ Key “ Dear brothers, think about this! David wasn’t referring to himself when he spoke these words I have quoted… David was looking into the future and predicting the Messiah’s resurrection…This prophecy was speaking of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead… ” (Acts 2:29-32) Psalms is quoted in the New Testament more frequently than any other book in the Hebrew Scriptures. Every major teaching and event surrounding the Messiah and his church is found in the rich prophetic streams of the Psalms. The writers of the gospels and epistles understood the Psalms in the light of the events unfolding around them as Jesus and His church arrived on the scene of human history. No other book in the Old Testament is as close to the heart of the New Testament as this one. The Key of David’s Life “ David, the son of Jesse, speaks - David, the man to whom God gave such wonderful success, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel. ” (2 Sam. 23:1) The life of David is essential to grasp the meaning of the Psalms. Many of his compositions parallel the events of his personal history as recorded in the Scriptures. He was prophetic of the coming Messiah and many of his prayers and songs were the very words that Christ would utter in fulfillment a thousand years later. His triumphs, failures, fears and faith come to us in honest and raw form. We see into the depths of his soul as he grows from a shepherd boy who defeats the mighty Philistine giant, his renown as a musical icon in the house of Saul, to the throne of the kingdom and worldwide fame and then his shameful sin with Bathsheba and resulting troubles and eventual restoration. The greatest of Israel’s kings is highly honored as the Scriptures call the Messiah ‘The Son of David.’ The ‘Tent of David’ Key “ David also ordered the Levite leaders to appoint a choir of Levites who were singers and musicians to sing joyful songs to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. ” (1 Chron. 15:1,16) When David became king in Jerusalem he set up 24 groups of 12 musicians who would minister praise, thanksgiving and prophetic music before the presence of God continually at the ‘Tent of David’ on Mount Zion. This foreshadowed the coming age of the church in which we live where we can come boldly be- fore the throne of grace to commune with our God. Many of the Psalms were written and ministered in this holy atmosphere. Asaph and the descendants of Korah were a part of the Levitical musicians who ministered before the Ark of the Covenant. Much of the great worship revolution sweeping the nations of the earth today finds its source in the flowing music of this simple tent in Jerusalem thousands of years ago.

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